Arts Month in Williamsburg VA

It’s Arts Month in Williamsburg Virginia from Labor Day through October 7th. Special events are happening all month long and many of our Merchants Square shops and restaurants are celebrating with specials.

Aromas on Prince George Street has Guest Artist, Ginny Fisher, displaying her contemporary art of a variety of subjects, both still life and aquatic.

Berret’s Seafood Restaurant and Taphouse Grill welcome art lovers with daily specials.

The Jazzy Giraffe is featuring two American jewelry artists this Fall. Kathleen Noward Tucci’s jewelry is made from recycled rubber from bicycle and motorcycle inner tubes. Sarah Canvender is an American artist whose jewelry is all based on metal working with brass screening.

The Cheese Shop celebrates Arts Month with Artisan cheeses, handcrafted breads small batch specialty foods, handmade to order sandwiches, wines, beers and so much more!

At The Fat Canary, guests can enjoy handcrafted, artful and memorable dining seven nights a week in an atmosphere filled with carefully selected artwork.

Read about weekly Arts Month events on Williamsburg Weekends and make sure to stop by The Toymaker to check out our arts and crafts for your little artist.

Art Supplies for Kids

Learn to Paint Set

Do Art Color Pencil Art

Young Artist Finger Painting Set

Magnetic Art Easel

Color GRIP Watercolor Pencils

Drawing Power Art Set

See these and all of our Art Supplies for Kids on our official website now!

Plastic Toy Soldiers

Our plastic toy soldier sets are complete play sets for kids. Toy soldier play sets allow kids to re-create history and re-enact everything from The American Revolution to The Civil War to WWII. These colorful plastic soldiers can represent figures from different armies and countries. Toy soldier sets range from a dozen pieces up to hundreds of figures. Some come with specific themes or represent specific battles like our Battle of Yorktown boxed set or our Civil War Soldier Set. Others have a more generic theme and can be used to re-create anything your kids can imagine.

Many of our plastic toy soldier sets even contain accessories like flags, cannons, horses, and maps. See some of our plastic toy soldier sets below or shop all of our toy soldiers for kids on our official site now.

Plastic Toy Soldiers

Revolutionary War Playset

Gettysburg Box Set

Action Figures

Civil War Soldiers

Revolutionary Soldier Set

The Soldiers

Bruder

The Toymaker of Williamsburg just received a new shipment of Bruder trucks. See our recent Bruder arrivals below!

Bruder makes high quality toy vehicles for kids. Their models range from construction vehicles to tow trucks to farm vehicles. Bruder models are very detailed and introduce children to real world objects.

Bruder stays true to its slogan “just like the real thing” with their model-sized toys that turn play time into role-play time. Each Bruder toy lets children experience the adult world through their toys’ easy-to-handle play functions and true to life design which let kids learn through play or “grasp through grabbing”. Bruder is even an environmentally friendly company because of their manufacturing practices including an in-house recycling loop and energy saving production.

This exceptional company focuses on innovation, customer satisfaction, and sustainability and is one of the leading manufacturers of plastic toy vehicles.

See our recent arrivals or shop all of our Bruder toys on our official site now.

Bruder Trucks

Caterpillar Telehandler

Cat Track Type Tractor

JCB MIDI CX Backhoe Loader

CAT Skid Steer Loader

W. Britain The 2012 Summer Collection Catalog

W Britain Logo The Toymaker of Williamsburg just received a limited number of complimentary catalogs from W. Britain. Our newest W. Britain catalog is The 2012 Summer Collection and we are happy to send them to our customers free of charge.

W. Britain The 2012 Summer Collection Catalogue contains the newest additions to their WWI, Zulu War, Museum Collection, The War Along the Nile Series, and Napoleonic collections. See these exciting new toy soldiers and get historical information about new figures now.

