Shops in Makati with Play Areas

More and more shops in Makati are setting up designated play areas for kids! This adds greatly to the shopping convenience of mommies and daddies who would like the freedom to browse without having to worry about keeping their kids sufficiently entertained. Here's a list of stores that have set up play areas:

(1) Toys R Us, Greenbelt 5 - Little Tykes swing and slide set, cars/scooters, and writing board set up in a corner next to White Hat. Parents can sit and eat (or shop!) while the kids play. THIS IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

(2) Hobbes, Greenbelt 5 - long table with chairs at the back of the shop serves as a puzzle area. Kids can play with a large version of the Rush Hour Traffic Jam game, put together something with the Zoob! building set, or - if you're willing to shell out some cash - paint ceramics.

(3) Powerbooks, Greenbelt 2 (walkway) - this bookstore has recently added a small toy section next to the children's books area in the 2nd floor. There is a large Thomas the Tank Engine set on display, which kids can tinker around with.

(4) Rustan's Ayala - the children's section has a semi-enclosed play area with chairs, tables, blocks, and toys. There is also almost always playground sets on display somewhere within the floor, which kids are free to try out.

(5) Toy Kingdom, SM - nearly every section in this huge toy store has toys kids can play with. I just let my daughter run loose and try everything from the Little Tykes sets to the kiddie laptops to the kitchen playsets...and so on :)

(6) Build City, Greenbelt 5 - at the back of the shop, there is a long table where kids can play with LEGO blocks.

Top 3 Reasons To Drop By Toy Kingdom This Christmas...

(1) 10% discount on selected items if you have an SM Advantage card.

(2) Variety of discounts and promos available - I recommend the 3-pack travel edition set of Monopoly, Upword, and Mastermind.  Each game is worth P400-P500 on its own.  If you buy all 3 games, the cost is just P800 (P267 each).  A great deal and a classy find for your godchildren ;)

(3) Free wrapping.  No matter what you buy.  No matter the size or price.  The only drawback is that they don't have a package counter so you need to wait while they wrap.  It is best to drop by early in the morning when there are less people in line.  Much, much better if you do your shopping well before the mid-December Christmas rush ;)

Another interesting find this season is the newly opened ToyTown outlet in Glorietta. Ignore the expensive toys that are not discounted and be on the lookout for items whose price tags have been crossed out. You can get as much as 50%-70% discount on premium toys, particularly on Disney characters and playsets.

Books For Tots: Brainy Baby

Get a good grasp of the basics with the Brainy Baby series.  These board books provide large, colorful images that introduce your child to the world of numbers, animals, shapes, colors, and letters.

When I saw the word "baby" in the title, I imagined my little one would immediately take to these kinds of books.  It wasn't exactly love at first sight for my baby.  I learned that mere images weren't enough to amuse her and had to inject funny noises and animal sounds to make it more interesting.  I also taught her that books were not toys - she could not fold, toss, or step on her books.  Over time she came to respect and love these tiny tomes.  These days a trip to the toy store makes her face light up, but a trip to the bookstore - ah, now there's a treat that can convince her to take a nap, eat her vegetables, or visit the doctor.

My baby now has two shelves dedicated to her in our mini library (my husband and I are quite the bookworms ourselves) and is close to occupying a third.  And it all started with a little series called Brainy Baby.  My daughter just turned 2 and has already memorized the contents of these books, but we still use them regularly to refresh her skills.

You can purchase a set of 4 board books at Toy Kingdom.  A set comes in a bag with handle, making it convenient to lug around.  It also makes it very presentable as a baptismal, birthday, or Christmas gift. ;)