Kiddly Winks – 25 years of ‘helping kids play’
Thank you so much Debbie Gardner, Assistant Managing Editor, from the Reminder for doing such a wonderful article about us!
REMINDER PUBLICATIONS
LONGMEADOW, MA — There’s a poster on the door of Kiddly Winks owner Joy Leavitt’s office that shows a drawing of a woman with children popping out of her hair.
The legend below the graphic reads, “My head is full of children.”
“That’s me. That’s always been me,” this former preschool and grade school teacher-turned entrepreneur told Reminder Publications.
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“I think what we try to do is inspire families to play with their children,” Leavitt said of her staff and her stores’ selection of merchandise — which runs the gamut from simple infant playthings to books, games, arts and crafts kits, toys and brain teasers for children up to age 14. “Play is a powerful, important and basic element in developing happy, healthy children.”
It was the desire to play with her own children that Leavitt said led her into the toy business in the first place. In the early 1980s, frustrated with the selection of toys found locally, she and a friend, Elaine Weiner, started searching out what they considered better playthings. They also began sharing what they discovered with other mothers.
“We couldn’t find [good] toys for our own children,” Leavitt said. “So we started the parties as a service to the community.”
Within five years, her inventory had outgrown her basement and Leavitt said she “needed to go retail.” Her first store was “a 750-square-foot space … filled to the gills with toys” located where Escentials is at Williams Place on Williams Street.
As soon as she was able to add more space, Leavitt added books to her store’s offerings.
“People came to us to help their children expand their reading,” she said. “It’s a passion of all of us [at Kiddly Winks], to help children with their reading.”
Her Longmeadow store now dedicates a full quarter of its space to an extensive selection of children’s and young adult books and Leavitt said she even carries a selection of the high school’s summer reading list titles every year.
“The kids come here for their summer reading books,” she said.
From that initial expansion, Leavitt said her business shortly grew to include “a front store that carried toys and books,” and what she called “a back store” — a second space at Williams Place devoted to “dresses and dolls.”
In the early 1990s, the two stores combined in the current, spacious location at Williams Place. In 1998 she opened a second location at Bishop’s Corner in West Hartford, Conn., and in 2003, a third in Canton, Conn.
Leavitt said the West Hartford store closed last year after 12 years in business, but not for economic reasons.
“Our lease was up, and the building was falling apart. It was just time to be out of that space,” Leavitt said. “We had a great run, and a lot of our clients still shop at Canton” — a larger location she said is “just seven miles down the road” from the Bishop’s Corner store.
As her business has grown, so has it changed over the past 25 years. “There’s so much more electronics now than were out there 25 or 30 years ago,” she said of the way the toy market has changed. “But the positive thing is how many more laws are now in place. We’ve always been so careful to carry products that weren’t dangerous, but now there are so many more laws to protect consumers.”
She said the way people shop for toys has also changed, thanks in part to the Internet, and she recently redesigned the store’s Web site – adding a personal blog — to keep up with the market shift.
“We get a lot more inquiries by phone and email than we did before,” she said, adding that shipments “all over the country” are increasing.
But she and her staff are finding that, despite the ease of Internet shopping, clients are still looking for the local toy store experience. “They want to walk in and look and touch; they want personal attention; they want their gifts wrapped beautifully. I love that people still want a neighborhood store that children can grow up in,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt praises her staff — “there are 30 people who work at Kiddly Winks between the warehouse, the Internet and the two stores” — and her husband, Michael, who has been her partner for the past 12 years, for the continued success of her business.
“There’s no way I could ever do this without the amazing staff that is part of this company,” Leavitt said. “I’m honored that they work her and feel the way I do about children and about our customers.” It takes a lot of time to learn about the products and the developmental stages of childhood.”
She also credits the emphasis she’s put on in-store events, such as Groovy Girls nights, Lego days, Arthur and Madeline costume nights, the store’s annual Art show of works by local children and author book signings as ways Kiddly Winks has continued to bring parents and children together — and into the store — for fun over the years.
“My favorite part of the business is watching kids grow up here,” she said. “I’m so honored that so many parents come in [now] who were children here. They show me their babies and ask, ‘Do you remember me?’”
“We’re still the quintessential toy store,” Leavitt said. “It’s nice to be that in a marketplace that’s so diverse we still find the best and we have a very educated staff. We know what works best for children from birth … to adults.”
Upcoming events at Kiddly winks include an anniversary sale Sept. 23 to 26, in-store silhouette portraiture Oct, 7 and 8, an adults-only talk on “Play in the Lives of Children” with Deb McCollister, founding member of the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association on Oct. 12, and a book signing with author Anna Dewdney on Oct. 23.
Copyright 2010 Reminder Publications
Thank you, again, to the Reminder! See the rest of the article on The Reminder website!