To receive your complimentary catalog, call The Toymaker (757-229-5660) or send us an email including your name and address to toymaker1@widomaker.com. If you haven’t done so already, you can also sign up for our mailing list and write your catalog request in the “comments” field of the signup form. The Toymaker does not share or sell any personal information including email addresses.

There are limited numbers of these popular catalogs so contact us today!

The 2012 Summer Collection

W. Britain The Summer Collection Catalog

Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day! September 19 is the official celebration of “aarghs” and “shiver me timbers” and “mateys”. This year (2012) marks the 10th anniversary of the worldwide celebration of this event.

Talk Like A Pirate Day began in June of 1995. While exercising, creators John Baur and Mark Summers started talking in pirate slang and recognized the benefit of this silly and entertaining lingo. They identified the worldwide need for this squash buckling slang – at least once a year – and declared it a holiday. They assigned the date September 19 to this event and decided the perfect spokesperson would be Dave Barry, humor columnist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. The second part of their plan didn’t become a reality until many years later.

For the next seven years, the founders celebrated Talk Like A Pirate Day just with friends until one day they discovered Dave Barry’s email address. They contacted him and introduced themselves and their idea in the email then offered Barry a chance to be official spokesperson for the event. Dave Barry took them up on their offer and brought attention to the event in 2002. It has been a growing success ever since.

Why celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day? It’s fun! Ahoy, Arr, Yarr Matey…

Starrrrt celebrating now! Draw out those Arrrrrs and check out pirate necessities from The Toymaker below. For more background about International Talk Like A Pirate Day see the official website now.

See these and all of our pirate toys on our official website today.

Pirate Toys

Pirate Ship*

Felt Tricorn Hat

Pirate Dagger

French Pirate Blunderbuss

Deluxe Flintlock Blunderbuss

Pirate Ship Puzzle

Pirates Treasure Puzzle

Captain Hook

* Inquire about our Playmobil Pirate Ships by phone or in store now!

Collecting Toy Soldiers

Desperate Escape - W. Britain

There are numerous toy soldier related blogs on the internet, but one of our favorites is “Collecting Toy Soldiers.”

Brian Carrick is a toy soldier lover who touches on every aspect of the toy soldier industry in his blog, “Collecting Toy Soldiers”. His posts cover everything from specific pieces to vintage catalogs to new collections to wargaming.

His pictures – “it’s all about the pictures”…as he says in his header – bring his stories and descriptions to life. They both demonstrate the details he discusses and display interesting dioramas for toy soldier loving readers. Posts about vintage models are vivid and nostalgic and make anyone with any interest in toy soldiers want to read on. The occasional personal anecdote and humor make his site even more accessible and give the voice of “Collecting Toy Soldiers” a unique disposition.

Mr. Carrick’s pictures from the London Toy Soldier Show in June 2012 demonstrate the attractive dioramas and unexpected figures there for those of us on the other side of the Atlantic. He captures creative collections from some of our favorite toy soldier manufacturers – among them King & Country and John Jenkins Designs. Mr. Carrick describes and photographs some of the interesting toy soldier ranges including Clairet Eskimos, King & Country’s Imperial Collection, and John Jenkins Designs’ The Battle of Abu Klea in The First Sudan War.

Mr. Carrick’s blog features new toy soldier sets like “Desperate Escape” from W. Britain, also featured at The London Toy Soldier Show, which he describes in detail. He also gives thorough descriptions of war games and explanations of all of their participants. For every post, Mr. Carrick offers his own analysis of collections and dioramas in a way that only an experienced collector could, with an eye for detail and comparison to previous sets. Mr. Carrick frequently includes relevant background and clips of history about the subjects of his posts in his writing as well.

If you’re not familiar with “Collecting Toy Soldiers,” this blog is worth a read. Check out Mr. Carrick’s toy soldier blog now.

Tricorn

Tricorn hats were popular military and civilian fashion during the 18th century and are still common headgear here in Williamsburg, Virginia today. Tricorn hats could be very simple headgear or elaborate pieces if dress.

