Brilliant Sky Toys & Books Specialty Toy Store ~ Review

**The products for this review were provided by Brilliant Sky Toys & Books to help facilitate my review of their specialty toy store offerings. All opinions are my own.

I've always thought it would be nice to have a local toy store near us. Being able find great service, quality products and support a local store would be wonderful! Although we don't have that option where we live, I am very thankful we can still learn about specialty toy stores like Brilliant Sky Toys & Books.

Offering a concierge service in 15 Brilliant Sky Toys & Books specialty stores across the nation, shoppers can take advantage of excellent customer service, free gift wrap and a wide range of fabulous items! What's even better is that customers can be sure to pick the perfect toy as the 4th annual Brilliance awards, chosen by the toy store franchise chain, featuring a dozen perfect playthings...and just in time for holiday shopping! YAY!

With prices from $12.99 to $84.99, the top 12 Brilliance Award winners offer outstanding variety that run on brain power, wonder and imagination! The type of special toys and games sold by Brilliant Sky Toys & Books are right up my alley! I love to find high quality products that spark my kids' imaginations. That's why I couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review a few.

The products we were sent were Switch & Spin Magnetic Gear Board by Melissa & Doug, Little Chubbies by International Playthings, and How Big is the Lion? My first Book of Measuring by Workman.

The Switch & Spin Magnetic Gear Board caught both my boys' eyes right away! Something about the bright colors and unique look had them eager to try it out. Recommended for ages 2+, this is perfect for my 2 and 4 year old. 

This unique spin on magnetic toys lets kids build their own toy! Once again, I love when they are able to be creative and use their imaginations so this toy is perfect. It's open-ended and allows them to use it however they wish. 

It's easy to use also! Simply choose a picture template from 10 unique designs and place it in the wooden frame. Then add the gears in the colorcoded spaces and it turns the picture into an amazing kid-powered machine! Both Caysen and Kaden were so proud when they made it for the first time. 

They love all the templates, but even enjoy using it with just the white magnetic surface too. It's been great for exploration of simple mechanics, counting, problem solving and more. 

The Little Chubbies were also a hit with my boys! Both of them absolutely love anything and everything to do with cars, so having these brightly colored, sturdy vehicles arrive on our doorstep was a dream come true for them!

These vehicles are durable and great for little hands. I can tell they'll hold up well to a lot of use which is much appreciated! They're even dishwasher safe which is great for cleaning!! 

The boys love that there are real working pieces on these cars, trucks, and planes. They even hook on to each other which is neat too! It is a simple toy, but has provided so many hours of play already...they love them!

We also received the How Big is the Lion? My first Book. This fun, educational and interactive book is perfect for my 6 year old! She loves learning new things, and the fact that this book included an everyday grown-up object like a ruler really had her excited to check it out. 

This is a great first book of measuring that has given Kaelyn a hands-on opportunity to measure things using a ruler...all on her own. She loves it! The book has catchy rhymes that tell children what to use the ruler for. It really makes Kaelyn think as we go through each of the questions...I can tell it's encouraging higher level thinking skills which is great for her since she enjoys a challenge.

I love how sturdy this book is, not to mention how unique the illustrations are. They are made from colorful shapes of felt, buttons, and pieces of lace and string! 

Overall we've been very happy with all three products sold from Brilliant Sky Toys & Books. The kids love them! I see them learning, exploring and using their imaginations which is the absolutely best as a parent! I would urge everyone to support local toy stores like Brilliant Sky Toys & Books, and if you live near one of their stores (check here) it would definitely be worth a visit...especially for holiday shopping! These are just a few of the many great products they offer!