Hamleys toys store at Christmas

This Christmas, penguins and reindeers swapped the icy North Pole with the icy London. In the period between the 29^th of November to the 3^rd of December a reindeer appeared in a publicity feature for Hamleys toys store. The penguin made its debut in the store on the 6^th of December.

The famous toy store brought the animals to promote the festive atmosphere of the store and to attract more customers. The animals were put on public display. They were also allowed to interact with the shop customers.

The move elicited mixed reactions from the social networking websites. Two pages were created on Facebook. One, Stop Hamleys using live penguins and reindeer as a cheap attraction, clearly opposed the use of captive animals in advertisement. The other Facebook page,  Bring on the penguins and reindeers at Hamleys toystore, London, have supported the move, albeit mildly. Tweeters also had their say in a special hash tag, created to follow the story – Twitter tag #sHamley.

After going to see the events, many bloggers have expressed their disapproval and discontent with the conditions under which the animal are displayed.  They will also commented on the distress of plucking an animal from its natural habitat straight into a high street toy shop.

The RSPCA expressed that they will be monitoring the situation and that they will keep a close eye to ensure the animal’s well being. According to the RSPCA, they will be able to intervene if they felt that Hamley’s toystore is not giving the animals their due care and consideration.

It’s worth noting, that studies have shown that reindeers could struggle to adapt to the conditions in the UK, especially with an excessive exposure to human contact.

These risks raise the question on the morality of using captive animals as publicity-stunts; and whether this is much different from showing animal to the public in a zoo or a farm.

Last Minute Shopping Tips for Your Children’s Presents

Christmas is almost open us. Indeed, it is only a few hours until children will be unwrapping gifts. For some of us this is a time to relax and enjoy the yuletide season. For the rest of us though, it is a time for extraordinary measures. Indeed, there is very little time left to get childrens gifts. Here’s how you can get through the madness and make sure you give your kids a great Christmas.

First of all you have to forget about the most popular toys. Unfortunately stores will have long sold out of them, as the flavour of the month will have flown off the shelf faster than you can imagine. So don’t bother wasting precious time rushing from store to store in a desperate, futile attempt to get it. Even worse would be to buy a cheap imitation. Indeed, if you’re child wants one thing in particular, he or she won’t be pleased with a something just a bit different. Instead, concentrate on all of the thousand toys that have not been picked off the shelf.

The next step to surviving the madness is preparation. It’s tempting to run out there and try and get everything done right away, but a little planning goes a long way. Sitting down and planning your shopping will actually save you a lot of time. Call stores ahead of time to see if they have what you want, this way you can eliminate wasted trips. Planning your route will also help as you can then spend as little time as possible heading from one store to the next.

The final key to surviving this trying period is to divide and conquer. Don’t go shopping with your partner, instead you should separate and head to different stores, or parts of town. This essentially halves the amount of time you need to spend shopping and allows you to cover lots of ground in your precious free time.

Above all, if you’re feeling stressed about Christmas the key is to not panic. Running around like a chicken without a head will only waste your time. Instead, take a step back and come up with a plan. Figure out what you’re going to get, where you’re going to get it and then divide and conquer. If you do this you’ll find your shopping is done in no time and you can take a seat on the couch and actually enjoy this wonderful season.

Hamleys at House of Fraser

House of Fraser, Britain’s top department store with 61 locations around the U.K. and Ireland, is demonstrating its Christmas spirit with a line of toys from the venerable and perennially favourite toy retailer, Hamleys.  Since 1760 when William Hamley first went into business, Hamleys has grown into an international brand-of-choice for those who want quality, diversity and good value in the toy department.

An extensive offering of Hamleys toys is on offer at houseoffraser.co.uk, and here you will find that perfect Christmas gift for any child on your list.  Hamleys is known for providing both entertainment and educational value, and a look at the selection on offer will have you jumping for joy, not to mention the delight your child will take in receiving one of these innovative, fun toys and games.

There are dozens of toys for toddlers, including traditional favourites like the Squiddy bath toy and the ultimately adorable Tiramisu Teddy Bear.  For kids whose imaginations are starting to take flight, check out the secret agent surveillance kit, the art starter set, or a slew of other possibilities for every age and interest.  There is a whole range of outdoor games, indoor games and things to build or just to cuddle; Hamleys at House of Fraser has just the thing.

Best Selling Family Games for 2010

Classic Family Board Games are topping Board Games sales this Christmas according to toy retailer Toys ‘R’ Us.

Traditional Family Game Scrabble is set to be just one of this years biggest selling ‘Family Board Game’ this Christmas along with Bop It! and the original Monopoly.

Scrabble, sold in over 121 countries and in 29 different language versions, has sold over 150 million sets since its launch 63 years ago.

Earlier this year, the makers of Scrabble made a bid to make the game more appealing to a younger generation when they changed the game ’rules’ allowing proper nouns to be legitimately cited.  This includes the use of  today’s modern yet obscure names with high scoring opportunities like chart topping singer ‘Jay-Z’ (23points) who may be known by a younger generation.

Now, the original Scrabble priced at £14.65 appears in the toy retailers top 15 Family Board Games along with usual favourite’s Cluedo and Pictionary.

“Bop It”, “Twist it”, “Pull it” became everyday words in 1996 when the first Bop it! arrived at Toys ‘R’ Us. Since then, the game of reaction skill has gone from strength to strength with several editions being launched into the marketplace.

The latest edition of Bop It! with a voice command microphone appears in the Toys ‘R’ Us Best Selling Board Games and Games listing.

Monopoly named after the economic concept of monopoly – the domination of a market by a single entity – launched its UK version 75 years ago.  Worldwide, it has been played by more than one billion people; making it the most played board game in the world.

There are many different versions of Monopoly at Toys ‘R’ Us, including Here and Now, Boutique and Spongebob, but it is the Original Monopoly and the brand new Monopoly Revolution that are making it to the Top 15 Family Board Games.

And they’re not the only old time classics to appear on the list; Wooden Chess and Wooden Draughts also appear along with classic family card game Uno and the mental and physical building game Jenga.

New Board game The Cube is set to be this season’s biggest selling game based on a TV show.  The Cube presented by ITV’s This morning presenter Phillip Schofield is a nerve-wracking game show which tests contestants’ skill and determination to the maximum. As per the TV Show the electronic challenging board game looks deceptively simple, but the player only has nine lives to complete the challenges.

Mike Coogan, spokesman for Toys R Us, said: “Classic, traditional board games are a phenomenon for 2010. This season we have seen people of all ages buying Board Games. They really do have mass appeal”.

“Over the years, we have witnessed a strong development of younger family members replacing traditional family board games with the gaming consoles like the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii.  However this year, sales of Board Games seem to be indicating that families are reverting back to a traditionalism at Christmas time”.

“Whether this is an attempt to bring the whole family together or just a simple yet classic game for the more senior members of the family to enjoy remains a mystery”.

BEST SELLING FAMILY BOARD GAMES AND GAMES FOR 2010 (In Alphabetical Order)

Bop It!
Cluedo
Cranium WOW
Jenga
Monopoly
Monopoly Revolution
Pictionary Family
Pictureka
Scrabble
The Cube
The Logo Board Game
Uno
Wood Chess
Wood Draughts
Yahtzee

Click on the banner below to shop for all these items and more.