Learning Is Cool!

Capitol Kids Art Show

2009-03-14T23:33:00.002-04:00

The 4th Annual Capitol Kids Spring Art Show in Downtown Concord will be May 2nd-16th. Get your kids thinking about what masterpiece they would like to share. We'll be taking 2-d and 3-d submissions through April 24th.
Stay tuned for more details.

New Website!

2009-03-12T20:41:00.002-04:00

We are proud to announce that Imagination Village's new and improved web site is now live! Check it out at Imaginationvillage.com come back often for news updates and special offers.

Toy Fair

2009-02-13T21:47:00.002-05:00

We're off to New York City to attend Toy Fair with great hopes of finding the latest, coolest, greenest, safest- well, you get the idea! Stay tuned for details.
Laura and Vernon

Smencils are back!

2009-01-28T17:55:00.001-05:00

What could be better than a pencil that smells like chocolate and is made of recycled materials?

From us to you

2008-12-28T16:21:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!
May 2009 bring joy, prosperity and peace to all! Please?

Santa Claus is coming to town!

2008-12-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

The Big Guy himself will be making a rare live appearance at Imagination Village- Sunday December 14th from 1-3 pm.

Midnight Merriment!

2008-11-30T21:43:00.000-05:00

Party and shop til you drop on Friday December 5th. Downtown Concord stays open until midnight with special offers , caroling, horse drawn wagon rides and more!
Come for the stroll- Come to see old friends and new- just come!

And don't forget the Capitol Commons garage will be open for plenty of free parking!

Toys for Tots Box

2008-11-16T22:34:00.000-05:00

Hi All! Just a quick note to let you know that our Toys for Tots dropoff box has arrived at the store. We are happy to be a part of this effort again this year- our community will need your support even more than ever this year.
See you soon!

Holloween Howl Book Give Away

2008-11-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to all of you who helped us collect books to give away to the children of the greater Concord area during Trick or Treat. Cherie McManus and Dianne Melim from Learn To Read Tutoring Associates helped us pass out over 2000 books. It was awesome! What a joy to see children so excited about getting a book instead of candy.

We only had a few books left over and they will be delivered to kids through the Teddy Bear Fund. The great volunteers at the Teddy Bear Fund have let me know that they would love to have books throughout the year- so, if you didn't get a chance to go through your collection for this event- bring them down to the store whenever you get a chance and we will get them to the Teddy Bear Fund.

Thanks again!

Hopkinton Haunted House- Alien Invasion

2008-09-03T19:28:00.000-04:00

Hi All! Once again , My husband and I are helping to organize the haunted house in Hopkinton.

We desparately need volunteers to help the recreation committee-You do not need to live in town, just have some creativity to spare...

If you love Halloween or SciFi- email to me at laura@imaginationvillage.com
We are looking for actors, painters, builders and whatever other talents you care to share.

The event will be Sunday, October 26th.

Also- we are looking for donations that will help us create an alien crash site- old super soaker water guns that can be painted in day-glo paint, saucer sleds, discarded satelite dish, army fatigues, stay tuned for more details...
Thanks!

Resource for Art Lessons

2008-09-03T19:26:00.000-04:00

ART LESSONS!! Lizz Van Saun, Hopkinton, NH artist, is now offering small
> group and private art lessons for adults and children at her studio on Kast
> Hill. For younger children and anyone wishing to play like a child, she offers
> "art experiences" with a variety of mediums and projects. Any lesson is
> customized to meet individual desires and needs. Guaranteed fun!
> > Please contact her @ (603) 746-6745 or lizzvansaun@hotmail.com. for more
> information.
> >

Special Offer for Market Days July 17-19

2008-07-15T07:53:00.000-04:00

It's HOT with threats of thunderstorms- it must be MARKET DAYS!

We have an extra special deal for you! Bring this coupon for an extra 10% off- over and above every other discount. So- if it's under the tent for 30% off - you get it for 40% off the regular price/ How cool is that? Well- Imagination Village is the coolest toy store on Main Street!

Remember Market Days is Thursday - Saturday this year. See you there!

Check out this website for rainy day crafts

2008-07-13T16:40:00.000-04:00

A friend shared this website with me today... www.thetoymaker.com
It is filled with downloadable ideas and templates for very cool paper crafts- perfect for kids 7 and up (big kids too!) with a touch of old fashioned whimsy.
Check it out! And, please send your ideas to info@imaginationvillage.com so we can share them with everybody else. Thanks Julie!

