100 Days until Christmas | Shop Online with AfterPay
Sadly our amazing Canberra toy shop in the wonderful Dirty Janes in Fyshwick remains closed for a little while longer as the ACT Lockdown is extended again until October 15th. Whilst we completely understand that everyone needs to stay safe, we’re really missing our space of joy, and you, our customers, and can’t wait until we can re-open again and share the happiness and spread lots of (much needed!) fun and laughter.
We also can’t ignore the fact that Christmas is fast approaching, and will be upon us in …. 100 days!!! Argh! That’s faster than a rocket hurtling towards the moon!
So, although our bricks and mortar shop remains closed, we have been super busy behind the scenes, stocking up for Christmas (it’s going to be a big one!), making up fabulous new Stocking Filler Packs, and bringing you new ways to pay to spread the cost. We’ve certainly been making the most of our lockdown time, so that when we do re-open our physical doors, we’re ready for you!!
Our elves have been squirreling away your favourites, the Christmas classics, and huge amounts of fun toys and games for the whole family to enjoy. We also have been putting our time to good use, hunting down some fabulous new ranges of beautiful heirloom soft toys, unusual and traditional games, and fantastic new puzzles!
Do not despair though, whilst our Fyshwick toy store may be physically closed, you can still shop safely with us in a variety of easy ways …
From the comfort of your own home in our online toy store. Browse toys by Category, browse toys by age, browse toys by Brand, search for toys… however you want to browse our huge range of toys, games and puzzles, we have you covered! Shop anytime, anywhere with ease and pay securely - just choose the method at checkout that suits you best:
Visa, MasterCard and American Express through our secure payment system Stripe.
Paypal Pay in 4 for all purchases over $30.
Choose the option that’s right for you and split your payment, interest free, allowing you to enjoy your purchases sooner, and spread the cost of Christmas.
Seen something you love on our Instagram feed? Click and collect from Dirty Janes Canberra. Just text Dirty Janes on 0411 827 488 quoting Shop Number 531, and let them know what you need, and where you need it, and they’ll give you a call to make it yours.
Can’t decide? We’ve done the hard work for you and put together these amazing stocking filler bundles, packed to the brim with our best selling classic toys and games. Perfect for kids, and adults alike. Unwrap and fill a stocking with these family favourites, or gift as is in our beautifully gift wrapped boxes. Ideal for stocking filers, Secret Santa gifts, or gifts for Grandma and Grandad, guaranteed to bring back lots of happy memories of yesteryear!
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? In the very rare event that this might happen, we’ve also got you covered there too, with our super-duper gift vouchers, which any recipient young or old will just love. Make someone’s day, and let them choose for themselves.
What more could you want? Let us know, and we’ll do our very best to make it happen!
The Benefits of Classic Toys and Games
Bonding with children over toys is enjoyable and beneficial to all involved, but there are also some other fantastic advantages to keep in mind when picking out toys for your little cherubs.
Bonding with children over toys is enjoyable and beneficial to all involved, but there are also some other fantastic advantages to keep in mind when picking out toys for your little cherubs.
Completing a puzzle helps with advancing a child’s fine motor skills as they learn to place puzzle pieces in the correct spot and the right way round. Puzzles also assist with hand-eye coordination and help children to understand patterns. We have a wide range of puzzles that are different sizes, shapes and a variation of pieces to challenge young ones and to ensure that will not get bored.
Do you remember the feeling you used to get from completing a puzzle? The experience leads to an immense sense of satisfaction, which in turn leads to a boost in self-esteem.
Playing a memory game or matching game with your child can help them to increase their attention span, and improve their cognitive skills. It is a great way to exercise and train the brain for visual memory. As memory and matching games are simple to play they can be enjoyed by children of all ages - younger children can bond with older children over a simple game. We have a large range of memory and matching games in store.
Craft can be enjoyed by all, whether it is painting, modelling with PlayDoh, building with blocks or drawing. Craft builds self-confidence, assists with decision making and gives children a sense of identity as they discover their creative flares whilst being their own person, (all while having fun!). Craft toys are also a great way for children to express themselves. We love to encourage children to be their own person and express themselves and have a fantastic range of craft activities in-store to help them do this, including Paper Dolls, Origami and paper craft sets, knitting dolls, stamp sets, stickers and flower presses.
Imaginative play has infinite possibilities and we stock a large range of play sets where children and adults can bond over tea parties, cook with wooden utensils, cut up wooden fruit and much more. Imaginative play builds a child’s self-confidence and it is a stepping stone to social play as they invite others to play with their tea cups filled with imaginary tea, or in their kitchen making imaginary dinner for their toys. Imagination play is also great for a child’s emotional development as they can express their feelings through re-enactment of certain experiences with their pretend play toys.
Musical instruments ignite all areas of a child’s development and skills. Playing musical instruments is great for toddlers and even if it doesn’t sound like anything rhythmical or melodic to us, it helps their body and mind work together. Music is a great way for young ones to express their creativity and they get a sense of accomplishment as they make sound come out of a piano, drum, harmonica or guitar. At The Vintage Toy Box we believe that it is important for children to express themselves by making music with instruments and we love to hear them making music in-store with all of our instruments and music toys.
