One of the fun things about having two children’s stores that are here in Ottawa as advertisers is that I get to go to the store every so often (ok, quite often) to see what’s new, chat with the owners and get a feel for what blog readers may want to know about (plus do some personal shopping!)
Tag Along Toys and Elm Hill Kids are side by side at the Signature Centre in Kanata (with lots of free parking!) and with their personal service and items that they stock that are different than most stores in Ottawa, they are a great destination for shopping for the kids.
Last week, I had the chance to go and call it double duty – not only did I need a birthday present for my daughter but I also wanted to see what was new in the stores.
Tag Along Toys makes you feel like a kid in a, well, toy store. With products that are throw backs to when we were kids (I’m looking at you Fisher Price and Spirograph!) to classic toys that all kids seem to love like Playmobil and Thomas, to new gifts that I wouldn’t find anywhere else, it’s an easy store for gift buying.
Each week, the store also features a special events day where families can not only shop, but play and participate. One week there was story telling, a face painter the day we were there, and another day was a mini-spa.
What did I find when I went in recently? Fun new stuffies like giant snakes and dinosaurs (the snakes caught my daughter’s attention right away), snap bracelet snakes (yes, we ended up taking one home. Her name is Snowflake), Star Wars books and money banks, and Lego products!
If you aren’t sure where to look when gift shopping at the store I recommend you start with the craft section or the science section, both are some of the largest I’ve seen for kids of all ages.
I also bought this paint-your-own art set for my daughter’s birthday, isn’t it fun!!?
Over at Elm Hill Kids, they are swimming in new spring clothes and accessories. From rain jackets to rain boots, spring dresses and yes, swim wear, there’s something for kids of many ages. My daughter’s gold shoes that I bought there are constantly commented on at preschool (yes, she picked them out herself) and on this trip I bought wall art for her birthday and found my son a really wonderful long sleeved shirt on the sale rack!
What’s new in store too is the kid’s table with puzzles and books for the little ones to be occupied while mom and dad browse a bit. Fun!
Also, something caught my eye over and over again: rompers. I have a slight obsession with these things. I put both kids in rompers (one piece shorts/short sleeve style onesies) as often as I could, although they aren’t always easy to find (especially for boys). I was pleasantly surprised to see a few options at Elm Hill Kids!
I hear more spring and summer items are arriving at each store frequently so I’ll keep you posted on what I see and hear is coming in (it’s a tough job right? 😉
Meanwhile, a better idea is to check out these fantastic stores for yourself!
Want to keep up to date on what’s happening at these stores? Check out their Facebook pages (right now, Elm Hill Kids has a Facebook giveaway for a Hatley Rain Jacket too!).
Happy shopping!
