Gifts with old-fashioned feel are hot, Guelph merchants say
Guelph — Old school is in when it comes to Christmas toys this year, local toy sellers say.
With Christmas shopping underway, Diaper Days is having trouble keeping Sleep Sheep, with its four soothing sounds, in stock. Those harmonious sounds of mother’s heartbeat, ocean waves, spring showers and whale songs apparently help children of all ages fall asleep, making the cuddly stuffed animal a hot gift item.
“Christmas is a key time of year for toys,” said Kathryn Hofer, who owns the Campus Estates Plaza store along with Kim Ryan. “We certainly bring in additional toys, and some key ones for the Christmas season.”
Along with Sleep Sheep, the Automoblox line of wooden vehicles with numerous interchangeable parts is also very popular, and the classic squeeze toy Sophie La Girafe continues to gallop off the shelves.
“With something like Automoblox, it’s popular because of play value,” Hofer said. “It’s a toy that lasts long after Christmas morning, something kids will play with all year long. It’s a good toy that you can play with, with other friends. Finding something that is a shareable toy is a really good idea. It teaches kids co-operation skills.”
Jester’s Fun Factory in Fergus, like toy stores everywhere, sells a lot of the versatile indoor/outdoor OgoSport toys, which combines racket sports, Frisbee and hacky-sack into tons of imaginative play.
