ASTRA Best Toys for Kids

What Are the Best Toys for Kids?
The Golden Apple is a member of ASTRA - the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association. This year ASTRA is promoting a list of toys created by people who really know what makes a toy great. Specialty Toy Store owners have chosen the toys they love to share.

ASTRA

  All these toys are available at the Golden Apple now! Items with links are available in our online store.

This Year's Winners Are:

 

Early Play 0-3 Year
Early Melodies Pound and Tap Bench 
by Hape
For ages 12 months and up 
This sturdy wooden toy from Hape gives babies lots of ways to have fun with sounds. They can pound the balls with the hammer to make them roll down the xylophone, making a beautiful scale of musical sounds or pull out the xylophone and tap directly on the keys to make an original tune!


 

Pic 'N' Pop 
by International Playthings
For ages 18 months and up 
Pic N Pop by Tomy gets children moving! With the click of the button, kids launch a ball from the chute, then roll over the ball and magically pick it up! With five balls, you can use this indoors and outdoors.

 

ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Continues

Best Toys Pages


Pretend (Doll Play)

Tidoo Raspberry
by Corolle
For ages 18 months and up 
Designed for bathtime fun, Corolle’s 12-inch Tidoo Raspberry doll is soft, posable and so light it floats! Filled with polystyrene "beads" that dry quickly, Tidoo is a favorite playmate out of the tub, too. Tidoo's eyes open and close so Tidoo can take a nap -- just like a real baby!


 

Baby Stella Playtime Potty (doll not included)
by Manhattan Toy
For ages 12 months and up 
Teach Baby Stella how to use the big potty with the Manhattan Toy Playtime Potty chair! This charming little toilet can be a helpful tool in the potty training process. It encourages your little one to be a “big kid” and encourages social and emotional development through nurturing the Baby Stella doll. (Doll sold separately.)

 

 

We've Changed!

A wonderful thing about being in our 4th decade is it gives us confidence. Yes, the economy is rough, and teacher stores are'nt faring very well in general, but we've seen some of this before, and like a shark, you keep swimming or you sink.

The Golden Apple has undergone a complete make-over - all new fixtures, new layout, expanded science, math and art sections and coming soon - a classroom/meeting space and party room. Check out our photo gallery and coming soon, a video gallery documenting the changes, and we'll let you know what these exiciting changes will mean to you.