4 Friday, April 13, 2018 brooklintowncrier.com My daughter gets a weekly allowance and is very good about saving it. One day, as I helped her count out a wad of bills and change, we discovered she had a sizable amount. "Are you saving for something special?" I asked. "There are a few little things I would like," she answered. So I suggested we go shopping on the weekend. I mentioned Toys R Us. "I don't like that store," she said and I almost fell over. What kid doesn't want to go to Toys R Us? Apparently a lot of them. With Toys R Us closing in the U.S., I wondered if most kids feel the way my daughter does. If so, was the Canadian side of the chain doomed, too? So I asked her where SHE wanted to go shopping. Justice and Mastermind Toys made her list. At Justice, she walked around looking at the t-shirts with sequins and fun sayings. She stroked the fur on the stuffies and squeezed the squishies. A bubbly employee helped find the right size t-shirt after allowing her to flip the sequins on every shirt in the store. My daughter came out smiling with a bag of favourites. Cheerful greeting The moment she walked through the door at Mastermind, a lovely lady cheerfully greeted her. "Hi," she welcomed. "Looks like you've already been shopping. What did you buy?" My daughter pulled open her bag and showed her the sequined hockey t-shirt and rainbow whale squishy. The Mastermind lady made the appropriate comments of appreciation. My daughter beamed over the admiration of her choices. The lady asked us if we had something special in mind. My daughter explained she was searching for a bracelet charm, so the two of them looked through the rack. They discussed which ones she already had and chose a special one. Then the lady suggested we try the items on the table. It wasn't long before a young employee had her engaged in a game of air hockey. They laughed and did a victory dance together when she won. Then she walked about, picked up things, played with the demo toys and finally brought her purchase to the cash. The lady we met on arrival admired her plush wolf purse as she pulled out her wallet. She waited patiently as my daughter counted her money and then threw two "free" small tubs of playdough into her shopping bag to share with her friend she was to see later that day. Warehousing toys We then went to Toys R Us and she slowly viewed the racks with disinterest. I got it. Instead of actually doing anything, all she did was meander. They sell a lot of toys, but they are just big warehouses and there is no one to introduce you to anything, play with you or open up your imagination. It's boring. Toys R Us forgot it is a toy store. It forgot who its client is: kids looking to play. What Mastermind and Justice get right is simple: the product is accessible and at kid level. You can play with the toys and the staff likes interacting with kids, making the experience magical. We left loving those stores and wanted to return. Toy stores are kids' first real shopping experiences, where hard earned allowances are spent and wishes come true. They aren't just stores. They're hands-on experience, experiential labs in childhood, discovery, and fun. Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Sequins, Squishies and Toy Stores Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar."Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Sat., Apr. 14: 11 am Big Bucks Euchre Odd Fellows Hall, 42 Bagot St., Brooklin Regular progressive euchre. No partner required. $10 includes lunch and excellent prizes. Advance tickets only. Proceeds to Camp Trillium camps for kids with cancer and their families. Call 905-655-4652 Sat., April 14: 7-11 p.m. Mayor's Community Fundraiser Central Library, 405 Dundas Street West, Whitby Join Mayor Don Mitchell for an evening of food, friends, entertainment and music in support of the Mayor's Community Development Fund, benefiting local community groups, events and initiatives. Tickets on sale now! mayorscommunityfundraiser. eventbrite.ca $85 per person or $150 per couple. For more information, contact: WhitbyMayorsFundraiser@gmail.com Sun., April 15: 2-3 pm: Brooklin Poetry Society book launch 10th Anniversary edition of "Written Tenfold" to celebrate national poetry month At Brooklin Library, readings in the library program room Anthology edited by society president Renée M. Sgroi and features works by society members Visit: brooklinpoetrysociety.com/about Thurs., April 19: BHS Fashion Show & Tea 2 shows: 3:30 and 7 pm Brooklin High's grade 12 fashion program students bring 100 years of fashion history to life $10 admission High Tea, including treats and snacks, provided by Culinary Arts Program students Fri. - Sun., April 20-22 - Saint Vincent de Paul Bundle Weekend Truck will be parked at St. Leo the Great Church for the weekend to receive donations of gently used clothing, linens and small household goods. Donated items will benefit the less fortunate. Bagged items can be left with members at the truck. If unmanned, bagged items may be left by truck. Call 905-655-9692 or 905-620-0724 for further information. Sun., April 22: 1-3 pm Spring Fashion Show featuring fashions by Alia (of the Oshawa Centre) St. Leo the Great Parish Hall 130 Watford St. Tickets $15. Lunch and beverages provided Doors open at noon to shop vendors Door Prizes. Call 905-620-0724 for tickets or info Fri., April 27: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Fri. - Sun., April 27-29 Saint Vincent de Paul Bundle Weekend Truck will be parked at St. Leo the Great Church for the weekend to receive donations of gently used clothing, linens and small household goods. Donated items will benefit the less fortunate. Bagged items can be left with members at the truck. If unmanned, bagged items may be left by truck. Call 905-655-9692 or 905-620-0724 for further information. Sun., May 6: 11 am - 1 pm: Bryson Blooms At 10 Roebuck, in front of Bryson Insurance. A community celebration feature music, animals from Windreach Farm, popcorn, Rapunzel & Spiderman, colouring stations, and more 12 pm unveiling of newly adopted as part of Whitby's Adopt-a-Park program. Visit Facebook and say you're *going*: facebook.com/events/162771337649054/ Sat., June 16: 10 am - 2 pm : Nova's Ark 8th Annual Friendship Walk From Grass Park, a 3 km walk led by Bing the Camel Afterwards, music by Workin' Dawgs and BBQ by Starr Burger Also, face painting and interaction with therapy animals To register, visit novasark.ca or email: friendshipwalk.novasark@bell.net French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room Tuesdays: 7:25 pm: Brooklin Toastmasters Club Practice public speaking at Brooklin Community Centre & Library. Contact John Johnstone at jajhj@sympatico.ca or phone 905-683-4439 or Patricia Romano at promano257@outlook.com or phone 905-626-7055. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon.-Fri. CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 Dear BTC: Last summer I was rather surprised to see a conservation booth at a local event decorated with balloons. While balloons are eye catching and fun, they are also a problem. Every balloon released out of doors becomes litter. Litter that is appealing to curious wildlife who can mistake it for food. Why would a conservation authority, responsible for protecting our natural environment, birds and animals, introduce this danger? I spoke to the young man at the booth, he looked confused, apparently no one had thought of the balloons in this way. In the fall I attended the Brooklin Fall Festival, a wonderful community event. Throughout the morning I kept hearing shouts of 'there goes another one!' as balloons escaped and floated off in the sky. I knew that they would not continue to rise, that at some point they would return to earth as a problem. Is giving potential litter to children the best way to advertise your services to adults? Then last winter, in Long Sault Conservation Area, there was a balloon, tangled up in a bush; not what I wanted to see while hiking. According to balloons blow.org: it is illegal to release balloons in: California, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia; balloons are not easily biodegradable, it can take up to 4 years, plenty of time for fish and animals to ingest them and cause blockages in their digestive systems that lead to death. Last winter I read that the Clarington Fire Department had brought forward a motion to that council regarding banning balloons. According to Google, both Vancouver and Kingston are looking into the problem. I hoped that Durham Region would also look at the problem but have been told that it must be done by a municipality, so I asked Whitby to consider banning the use of helium balloons out-of-doors. This would not prevent families from celebrating special occasions indoors. Balloons could be used in homes and banquet halls etc. Children could be taught that balloons are indoor toys. There are many other, more appropriate, items that can be used as decoration or give-aways at community events. If you would like some suggestions, check out the website: https://balloonsblow.org You will also find more information on the pollution factor of balloons. In the meantime, please join me in trying to eliminate this pollution/litter problem by just not accepting the use of helium balloons out-of-doors. Margot Dixon Brooklin ON Letter to the Editor: No More Outdoor Balloons