As a father, July has always been my favorite month. Kids are out of school, graduation parties are ending, prom is over (with two teenage girls attending this year, the event hit my house particularly hard) and back to school planning doesn’t begin for another three weeks.
In the toy world, this is also a great time to shop. This is generally the slowest time of year for the toy department, so there are bargains to be had in every toy aisle (outside of Transformers and Bakugan, which are still both hot, hot, hot). If you’re looking for a deal on water toys,slides, and general outdoor fun items, you can usually find super deals right after July 4th. You can buy a Slip N Slide Waver Rider for $6.99. With so much rainy weather this June, the deals should be even better this July for outdoor toys. Many of the large, inflatable outdoor playgrounds have been marked down as well—by as much as 20%.
Besides birthdays, another big reason to shop for toys during July is often to just pick up something small for the little one. When shopping for this reason, we generally want to spend less than $10. What can you buy for less than $10 in the toy aisle? You would be shocked! Washable Sidewalk Crayons from Crayola are only $4.99 and their big bucket of chalk is $5.99. One of my favorite outdoor toys is the big rubber kickball (Tochikara, $5.99). This ball is still the best ball to play kickball and four square with. In basic balls, Maui’s Sky Ball has been a huge hit at $8.99. It bounces up to 75 feet and inspires all kinds of games.
Looking for an indoor toy for a boy? Believe it or not, they now have LEGO sets for under $5, and LEGO Power Miners is their new hot theme for this year (starter set $4.99). The new Hot Wheels Color Shifters are cars that actually change colors when they get wet and can be found for under $3. There are summer Barbies for under $10. Even the aforementioned Bakugan, which is very popular, features Battle Brawlers for $4.99-$6.99.
You can take out a “ten” this summer and get something special for your child- this one of the best bargain months in the toy aisles.
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Jim |