International Gift Ideas for Close-to-Home Fun

A benefit of a global economy is that stores can offer beautiful and unique items from beyond their own borders. Having this kind of reach means you can be the hero for parents and gift-buyers by offering something nobody else can get. Just let your customers imagine the “oohs” and “aahs” as they gift international wonders at a family baby shower or baby birthday. Carrying an international variety of items can put you on the map as the store that offers endless variety.

In apples-to-apples comparison, England-based Apples to Pears offers the cutest gifts, complete with their own decorative tin packaging (no need to wrap!). Tablets can be cushioned from child-like blows with tabCoosh direct from Australia. The Scottish can be so eloquent with adorable 2D and 3D gallery frames from The Articulate Gallery. From France, TAPIKID playmats by DEUZ stimulate imaginations to fuel the fun..

Apples to Pears Bears a New Crop of Gift Sets

The small Cotswold company with a big heart and even bigger ideas, Apples to Pears was established in 2002 with its roots firmly in gardening products. This influenced their adorable Kid’s Gardening Set. Young gardeners will love this miniature gardening set including bug-themed trowel and fork and gardening gloves in a simple tin — perfect for helping Mum or Dad in the garden.

A great display for your gift area is the Birthday Party Kit. With 20 birthday cake candles and holders, 15 “Happy Birthday” balloons, foil decorations and a “Happy Birthday” bunting, all your customers need to add are cake and presents.

Gifts in a Tin can also work with toys that parents already have. The Car Building Kit has instructions to build four different vehicles and the blocks that come with it are compatible with many similar building blocks, making them a great gift.

Kids can have fun with just their fingers with the Finger Puppet Craft Set that contains parts for eight wacky finger puppets (including the ever-favorite google eyes). Other great ideas include Sock Monkey in a Tin, Magic Kit in a Tin and even Hair Accessories.

See the entire crop of gifts at www.applestopears.com

tabCoosh Helps Protect Computer Tablets

Parents have so much to love about kids using tablets for educational play. So many apps are designed for kids, but the design of most tablets isn’t. What parent wants fingerprints and who knows what other messes covering their beloved gadget? And we all know the odds of a kid dropping your most expensive device.

You can give parents a hands-off approach with Australian-born tabCoosh. The tabCoosh is a soft pillow-like cover for a tablet so kids big and small can securely move and carry a tablet. Compatible with iPads, Samsung Tab, Kindle Fire and other e-readers, Google’s Nexus, and Motorola Xoom, the tabCoosh makes an ideal display option for your electronics area.

The designers of the tabCoosh considered three key elements: comfort, practicality and attractiveness. With tabCoosh, most tablets can be easily and safely carried anywhere. Accessories include an assistt add-on for those who are using their tablet in a wheelchair and dB earbuds that provide isolation from external noise with little interferences from jewelry, glasses, hats or hairstyles.

Tuck a tablet in tabCoosh at www.tabcoosh.com

The Articulate Gallery is the Way to van Gough

For parents with a fridge full of artwork, offer a display option that’s unique and adorable. The Articulate Gallery is a range of slot-sided picture frames designed to curate and celebrate children’s 2D and 3D artwork. The beauty is in its simplicity. Offering one, two, or three slide options, parents can easily update with their Picasso’s latest masterpiece.

The simple idea came from a fun family, the Craigs, in Scotland. Noisy, red-headed and ambitious, they have made this a family-run business (complete with two kids and an old Jack Russell) dedicated to celebrating children’s creativity in a way that is fun and functional. To enhance the already beautiful and durable white frames, consider carrying alphabet stickers that can spell out a child’s name or the name of their creation. Kids can also decorate with glitter or gems to add extra artistic touches.

If kids need inspiration about what to put in the frame, show them the Arts and Craft Packs. The girls’ one has all the makings for a charming fairy greeting card and a pretty beaded bracelet. The boys’ pack helps them make a magnificent monsters greeting card.

Perfect for any time of year, scoot on over to the Scots at www.articulategallery.co.uk

TAPIKID Mats are the Places to Play

DEUZ, based in France, knows that children enjoy attractive and artistic playmates, so they created TAPIKID. Little boys will spend hours playing with the neighborhood graphic playscape, complete with roadways perfect for toy cars. With ocean and forest themes, there’s more to stimulate creative playtimes.

DEUZ was created by two sisters, Marie and Charlotte, who combined their knowledge of art and finance respectively, to come up with a line of kid designs that are all about energetic colors and keen typography. Everything is made of certified organic cotton with natural dyes and packaged in recycled paper. They were joined by Elsa, an alumna of the Decorative Art “Ecole Boulle,” who brought her creative genius to TAPIKID.

Because we believe response will be great to the TAPIKID, consider carrying the BIGBAG, an extra-large zipped pouch made of TAPIKID offcuts that can be used as a cushion cover or toy bag.

Tap into all the creative play options at www.deuz.biz