Market Days Events- Trikes for Tykes

2008-07-11T17:56:00.000-04:00

Please join us Saturday the 19th at 1 pm during Market Days for the silliest bike race ever!
We are working with the Teddy Bear Fund to bring you Trikes For Tykes- adults making fools of themselves riding Plasma Cars through a goofy and challenging obstacle course in Bicentennial Square ( directly behind the store). All the silliness is for a very worthy cause. The Teddy Bear Fund helps underpriveleged children throughout Merrimack County providing clothing, toys and special events. throughout the year. The Teddy Bear Fund is a grass-roots, all- volunteer not-profit organization that depends on fundraising and donations to serve hundreds of families. Many of these children fall through the cracks of traditional service agencies. So come join the fun! Imagination Village and many other sponsors will put their racing helmets on- and we need you to cheer us on!

Market Days!

2008-07-10T19:47:00.000-04:00

Market Days is coming up before you know it!
Thursday - Saturday July 17th-19th from 9 am to 9 pm.
Join us for the fun and bargains.

Keep Your Child READING This Summer!!

2008-07-02T10:04:00.000-04:00

It has been proven that students that don't read over the summer lose an average of two to three months in reading skills, while those who keep reading experience gains. Most of the libraries in the area towns are sponsoring some kind of reading programs, throughout the summer, for children to get involved in. The Concord Public Library is having a wonderful summer reading experience called "G'Day for Reading", that I would highly recommend.

Most importantly, make sure that your child is reading material that is appropriate to their reading level. One easy way to see if that "just right" book has been selected is to try the "Five Finger Method." Turn to any page in the book and have the child begin to read. Each time they make an error, put up a finger. If they make more than 5 errors, then that book is probably too hard for them and you should look to find an easier one.

The more your child reads, the easier it will be for him. 30 minutes a day during the summer can make a world of difference when school begins again. It's free, it's fun and you can travel anywhere in a book!

Hopkinton Family Fun Day- July 4th

2008-06-29T15:22:00.001-04:00

Hi All!

I just wanted to invite you to join me and my family at the July 4th Family Fun Day at Houston Fields in Contoocook. You do not have to be a resident to enjoy a day of food, music and frivolity, all following the old fashioned parade starting at 11:30 am...

Imagination Village has contributed a bunch of outdoor games to play during the festivities - but what more could you want than a pie eating contest, dunking booth and pony rides?

Louise Carr, who many of you know from around Downtown, the Recreation Committee (one of whom is my intrepid husband :) and many, many volunteers and local groups, have put together an awesome event! Needless to say, Imagination Village will be closed to celebrate. Enjoy Independence day with your family (don't forget to pick up your "Fireworks 3-D" glasses before the big day!)

Downtown Concord

2008-06-27T20:21:00.000-04:00

Recently, I've run into a few people that have told me how great they think downtown Concord, NH is. Some of these folks are co-workers (I work in Nashua, 40 miles away from Concord), so I see them pretty often. But a few are total strangers that I got to talking with while I was travelling, at places like the airport or a restaurant in a different state or even a different part of the country.

I've got to say, it's true. Concord has a great mix of eclectic shops and it's a great place to go looking for something unusual. It also has loads of places to eat, more than you might think should be in a town that has a population of around 40,000. It's clean and safe to walk around in, and has some great old buildings and houses to see. It's also compact; you can walk from one end of downtown to the other in about 20 minutes, even if you mosey along.

When I moved up to the Concord area 12 years ago, I was frankly a little concerned about moving to "the city". I grew up in a big city in the Midwest, and my hometown is a great place, but I'm not a fan of cities. I've got to say now that I really like it here. Concord has the best blend of big city, small town, and country attributes, and I'm glad to be here.

VAM

Exciting new finds at the ASTRA Trade Show

2008-06-27T20:01:00.000-04:00

Hi!
We just got back from the American Specialty Toy Retailer's Association Annual conference and we found lots of new products that you will see come into the shop in the next few weeks.

The most exciting find was a new eco-friendlier battery. They are made without toxic metals like mercury and cadmium. They are also made with recycled materials- taking metals out of the waste stream. They perform as well as the major brands in lab testing and cost about the same. Very cool!

Welcome to our new blog!

2008-06-27T18:37:00.000-04:00

Hi All!
I am so excited to be setting up our new blog. We have so much to share with you at Imagination Village- the coolest toy store on Main Street. If you are just finding us- we are located in historic downtown Concord, New Hampshire. At the shop- we sell educational toys and teaching supplies- but we are so much more! Our staff is made up of teachers and parents (even grandparents) . We love kids and we are dedicated to helping all children develop of love of learning. What more can you say with a tag line like...Learning is cool!

We have lots to share for parents and teachers and we hope to hear from you too. Do you have a great idea to make learning fun? Please share it with us- and we'll post it for all to see. Send your ideas to info@imaginationvillage.com

If you are in the Central New Hampshire area- come see us. It will be worth the trip!