How to Buy Children's Gifts That Inspire Their Imaginations

By Amy Flurry
December 20, 2010

These days, high tech toys may top the holiday wish list of many kids. But, as we shared earlier this month on the Today Show, parents know the best gifts ideas are often those that don’t require batteries or come with a video screen. Blabla, a popular children’s line of soft and bright knitted playthings and clothing, was founded on the belief that children are driven by their senses and imagination. “Cuddly animals and other characters let the child create a world,” said Susan Pritchett, cofounder of Blabla. “You’re giving them a friend, a companion for an adventure that grows with the child.”

The BlaBla Atlanta Store and Products

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Photo Credit: store photos by Rinne Allen; all photos courtesy, Blabla

The Blabla team mines its memories and imagination when decorating the company's Atlanta storefront, pairing the Blabla dolls with vintage or old-fashioned toys, like kitchen sets, vintage vehicles, tea sets and doll furniture. “The first place we turn for sourcing props for their windows, website or market booth is eBay!” says Susan Pritchett.

She and her co-founder, Blabla designer Florence Wetterwald, begin by looking for vintage toys that were meaningful to them as children. “You can literally track down memories on eBay and then share your experience and stories,” said Susan Pritchett. “Blabla’s are knit by Peruvian artisans of quality materials. They are made to last and to be passed on and that is why they team so well with tactile toys of old.” Susan Pritchett and Florence Wetterwald approach shopping for gifts for children in the same way. “We like toys that can be used to inspire and not occupy—things that engage a child in creative play,” said Pritchett. “Blabla was born of this same sentiment and purpose.”

An avid eBay shopper, Susan Pritchett likes the sense of adventure from shopping a global marketplace online. “You find heirlooms,” she said. “You also find front row tickets to Leonard Cohen concerts, which ranks high among my favorite all-time purchases.”

Here’s how Susan Pritchett and the Blabla toy and clothing team navigate gift-giving for little ones.

“It’s fun to pack up a wagon or wheelbarrow with dolls and stuffed animals. What a great way to display toys on Christmas morning or to organize them in a room.”

Roll over items for details

Vintage Happi Time Red Child's Wagon

(buy it now price, $21.99)

Vintage Greyhound Wagon

(buy it now price, $125)

DTE Vintage Dinky No.382 Wheelbarrow

(buy it now price, $29.95)

How to Buy Children's Gifts That Inspire Their Imaginations

“We like to use antique wooden spools as little chairs and we also scored old-fashioned wooden doll beds for the Blabla dolls, which is something that a mom could find for her child! Accessories for a doll really help to spark the imagination.”

23 Vintage Wooden Textile Mill Bobbins Spools

(but it now price, $39.99)

Doll Chair-Antique Oak Baby Rocking Chair

(buy it now price, $0.99)

Vtg 50s Handmade U.S. Primitive Wood Doll Bed

(current bid, $9.95)

“We create themes for our windows, but [similar concepts] could also be channeled for a kid’s room. Use corners or nooks for your stage. For a March "wind blowing theme" window, we found beautiful vintage Chinese paper kites [on eBay] and for a Back to School window, we found vintage school supplies, maps, flash cards and Little Golden books. And then there was our "Olympics"-themed window, where we used funny old swim caps and a wooden toy canoe,” also found on eBay.

Chinese Paper Cuts Kite Butterfly

(buy it now price, $3)

World Map Flags Poster Atlas Geography Classroom Learn

(buy it now price, $2.99)

Little Golden Book Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

(buy it now price, $9.19)

MB Milton Flash Cards Multiplicaton Division Vintage

(buy it now price, $20)

Vintage 1945 Flashcards German/English

New Vintage Latex Swim Bathing Cap

(buy it now price, $15.79)

“We found vintage wire baskets [on eBay] that we use for cute displays at trade shows. Once, we took them all the way to Paris and left them in a taxi! After dinner, we discovered that the cab driver had left them at our door.”