Stuffed teddy’s, dolls and other soft toys provide comfort and security for your little one, giving them a friend to tell secrets to and confide in. They are also a great gateway to imaginative play as they role-play with their much loved toys. Children may for example act like a parent to other toys, putting them in charge of a situation, which in turn then builds up their self-confidence. We have a large range of soft toys which could easily become your child’s next loving best friend.
Sitting down as a family to play a family board game is a great way for a child to feel a sense of belonging and security as they play. Introducing family games at a young age can help with learning, teaching children how to share, how to take turns and how to loose without getting offended or upset. Another great benefit of family games is that it teaches children about planning and problem solving. We have loads of family games in store to intrigue adults and children alike, including all time classics such as Snakes and Ladders, Chess, Draughts, Ludo, and Game of Goose to name just a few. Enhance your family bonding time by grabbing a vintage inspired game today.
To check out all of these toys and games and much, much more, visit us in-store or browse or online store.
Traditional Games | Family Games Night
Looking for something to do with the kids on a wet and rainy day during the school holidays, or perhaps you’re thinking of a family game for Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Come check out our awesome classic games - we have so many blasts from the past, and we’re sure to have something to keep the kids, and the adults amused and entertained!
Looking for something to do with the kids on a wet and rainy day during the school holidays, or perhaps you’re thinking of a family game for Christmas, or like us, are bringing back family games night. Come check out our awesome classic games - we have so many blasts from the past, and we’re sure to have something to keep the kids, and the adults amused and entertained!
Snakes and Ladders
Snakes and ladders is one of our most favourite games and perfect for school holiday fun.
Can you reach the end first by climbing the ladders ... but watch out for the snakes! A timeless classic game for 2 - 6 people to enjoy!
The Magical Amazing Robot
This really is an Amazing Robot, a simple game that will have the family amazed at the robot that always gives the right answer.
All you need to do is place the robot in the tray in the centre of the questions circle. Turn the Amazing Robot to a question that you’d like him to answer, make sure his pointer is in the centre of the question that you would like to have answered then simply pull him from the circle by his head and place him on the magical mirror, and watch him spin to the correct answer. In addition to being amazing this game is also educational - encouraging children to learn as they play.
Bingo!
The aim of Family Bingo is to have the numbers on your card completely covered with white squares. The only way to achieve this is when the caller calls out all the numbers on your board. Once the number is called, search your card to see if you have it, then place a white square over the number. Don't forget to call out BINGO once all your numbers are covered up. The biggest Adrenalin rush!
Kitty Wampas
Check out our cute Kitty Wampas game! The idea of this game is to cover the white circles in your corner with your coloured pieces. To make this happen you must spin Kitty until its paw comes to a stop on one of the colours. If it is your colour that it lands on, you can move your coloured disk to cover a white circle. If it’s not your colour then it is the next persons turn. The first player to have their circles covered by the coloured playing discs is the winner. This game is great for little children as it helps with colour recognition.
Old Maid
Old Maid is an all time classic! After dealing the cards between all the players, if a player has two of the same card they need to take it out of their hand and place them aside. Make sure you hold your cards up and out of sight from the other players. A player then offers their cards to the next person who takes one card, if it is the same as another in the hand then the pair needs to be put aside. You do not want to be stuck with Old Maid by the end of the game because then you are the loser!
Barnstormer
Barnstormer is one of our games that requires more skill and practice to play and win. The aim is to propel your discs onto the board and aim for the little wooden cup in the centre of the board to get 25 points (the highest on the board!). Be careful not to land on the various hazards on the board that will have you deducting points! Once you shoot all your markers onto the board, add up all the points and the first person to 500 points is the champion.
Chess
Chess is an all time classic. The objective of this popular game is to checkmate your opponent’s King. This means putting it into a position that it cannot escape from, by moving or taking an opponents piece. When starting the game, the white pieces always go first. Players then make their way around the board attempting to put the King in check. If your piece lands in a space that is occupied by your opponent then you can remove their piece from the board. This is a fun and challenging game for 2.
Draughts
For this classic game each player has 12 draughts, all placed on black squares, 3 rows up the board. This game doesn’t have many rules, but what you will need to do is move your draughts forward and diagonal one space at a time, whilst capturing all of your opponents draughts. You capture your opponents draughts by jumping over them when they in front of you and there is a spare for you to jump to. Once you have collected all your opponents draughts, you win.
Simply, easy and fun!
Goose Race
Came of Goose is a simple but fun game that the whole family will enjoy. Before you begin to play, each player must put an equal amount of counters (round white discs) into the pool. Divide the rest of the counters between the players; you will need them during the game. Beware ... if you land on certain squares, there is a price to pay. For example, if you land on square number 6 then 5 counters are charged. 15 counters are charged if you land on square number 31. The first player to reach square number 63 wins the pool and the game!
Snap!!