Civilians often wore their tricornered hats with the point facing forward. The turned up portions may have acted as protection from the weather. When it rained, the turned up corners directed rainwater away from the wearer.

Many military uniforms during this time were borne from civilian attire. During the American Revolution, many American and British soldiers wore the tricorne as a part of their uniform. Soldiers often wore the tricorn hat with the front corner directly over the left eye. This allowed them to carry their long-barreled muskets with ease.

Some military units would adorn their hats with cockades or colorful pieces of cloth. They would wear different colors of trim on their tricorn hats or plumes of different colors. These colorful embellishments distinguished them from other regiments.

The tricorne fell out of style by 1800 but is still a favorite fashion here in Williamsburg, Va. Check out all of our traditional clothing on the favorites section of our website or see our felt tricorn hat below!

Felt Tricorn Hat

Felt Tricorn Hat

Raggedy Ann and Andy

Raggedy Ann was first introduced to the public in 1918 in a book called “Raggedy Ann Stories”. American writer Johnny Gruelle created Raggedy Ann first as a doll for his daughter. He then invented a series of stories starring the simple, red headed rag doll. Her brother, Raggedy Andy, was later introduced in “Raggedy Andy Stories”, a sequel to the popular Raggedy Ann book.

Gruelle invented the character of Raggedy Ann for his daughter, Marcella. She brought her father a faceless ragdoll she found and he created a face and a personality for this timeless character. They named the rag doll Raggedy Ann and Gruelle would create stories about the doll to amuse Marcella. Gruella later gave Raggedy Ann a brother, Raggedy Andy, and many other storybook friends.

Raggedy Ann and Andy are amazing dolls simply because of their longevity. The Raggedy Ann doll has been a beloved companion since before 1920 and she and her brother are still favorite dolls today.

See our NEW Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls from Aurora below and browse all of our dolls on our official site now.

Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls
The original doll with heart is back! Our Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls from Aurora come in 16” and 25″ sizes. These beautifully made dolls have fine features, button eyes and yarn hair.

Raggedy Ann Classic - Extra Large

Raggedy Andy Classic - Extra Large

Raggedy Andy Classic - Large

Raggedy Ann Classic - Large

Lamaze Baby

The Toymaker of Williamsburg has just made some exciting new additions to our collection of Lamaze baby toys!

The Lamaze Infant Development System is a line of soft toys based on Lamaze International’s philosophy of healthy parenting. Their toys are designed with the help of child development experts and all of their products meet or exceed industry and consumer safety regulations. Their toys engage babies and provide parents with peace of mind.

See these and all of our Lamaze Baby Toys on our official site now.

New Lamaze Baby Toys

Panda Blankie

Panda Blankie is a soft blankie from Lamaze. Panda Blankie is made of 100% Polyester Fiber and accented with satin knotties. This multi-purpose blankie is both engaging and educational. It is packed with developmental features that promote traditional play patterns and encourage the development of baby’s vision. Bright bold colors decorate one side of this Panda Blankie and high-contrast patterns are on the other. Ages: Birth and up.

Mortimer the Moose

Mortimer the Moose is a baby toy from Lamaze. The Lamaze Play and Grow Moose is made with multiple textures and sounds and even has teether antlers. These various textures and sounds stimulate your baby’s senses and enhance development during play. Ages: Birth – 24 months.

Flutterbug

The Flutterbug is a baby toy from Lamaze. This Play & Grow character is fun and developmentally beneficial. The Flutterbug is a friendly rainbow colored bug suspended over a flower. The high contrast colors on this baby toy will visually stimulate little ones. The different textures on this plaything are tactilely stimulating. The Flutterbug from Lamaze even buzzes when the stem is pulled with vibration and sound. Attach the Play & Grow Flutterbug anywhere: the crib, stroller, or car seat. Ages: Birth – 12 months.

