ASTRA's Best Toys for 2010

Every year, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) picks The Best Toys for Kids Award Winners. Here is a quote from their website (http://www.astratoy.org/) about the Best Toys for Kids:

"Over 500 of America's top independent and neighborhood toy retailers have selected the Best Toys for Kids. Drawing upon our expertise, experience, and commitment to fulfilling play, ASTRA hand-picked the most engaging, unique, open-ended, fun, and safe toys for your children. The 2009 Best Toys for Kids list features toys that deliver exceptional value and expand a child's imagination, toys that invite discovery and exploration, toys that get kids moving, toys that build creativity, toys that fascinate babies, and even toys that delight hard-to-shop-for pre-teens."

Be Beep is proud to carry some of the Best Toys for Kids Award Winners! Here they are:

1. Learn to Dress Kitty by Alex Toys

Learn to button, snap, hook and loop, buckle, tie, zipper and more! This 20" plush cat features 11 dressing activities that help develop fine motor skills. Includes real lace up sneakers with socks! Her dress and T-shirt are removable too! Suitable for ages 18 months and up!

2. Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set by Melissa and Doug

Be sure your little baker uses the oven mitt to remove these 4 delectable-looking wooden cupcakes from their cupcake baking tray. This special set has 3 dry erase markers shaped like icing tubes to decorate the smooth, removable, wipe-off cupcake tops. With colorful baking cupcake sleeves and decorative wooden candles, these low-cal cupcakes will be the hit of birthday and tea parties! Great for ages 3+!

3. Furnished School Building from Playmobil

"Let's play school" takes on a new meaning with this furnished school building from Playmobil! Comes complete with science room, classroom, art room, music room as well as an office and lots of other accessories! Children will have hours of imaginative fun! Suitable for ages 4 and up!

4. Sticky Mosaics Heart Box from The Orb Factory

Sticky Mosaics from the Orb Factory have a line of easy-to-decorate-by-numbers craft kits are creative fun for every age! The Heart Box is a great place to store all your jewelry and treasures! Comes with over 500 jewels to decorate your one of a kind jewelry box!

We also carry another style of Sticky Mosaics Jewelry Boxes:

5. Rody Horse by Toymarketing International

We love Rody and have been selling Rody for over 24 years! Made of super strong latex free vinyl, inflatable to adjust for the weight of child. A fun toy for ages 2-4. Great for developing balance and coordination skills. Made in Italy. Holds up to 400 pounds! We sell Rody in a variety of colors: blue, lime green, yellow, red, baby pink, bright pink, and teal!

6. Pumponator Balloon Pumping Station by Pumponator

 We are so proud that the Pumponator Balloon Pumping Station is locally made in our home state of South Carolina. These were developed in York, SC and the people who own this company are very nice, Southern folks! The Pumponator makes filling balloons with water or air so easy! It's simple, easy to use and portable! Provides endless opportunities for on the go fun! Ages 8+! Pumponators come in: blue, pink, red, and camo green!

7. Calico Critters Country Tree House by International Playthings

Welcome to the Country Tree House! Includes 2 Mango Monkeys, hot tub, pagoda, patio, water slide and lake for tons of pretend play fun. Features 4 spacious rooms to fill with furniture and accessories. House measures 18" x 24" x 16". Some critters accessories sold separately.  Ages 3+!

8. Magformers Carnival Set by Rainbow Products

Feel the magnetic force! Kids build with safe magnets that are encased in 3 geometric shapes to create their own carnival rides! Provides hours of endless possibilities for the child who loves to build! Great for ages 6 and up! We also carry many other Magformers sets!

9. Faux Bow from Marky Sparky

The Faux Bow from Marky Sparky is the safest and best performing toy boy on the market. Has over a 100 foot range and has amazing accuracy! Comes with 3 titanium arrows and case for the arrows. For ages 8+

10.  Zingo 1-2-3 by ThinkFun

Have loads of fun and building counting and addition skills with this great game from ThinkFun! Players match numbered tiles to images on their cards. The first to fill their card wins by yelling "Zingo!" This fast paced game will keep your whole family entertained!

11. Spot It! by Blue Orange Games

This game won for the "Best Family Game" category because it truly is a great game! We play this at the store and have lots of fun! There is always one, and only one, matching pair between 2 cards. Spot it and you win! Provides fast paced action and endless fun! This is sure to become a family favorite in your house! Ages 7 and up

12. Perplexus by Plasmart



Check out this 3D maze game where players must maneuver a small marble around a challenging barriers inside a transparent sphere. Players can race each other or the clock! There marble is enclosed so you cannot lose it. Great for developing dexterity and hand-eye coordination. For ages 6+

13. Henrietta the Pull Along Hen from International Playthings

Fun first pull toy is great for encouraging beginning walkers. Pull the hen along to see the eggs all one by one, great for teaching cause and effect. Press the hen's comb to hear realistic chicken sounds. For ages 12 months and up!

View a demo video at: http://www.intplay.com/productdetails.aspx?gid=3&prodid=60&pid=3697

The majority of these toys are available on our website: http://www.bebeeptoys.com/. If you do not see one of their please call us at (803) 787-5772 and we are happy to take a phone order! Be Beep is a proud member of ASTRA and we love and stand behind all of the above mentioned products (as well as all the products we carry!)

Don't forget our 25th Annual 20% Off Storewide sale begins tomorrow Wednesday September 29th and lasts until October 5th (closed on Sundays)!

Rooftop Rythms, 9/23/2010

Rooftop Rhythms is this Thursday September 23 from 5 PM to 9 PM on the rooftop of Richland Mall! The featured bands will be: Men of Distinction and The Voltage Brothers! Rumor has it, there will be some great shagging music! Rooftop Rhythms is put on every year by the Forest Acres Restaurant and Merchant Association (FARMA). This is a great opportunity to come out and see all of your favorite Forest Acres places and maybe even discover some new ones! One of the best things about Rooftop Rhythms is the "Taste of Forest Acres." Food will be served from some of your favorite Forest Acres restaurants and will be priced from $1 to $4! This is also a celebration of City of Forest Acres' 75th Birthday! The first 400 people will receive FREE CUPCAKES! What's not to like about that?! There will also be some great giveaways and prizes!

Be Beep is a proud member of FARMA and will have a booth at Rooftop Rhythms! We will have art activities for your little one and we'll be sno cones as well (which should be interesting!)

We would love to see everyone there, so please make sure you stop by and say "hello" to us!

Rooftop Rhythms, September 23 5-9 PM

Our annual 20% STOREWIDE SALE begins Wednesday, September 29th (which is a week from this Wednesday!) and lasts until Tuesday, October 5th! We will be closed on Sunday, though! What a great opportunity to start Christmas shopping because, before you know it, it will be here! 

Thank you so much for reading our blog post! Please visit our website, www.bebeeptoys.com, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@bebeepatoyshop)!