Music Makes The World Go 'Round

...At least, that's what we feel here at A Child's Garden. We love music, whether it's sounds your kids make or tunes they listen to, and we strive to find the best of both worlds.

From beloved CDs to a variety of musical instruments, we have a variety of choices for babies, big kids and parents alike!

Come in and browse our CD selection! We have a range of musicians from world renowned favorites to local heroes!

Local musician Mister G just released his newest album, "Bugs" and we have it right here at A Child's Garden. One listen to this CD and you'll be soon be singing along to Shark In My Bathtub, Pam the Pug, Cocodrilo, and more!

Hailing all the way from Brooklyn, NY, the Deedle Deedle Dees are another favorite of ours. Calling themselves an "educational rock band" and consisting of a bunch of music teachers, the Deedle Deedle Dees know how to get you movin' and groovin' while throwing in some knowledge. You can find both American History + Rock & Roll and Freedom in a Box here at A Child's Garden. They've also been known to put on a show or two around the Pioneer Valley, so keep your eyes and ears open for them!

Another great children's band that we're just wild about are the Flannery Brothers! Happy, fun, sing-a-long music is what this band is all about, and we happen to have three different albums of theirs! Come check out Wake Up Songs, Love Songs for Silly Things and The New Explores Club, today!

In addition to these great artists, we also are proud to carry the following: (among many more!)
The Okee Dokee Brothers - Take It Outside
Ratboy Jr. - Smorgasbord
Charlie Hope - Let's Go Play (Just Released!)

For those who have kids who would rather make music than listen to it, we have you covered as well! While pots & pans may be fun, they can also be noisy! Let your little bang on an Early Melodies Tambourine or Early Melodies Pound & Tap Bench from Educo.




From one of our favorite companies, Plan Toys check out the Solid Drum, Percussion Set, or Oval Xylophone!



Start making music...today!

Jam For The Fans

One of our all-time favorite bands lives right here in the Pioneer Valley, and we couldn't be prouder. The Nields have always gotten our toes a tappin' and our hips a shakin' with their fun, fabulous folk infused music - both kid and adult forms alike.

This weekend, in honor of their 20th anniversary, they're putting on "Jam For The Fans," - a fun & music filled weekend, including a family friendly concert at the Center For The Arts at 10:30 AM on June 11th.

Both A Child's Garden and sister store Impish will be selling tickets, so stop in this week to purchase some. You do not want to miss this celebratory event that is sure to be a rocking good time!

Tickets are $10 for adults and $ for kids.

Spring Into Sciene

Spring is finally here, and with it comes the opportunity to delve into all the fabulous offerings of playing outdoors. Swing into A Child's Garden today to see some of the toys we have that can help enhance your outdoor learning fun!

Despite the rainy days we've been having, there have been a bunch of sun filled ones, and what better way to take advantage of them then with Solar Print Paper from ToySmith.

This paper undergoes a chemical change when exposed to sunlight and you can have hours of fun using different objects like leaves, flowers, rocks, etc... to see what sort of prints you can make!

Optic Wonder Glasses, also by ToySmith, are pocket-sized instruments with a range of functions.
Use them as binoculars, a magnifying glass, a compass and more. Take them on a hike or nature walk and be prepared for almost anything!

For those who like to get down and dirty, check out our root viewer from ToySmith. Using clear glass tubes, you plant the provided carrot, beet and onion seeds and watch as they grow.
You and your kids can learn about root systems and vegetation as you're able to see just what happens underneath the dirt.

If your little ones happen to enjoy frogs and bugs and want to learn more about how they grow, check out Beleduc's 5 layer wooden puzzles. Watch as frogs go from egg to full size or as butterflies start out in a cocoon until they emerge with full wings intact.


All of these toys provide great stepping stones for getting the most out of outdoor play time Stop in soon to check them out as well as our full array of outdoor geared toys!

Let's Learn!

In addition to all of our wonderful books, eco-friendly toys for newborns, sling & diapers, we also have a wide variety of educational toys. Not only are these toys fun to play with, but they also can help with learning new skills!

One of our favorite companies, eeBoo, has a ton of fabulous products meant to be both entertaining and educational, and we're proud to carry many of them. Learn shapes, colors and produce with eeBoo's learning puzzle in "Fruits & Vegetables!"

These wonderful puzzles also come in "alphabet" and "mother & child" themes.

Another favorite from eeBoo is the Preschool Bug Dominoes learning and counting game.


This entertaining game helps work on both recognition and counting skills in a fun and colorful way! Bug Dominoes are perfect for kids three years of age and older.

For kids who are into working with their hands, eeBoo's lacing cards are a perfect fit. Work on hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills while checking out the colorful pictures on the cards.


We have a variety of lacing card themes, from "Things That Move" to "Childen of the World" to "Under The Sea." Come in to check them all out!

We also carry some wonderful educational toys from Mudpuppy, another favorite here at the 'Garden. Wooden magentic number or letter sets make learning fun.
Create number sentences for those eager math fans or start working on sounds and words with easy to handle magnetic letters.

