April 30 through May 6 in National Screen Free Week (formerly Turn off the TV week) and here at Indianapolis toy store Earth Explorer Toys, we want to reward kids for hitting the off button.
Download and fill out both the Pledge Card and the Weekly Log of Activities, turn them in to the store by May 15 and each participating child will receive a $5 gift certificate to Earth Explorer Toys.
Wind blowing? Even just a bit? Hooray! Head outdoors with a new kite from Earth Explorer Toys and catch some air! It is National Kite Month, after all!
We did a little research and found that there are different types of kites for various wind speeds. Apparently, deltas, diamonds and dragon kites fly well in light to medium winds (approximately 6-15 mph), while box kites and stickless parafoil kites fly better when the winds get a little stronger (approximately 8-25 mph).
We don’t want you to miss celebrating National Kite Month, so come on down to Earth Explorer Toys where we have some really awesome kites in stock that are perfect for catching spring and summer breezes, right on into fall!
Our Fairy Kite ($29.99), for example, is made by Premier Kites. This fun, colorful design is perfect for light to moderate winds. It’s made of durable nylon and includes 300 feet of line and a winder.
Our Flo Tail Delta Poison Dart Frog ($29.99), also made by Premier Kites, is easy to launch and also perfect for light to moderate winds. It is made of durable nylon and includes 50 feet of line and a winder.
Here are a few kite flying tips from National Kite Month’s website. These tips are for single line kites.
And don’t forget to take a picture of your kids outside flying their kites and post it to our Facebook page. We always “Like” to see our toys in action. J
Do you remember the do-it-yourself scratch art when you were growing up? If memory serves us correctly, we would draw a picture using markers or crayons and then color over it using black crayon. Then we would use a paper clip, pen lid or our fingernail to scratch off the layer of black crayon to reveal the pattern underneath.
Well, that was really fun, but a lot of work. Nowadays, Melissa & Doug makes it so easy for kids with its Scratch Art series. Earth Explorer Toys carries a lot of Scratch Art kits, aka Scratch Magic, which are perfect for just about any age. And we’re expecting more kits this spring and summer.
Here’s how it works: Each kit comes with several pages of paper (it ranges depending on the kit you choose). Each page is coated with a black surface, but all you have to do is scratch off the black coating with the included wooden stylus to reveal glitter paper, rainbow paper, patterns, swirls, holographic colors and more!
Scratch Art kits come in a bunch of different themes, ranging from simple doodle sketch pads to elaborate sketch kits to create and apply body and nail art!
The Stained Glass kit is really cool. It comes with four Scratch Art Light Catcher sheets that reveal translucent colors when you draw or trace your designs with the wooden stylus. Also included are hang strips so you can stick them on a sunny window and see the artwork glow – just like real stained glass!
We also have a fun Scratchin’ Fashion kit that comes with Scratch Art stickers on which kids can design the latest fashions and then stick them to the included models. It comes with more than 150 Scratch Art stickers and eight picture stands so kids can display their work when finished.
Traveling? Pick up our Travelin’ Scratchin’ Fashion kit, which includes 150 Scratch Art stickers and eight real postcards. Kids can create Scratch Art fashions, stick them to the models on the postcards and then mail the postcards to friends. Don’t forget to pick up one of our traveling trays, which can be personalized in the store and are the perfect surface for Scratch Art projects and snacks, too!
As you can see, Scratch Art has really been updated in the last few decades (but who’s counting!). So, if your kids have the itch for art, you should scratch it with this series.