Makai the Monkey

Makai the Monkey is a baby toy from Lamaze. Your baby will love monkeying around with Makai the Monkey. Sensory stimulating qualities like a colorful patterned body, ribbons, and a swinging peek-a-boo banana are developmentally beneficial for your baby. The Lamaze link on this monkey makes Makai ready to go anywhere: crib, car seat, or stroller! Ages: Birth – 24 months.

Huey the Hedgehog

Huey the Hedgehog is a baby toy from Lamaze. Huey the Hedgehog’s sensory stimulating qualities like high contrast colors, squeaker, and crinkle body are developmentally beneficial for your baby. Huey even comes with the signature Lamaze link so he can go with you from crib to car seat to stroller. Ages: Birth – 24 months.

My Friend Emily

My Friend Emily is a baby toy from Lamaze. My Friend Emily is full of developmentally beneficial features like clacking rings, a rattle necklace and crinkly dress that stimulate baby’s senses. This play doll even comes with a Lamaze link that lets you take her anywhere. Ages: Birth – 24 months.

Lulu in a Tutu

Lulu in a Tutu is a baby toy from Lamaze. Lulu has sensory stimulating features like various textures, colors, and sounds that are developmentally beneficial for your baby. The Lamaze link allows Lulu to go with you anywhere. Ages: Birth – 24 months.

My First Fishbowl

My First Fishbowl is a baby toy from Lamaze. My First Fishbowl has easy to grasp creatures that help to improve motor skills in young children. Various textures, sounds, and colors provide sensory stimulation for little ones. Ages: 6 months and up.

Jumping Joeys

Jumping Joeys is a sit and play toy from Lamaze. Jumping Joeys is fun and developmentally beneficial. Easy to grip joeys develop motor skills and hand eye coordination. Bright colors and patterns are visually stimulating for baby. Ages: 9 months and up.

Stacking Rings

Stacking Rings is a baby toy from Lamaze. Stacking Rings are made with bright colors, various textures, and different sounds that stimulate baby’s senses. Easy to grip rings also help to develop motor skills and hand eye coordination. Ages: 6 months and up.

My First Toolbox

My First Toolbox is a baby toy from Lamaze. My First Toolbox includes various textures and sounds for sensory stimulation. Animals and tools inspire imagination. My First Toolbox is self-storing and is perfect for on the go fun. Ages: 6 months and up.

See these new baby toys and all of our Lamaze baby toys on our official site now!

Schleich Customer Loyalty Program

Schleich has just introduced a new customer loyalty program. With this exciting special from Schleich, customers can get a Schleich figurine for free!

Schleich makes plastic figures of all shapes and sizes. Their high quality figures range from sea animals to jungle beasts to heroic knights to fantastic fairies to mythical creatures. Intricate figures from Schleich are developed with the assistance of parents, teachers and children and are designed especially for children’s hands. Schleich figures are wonderfully realistic and naturalistic, with detailed design and impressive craftsmanship. This allows children to experience the large variety of nature – from domestic animals on a farm to wild animals in the jungle from a very early age.
Their mythical creatures, lifelike animals, and heroic knights travel with kids anywhere they go! That’s why Schleich’s motto is… “Anywhere’s a Playground”!

Schleich Customer Loyalty Program
Want a free Schleich figure?!

Come into The Toymaker of Williamsburg on Merchants Square by October 31st, 2012 to receive your Schleich Loyalty Card. For every Schleich purchase over $5 that you make, you will receive a loyalty sticker to put on your card. Once you have collected six loyalty stickers, you can return your filled card to The Toymaker of Williamsburg and give us your contact information to receive a green dot Schleich figure for free! All six stickers can be collected in one visit. Offer ends October 31st, 2012 so hurry in to get your free figure today!

See many of our Schleich figures on our official website now and check out some of our favorite green dot Schleich figurines below.

Hedgehog Figurine

Dalmatian Puppy

Swabian Hall Piglet

Golden Retriever Puppy

Cat Sitting

Cimpanzee Baby