My best,
Joy
Two Charm It!! Design Contest Winners!
We are so proud, honored and excited to have 2 winners from The Charm It! Design Your Own Charm Contest! Abigayle P., age 11, from East Longmeadow, MA created an adorable horse charm.
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Charm It! Design Contest Winner at Kiddly Winks
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And Madison M., age 9, from West Hartford, CT designed a precious turtle charm.
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Charm It! Design Contest Winner Number Two!
I think we have future designers in the making! All the entries were wonderful – we had over 100 girls that participated! And we were thrilled to find out that Charm It!! selected our kiddos.
The girls were each given a fabulous goody bag from Charm It! and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to each of the girls’ favorite charity. How awesome is that!!!!
To both Abigayle and Madison – a big congratulations from all your friends at Kiddly Winks!!
My Best,
Joy
West Hartford Girl Wins CHARM IT! Design Contest!!
We’re sooooo excited to share with you the article below from the Hartford Courant about a wonderful young woman from West Hartford, CT who WON the CHARM IT! Design Contest!!
Winner Madison Mandyck’s charm design was one of 36 selected from thousands of entries from across the entire country!
Congratulations, Madison!!
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The CHARM IT! “What Charms You?” Collection is available at specialty retailers nationwide and local retailer, Kiddly Winks. To learn more about the CHARM IT! Design-A-Charm Contest, the local winner and her charm visit www.highintencity.com.
“What Charms You?” was the question High IntenCity posed to girls across America through a nationwide CHARM IT! Design-A-Charm Contest hosted late fall 2009. Girls were invited to design a charm with the possibility of seeing that charm come to life in the “What Charms You” collection.
Winners have been chosen, 36 trend-savvy talents to be exact can claim bragging rights as CHARM IT! designers.
Not only will the contest winners’ charms launch in the new collection, but the 36 chosen will also receive a goody bag filled to the brim with CHARM IT!. To top it all off, High IntenCity will donate 10 percent of its proceeds from the contest charms to causes nearest and dearest to the winners’ hearts. Madison’s winning charm will help animals through the World Wildlife Fund.
In honor of CHARM IT’s 10 year anniversary, the “What Charms You” collection debuts at specialty boutiques nationwide, including local retailer Kiddly Winks, and will be at girls’ fingertips July 2010.
Charmed by an overwhelming response of entries, High IntenCity was thrilled with the fun and rewarding challenge of choosing the 36 winners from tons of in-store, mail and on-line submissions. The High IntenCity team was abuzz during the companywide vote and blown away by the talent and creativity of designs that represented what is most meaningful to girls today. The winning styles celebrate the themes that girls across the country know and love, from world peace, save the animals, and other messages of positivity to out-of-the-box creations like a talking taco and a giant smile full of braces.
Renee Levy, President of High IntenCity, comments: “Ten years ago CHARM IT! was launched with a vision to inspire girls to express their individuality through creativity. A decade later, the contest brings this mission full circle by producing charms created by girls. What an incredible way to celebrate the brand’s 10-year anniversary.”
2010 copyright Hartford Courant
Submitted by Jackie Blauvelt, High IntenCity , on 2010-07-20.
Great New Toys at Kiddly Winks!
Lots of new toys have landed in “Kiddly Land” recently. Our stores are filled with fun new merchandise for all the kiddos in your life!
First, Wow, Wow, Wow! Kids are really loving the shaped rubber band bracelets we got in a few weeks ago. They’ve become a fun item to trade and collect! Even High School kids love them!
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Spring Shaped Rubber Band Bracelets
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Sports Shaped Rubber Band Bracelets
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Rock Shaped Rubber Band Bracelets
We get in new styles every week so check them out when you visit. We have a HUGE selection.
I love that it’s a little inexpensive item that sparks such a frenzy when kids come it. Who would ever have thought these would be a craze!!!!
My best,
Joy
A Special Offer for May!
Visit either of our retail stores, or place your order online, and get 20% off any one toy! Just print this page and bring it with you when you come to our stores in Canton, CT or Longmeadow, MA, or use the promo code 20MAY10 when you check out online!
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Just Print This Page and Bring it With You!
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See you soon!
My best,
Joy
12th Annual Kiddly Winks’ Clothesline Art Show!
Calling all artists! Kids ages 3-18 are invited to add their art work to our 12th Annual Clothesline Art Show in our Longmeadow, MA store! Just bring any 2-dimensional art into the store between April 6th and 30th and we’ll hang it on the miles of clothesline strung throughout the store for all the world to see.
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Kiddly Winks Clothesline Art Show 2009
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Preschool groups and classroom teachers at local schools are heartily-artily encouraged to enter their student’s artwork, too!
And when you come in to shop, or to drop of your kiddo’s art work, take a few minutes and look at the show. We know you’ll be amazed and inspired!