Here we have a unique set of playing cards for the game Snap, each card has a picture of a famous nursery rhyme including Little bow peep, Little Miss Muffet, Old Mother Hubbard and Jack and Jill.
Snap is a great game for children of all ages. Start off by dealing all the cards out to all the players until there are none left - everybody keep your cards faced downwards. Then, without peaking flip your card upright as you put it on the stack of cards.
If your cards match the card directly underneath then race the other players to slap your hand down on the cards first and yell “SNAP” to win. Be careful not to get your hands squished by the other opponents! The winner is the player who has managed to collect all of the cards at the end of the game.
Ludo
At the start of this game you place your coloured pieces in the start area, you need to roll a six to be able to move your piece out of the start and onto the board. Once your piece is out on the board you then roll the die and move your piece forward 1 - 6 spaces as indicated by the die. You can bring other pieces onto the board if you roll another 6. You need have all your pieces in the home square to win!
Whatever takes your fancy - we’ve got something for everyone - guaranteed fun for family game night or for some Christmas cheer.
All of these games and many more are available in store and on-line in our games section.
Traditional Games Through Time
There are many vintage games that have disappeared throughout the years, never to be seen again, but there are many that have stood the test of time ...
There are many vintage games that have disappeared throughout the years, never to be seen again, but there are many that have stood the test of time . We take a look back through the decades and examine some of the popular games of that time that are still around today.
Pre 1920s Vintage Games
The Game of Life was originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley and was America's first popular vintage parlour game. Originally known as The Chequered Game of Life, the game had a change of name to its more modern and better known name in 1960, 100 years later, when it was recreated by toy designer Reuben Klamer.
Tiddley Winks was first patented in 1888 and was one of the earliest traditional parlour games, distributed exclusively by John Jacques and Son. It became one of the most popular crazes of the 1890s, enjoyed equally by adults and children.
Ludo has been around in raw form since the 6th century, with its origins in India with evidence that it was played by the Mughal Emperors. The game then finally made it over to England in the late 19th century, and was finally patented under the name Ludo in 1896.
1920s Vintage Games
The "roaring twenties" brought with it a wave of fun & frivolity, which led to a boom in the game industry. Some of the most longstanding games were born during this era.
American Mahjong became a craze during the 1920s, and was commonly known as Mah Jongg or Maahj, a variation of the Chinese ancient version. The game sets were imported in huge numbers in 1923 from Shanghai to America, when a representative of the Standard Oil Company published simple rules for the game.
Chinese Checkers was actually invented in Germany in 1892 under the name of "Stern-Halma". The name then morphed in America to "Hop Ching Checkers", before finally adopting its common name of Chinese Checkers in 1928.
The classic board game Sorry was originally manufactured by British Card Manufacturers in England and was first registered as a trade mark in 1929. An English patent was then granted in 1933, before the popular parlour game was trademarked to Waddingtons, who sold it to Parker Brothers in 1934.
1930s Vintage Games
The depression era of the 1930s saw a wave of inexpensive and highly popular vintage board games.
Monopoly was the most played commercial game in the world at one point according to the Guinness Book of Word Records. The depression ironically led to the rise in massive popularity of this vintage game in 1935, as it allowed people to buy property and make millions, in a time where money in real life was sparse. The game was originally proposed to Parker Brothers in 1934 by an unemployed salesman named Charles Darrow. The idea was initially rejected. It turns out that Monopoly is actually pirated from a board game called The Landlord's Game which was patented in 1904.
Battleship was first published under the name "Salvo" in 1931, as a pad and pencil game, but despite its popularity wasn't actually turned into a board game until 1967. It was then one of the earliest games to be produced as a computer game in 1979, with a version released for the Z80 Compucolor.
1940s Vintage Games
Cluedo (also known as Clue) was probably the best known game of the 1940s. Bizarrely it was originally designed by a fire warden whilst he was walking the beat during the Nazi bombings in England. Waddington Games bought the idea in 1943 but had to hold off on production as the game included playing pieces made of metal which were being rationed during the war.
Chutes & Ladders (also known as Snakes & Ladders in the UK) is actually a re-incarnation of an Indian game Vaikuntapaali which translates as "the ladder to salvation". The snakes were meant to illustrate temptations in life, and show that the pathway was littered with numerous temptations that one must avoid in order to succeed in life. Chutes & Ladders was published in 1943 by Milton Bradley and has become one of the best loved children's games of all time.
Scrabble took a few decades to become the popular game that it is today and is now the most popular word game in history. The vintage game was first published under the name "Lexiko", then "Criss Cross Words", before being renamed Scrabble in 1948. The game was originally made by hand in an abandoned schoolhouse, before the President of Macy's discovered the game whilst he was on holiday and ordered some for the store. The rest is history.
1950s Vintage Games
Risk, one of the most popular world domination games of all time was invented by a French film Director in 1957, under the name "La Conquete du Monde", (The Conquest of the World). It was then bought by Parker Brothers and re-released in 1959 as Risk: The Game of Global Domination.