Stop on by to check all of these toys out...and more! We're always available to help, so if you're looking for something specific, come on over and let us help find the perfect gift, toy, book or baby item for any occasion!

Hop On In...Just in Time For Easter!

We've been getting Spring fever here at A Child's Garden and have been bringing out all sorts of great toys and books in preparation for the season.

Our shelves are currently lined with tons of fun things to help you create the perfect Easter basket!

Start from the bottom up, and snag something unique for the actual basket! Our Toysmith metal buckets or watering cans make for special starters for the perfect Easter basket. Not only can you use them for Easter, but they will continue to be used all year round.


Instead of dealing with that fake, plastic grass that only ends up in the trash, why not line your basket with a beautiful play silk from Sarah's Silks?


We have lots of great options to help fill those baskets as well. Check out our array of Dover sticker books, Sevi racing bugs, and Toysmith gardening tools - all excellent ways to help celebrate Spring!


In addition, we'd be more than happy to help you create your own themed Easter basket from our wide variety of toys and books. From dinosaurs, fairies, trucks to barnyard animals...the possibilities are endless! Stop on in today to check out all the wonderful things we have in store for Spring.

Holiday Helpers!

Whether you're searching for a last minute, little gift or the perfect toy to stuff your child's stocking with, look no further!

Our shelves are currently lined with tons of fabulous gift ideas from books to toys and more. We have a lot of wonderful bigger items from wooden trucks and play kitchens, but we also have a huge variety of smaller items that are perfect for gifts or stocking stuffers.

Many love the large, vibrantly colored PuzzArt that we carry, but we also love the mini versions! These wooden creatures are a creative combination of art and puzzle, proving fun, stimulating playtime.

This is the "mama" version - swing by to check out the minis!

If toys with wheels are more your speed, we have a variety of Sevi vehicles to suit your needs!
These wooden cars and trucks are hand painted with non-toxic, vegetable based paints and finishes! They're small enough that they're perfect for taking along while traveling or just for adding a few more cars to your collection.

Another small item that's perfect for traveling is the 8 piece Tegu block set.
Coming in its own felt carrying case, these 8 eco-friendly wooden blocks have magnets embedded in them, which help in creating all sorts of neat shapes. Use the blocks to build animals, cars, towers, or whatever you can dream up. The smaller, 8 piece set is also a great addition to the larger sets we carry.

Sometimes all it takes is a finger puppet speaking in a silly voice to turn a sour mood into a fun one again.
We love Furnis Finger Puppets - soft, small but full of character - guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's face! Buy one to fit one finger or grab five to fill up your hand! These cozy guys are small enough to take anywhere and are washable, making them easy to clean.

For those wanting a traditional gift, look no further. We're proud carriers of the Golden Cockerel line of Matryoshka dolls.These hand painted nesting dolls are perfect for the holiday season and come in a range of colors and patterns. Children can work on counting, sorting and stacking or just enjoy playing with these timeless classics.

For the little groover and shaker in your family we have a bunch of different CDs in stock, including our local favorites - The Nields! In addition to their CDs, we're excited to have in stock their joyful, playful and fabulous concert DVD, Organic Farm.
This DVD has a lot of familiar and well-loved Nields songs as well as some folk classics. Sing along with Nerissa, Katryna and a host of local children who were filmed for this DVD!

If you're stopping in for a last minute gift, consider the assortment of holiday and winter themed book we have up on the shelves. One of our favorites, The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is a beloved holiday classic!
This story, full of wonder and magic, tells the tale of a young boy who is swept away to the North Pole on this special old-fashioned steam train.

We also have an array of Jan Brett books in stock - many which are perfect reads for this time of year.
Beautiful words and illustrations bring winter to life in many of Jan Brett's book. Come see which one calls to you!

From stocking stuffers to more substantial gifts, we have plenty of wonderful selections for kids of all ages. Stop on by to let us help you find that perfect gift.

From all of us here at A Child's Garden, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!

Bag Day! and more...

There are so many wonderful things that we can't wait to tell you about happening over here at A Child's Garden.

This Saturday, November 20th, is Bag Day in downtown Northampton and we are excited to participate in this annual event. You can grab a bag in the Daily Hampshire Gazette or at select locations around town and pop into various stores for some shopping savings!

We'll be offering 20% off one item in the store. Some exclusions do apply, so please feel free to ask us when you visit!

While you're in this Saturday, make sure to check out a few of our newest products.


Rockin Green is a great new detergent that is perfect for both diapers and regular laundry. This detergent is great for diapers since you really only need a small amount and it rinses clean each time! Currently we have the unscented version in stock.

On the toy front, we're pleased to announce that we now have Tegu's fabulous magnetic blocks in!
These blocks come in both tinted and natural colors and allow your children to exercise their imagination as they work the blocks into countless creations.
These unique eco-friendly wooden blocks have magnets embedded inside, which allow them to attach to each other in any way you can imagine. This month's Mothering magazine features the Tegu magnetic blocks as one of the toys to look out for!

You can find this month's issue of Mothering at A Child's Garden, where not only will you find the mention of Tegu blocks, but you can also read an article I wrote on "potlucking" in the "Peggy's Kitchen" section!