My Best,
Joy
Easter Is On Its Way!
Easter is one of our favorite times at Kiddly Winks! We have tons of wonderful Easter toys, stuffed animals, books and candy for kiddos of all ages!
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Easter Time at Kiddly Winks
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And, for many, many years we’ve also been creating wonderful personalized Easter buckets and Easter totes for all the little ones on your list. All you have to do is come in and pick out a colorful bucket or tote. Then choose the toys, books, candy, jewelry…or whatever you want to include in your bucket from our huge inventory.
Next our staff will personalize your bucket or tote with the child’s name AND then we will wrap it in our famously fabulous and colorful cellophane at no extra charge!
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Our Fabulous Easter Buckets & Totes!
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If you’re short on time, you can also choose from pre-filled buckets in several age groups! Or you can just call us and we’ll put them together for you with gifts selected specially for your little ones! We can even do themes for the princesses and pirates on your list – just tell us about each one on your list, and we’ll do the rest!
We can also ship your Easter buckets if your special little ones live out of town!
Easter is on Sunday, April 4th this year, so call us or come visit SOON!
We look forward to seeing you!
My best,
Joy
A Day in the Life at Kiddly Winks
So I just got home from Toy Fair, one of the biggest events in the toy industry, and WAS SO EXCITED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT ALL THE EXCITING NEW TOYS WE SAW! But at 11:00 this morning, as I was making final notes from the show, I got a phone call from our staff that someone had careened through the front window of our Longmeadow store in her car!
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I just want to report how lucky we all are that no one was hurt! The police, ambulance, Longmeadow building inspector, management and maintanance staff from our wonderful mall were all here within minutes! Even CBS Springfield news was here to report on the incident….boy, were they fast on the take!
The driver is thankfully okay and no one was on the sidewalk or in the part of our store that took the hit. We all know that life can change in a split second and we all feel so fortunate that there were no injuries!
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So we had a GREAT BIG BIG MESS and our amazing staff went into clean-up and organize mode!!!! We are all cleaned up and tired but feel truly blessed.
So don’t worry when you see the our windows covered with plywood. We will be repaired before you know it. And I’ll be back here soon to tell you about the amazing new toys we found in New York City at Toy Fair!
My best, Joy
Jane Dyer is Coming Back!
If you missed Jane Dyer, our most favorite children’s book illustrator, when she spent an afternoon with us back in December, or if your little ones had so much fun they’d like to see her again, you’re in luck!
Jane will be joining us again, in our Canton, Connecticut store next Saturday, February 6th from 1:00PM – 3:00PM, just in time for Valentine’s Day!
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Jane Dyer at Kiddly Winks
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She’ll be happy to sign any of her books that you’ve purchased from our stores or Web site, AND she’ll read from one of our all time favorite books “Sugar Cookies – Sweet Little Lessons on Love.”
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Jane Dyer's Sugar Cookies - Sweet Little Lessons on Love
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“Sugar Cookies” makes a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift and Jane will be happy to write a special message in your books for you!
If you can’t make it next Saturday, you can pre-order any of Jane’s books from our Web site or at either of our stores, and we’ll have Jane sign them. If you order them online, we’ll be happy to ship them to you. Or if you’ve ordered them at our stores, you can pick them up at either location – just us know which one is closest to you!
So bring your little ones and come spend a wonderful afternoon with Jane Dyer at our Canton store in the Shoppes at Farmington Valley!
See you there!
Joy
Please Join Us for Our Communion Trunk Show
Happy New Year everyone! It’s January, which means it’s time for our annual Communion Trunk Shows. Our first trunk show will be in our Longmeadow, Massachusetts store on January 15th, 16th and 17th. We will have the entire US Angels collection on display, as well as collections from other leading companies. You’ll also find headpieces, jewelry, accessories and gift ideas.
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Kiddly Winks January Communion Trunk Show
* Dress Fittings
* Special Orders
* Gift with Purchase
* Enter to Win Our Raffle!
And, when you place an order or purchase a dress, on any of the three trunk show days, you will receive a 20% discount off your headpiece as well.*
For your convenience, our trunk show will run for three full days:
* January 15th and 16th, from 9:30AM – 5:30PM
* January 17th, from 11:00AM – 4:00PM
Please call to R.S.V.P. and make an appointment with our knowledgeable staff. (413)-567-0688
We look forward to seeing you!
My Best,
Joy
P.S. And, if you live in the Farmington Valley, please join us for our Communion Trunk Show in our Canton, Connecticut store on Saturday, February 20th, from 10:00AM – 5:30PM. Please call 860-693-8014 to make an appointment.
* Please note, the 20% headpiece discount offer is valid only on dress orders and purchases made during the Communion Trunk Show dates.
