Inside Winkie’s Toys and Variety

Spring has Sprung in Milwaukee

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Everyone from Milwaukee knows that Spring means… well…. cold, rain, then sun, then cold again, then 50!?!, then 30… maybe snow. Anyway, we keep the positive spirit and sure have fun prepping for the warmer, sunnier days ahead, right?

It’s so fun to load up the aisles with baseball equipment, shin guards and volleyballs. We love packing away the hats and gloves and getting out the sunglasses and goggles! Let’s get ready for the real spring, friends. It will come after the fourth winter and the sixth rainfall!

Get ready for snow!

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You know that at Winkie’s Toys & Variety we are ready for the next season – and winter weather is here! But maybe that first snow hasn’t hit yet, but it will soon and the kids are going to want to hit the hills! Don’t be last to grab one of our awesome new sleds – in stock now! Perfect for under the tree…. or stashed in the garage ready to grab and go!

Your favorite local toy store is ready and open on Silver Spring Drive 7 days a week! Don’t forget a new pair of snow mittens, gloves or a warm cozy hat! We’ve got what you need at Winkie’s Toys in Whitefish Bay!

2021 Holiday Gift Guide

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We LOVE hearing from our customers on your favorite toys year after year! We take this feedback seriously when we’re selecting what is going in our next holiday gift guide and of course, on our shelves!

This year we hit it out of the park! Not only do we have a cool variety of gifts, but a super fun, local Milwaukee store to shop in! Come on over to Silver Spring Drive where we make it super easy to find the key holiday gift items with our red tags right when you come downstairs!

No matter what age you’re shopping for – we’ve got a cool gift idea for you! Plus we always have free gift wrapping – for any occasion!

Fidgeting for Fun

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There are many reasons why some of us can’t keep our hands still. Whatever your reasons may be, how lucky are we that there are so many cool options to keep the hands and fingers moving? Perhaps fidgeting keeps your brain calm and moving forward. Perhaps it’s a great ease for your brain and helps you relax. Perhaps keeping the beat inspires thoughts or clarity! Whatever your reasons are for fidgeting… why not make it fun! Check out our cool small games, IQ builders, or fidgeters – you can find these and more downstairs at Winkie’s Toys and Variety!

Join our family

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If you know us, you know a bit about our story and that we’re a local, family business. We’re here, working together to continue to serve our community with cool, award-winning toys, the convenience of a local corner variety store and top-notch customer service. We love our jobs and our community and we know you do too.

With kids going back to school, perhaps you’re an empty nester who lives in the area or a parent or grandparent who wants to fill a couple days a week with a flexible, fun job! Yeah! Join our family!

Winkie’s Toys & Variety has super flexible shifts and we’re looking for a couple people to round out our team. Do you love people? Love to be surrounded by toys and happiness? Love to wrap presents and bring joy to people! Call us today or stop in and ask for Beth or Mike!

Let’s hit the road!

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So many families are packing up the family truckster and hitting the road this summer! We are often being asked… what do you have to occupy my children in the car that i s n o t e l e c t r o n i c?!?!? You want your kids off the device and taking in the sights! Checking out the landmarks! Talking to their family members! How can we engage the kids, reduce the complaints and give their eyes a break from screens?

Winkie’s Toys and Variety has your answers! Here’s your packing list for keeping the family connected to each other and not to the WIFI!

  • Bring mini hand-held games for sharing and passing around in the car. We love Simon Says, Rubix Cubes and Bop-It!
  • Surprise the kids at the hotel or camp site with cool dice games that move fast and stir up some healthy competition like TENZI!
  • Want to stimulate their brains in fun, creative way that isn’t messy? Check out awesome sticker books that create incredibly cool mosaic images or easy to draw and erase boards like Boogie Boards!
  • Sneak packs of the latest baseball cards or Pokemon cards in their backpacks for trading and sorting!
  • Pack a bag of art supplies for the kids to create while you enjoy your morning coffee and your new vacation view. We love the idea of keeping markers/crayons in a zipper plastic bag, and storing your construction paper in a two-pocket folder (perhaps reuse one that came home last year gently used?)
  • Do NOT forget the playing cards! The best way to settle down after a fun day of vacation before bed is to play Spoons, Queens or Rummy 500!

When you’re ready to pack up the family truckster from Milwaukee, WI to your new, fresh destination, first stop in Whitefish Bay and swing downstairs to Winkie’s Toys first!

Happy Travels to you!

Summer, Silver Spring & Winkie’s Toys

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There is nothing like summer in Wisconsin. The days can be hot and the evenings cool You can even catch one of the famous pneumonia fronts while you’re outside weeding, watching a little league game or enjoying patio time with friends. All the restaurants fill their patios with outdoor seating because no matter what the crazy Wisconsin weather brings, many want to be outside!

In the summer our bike racks are filled with neighborhood kids who are swinging downstairs for some class candies, gum, baseball cards or new tennis balls. They are counting their change at the register, but who are we kidding… some of them are paying quickly with Apple Pay!

Life on Silver Spring Drive in Whitefish Bay in the summer is just abuzz! Now that we’ve wrapped the Fourth of July celebration – yeah! the parade was back! And we’re several weekends into the routine of the Saturday Farmers’ Market and the band’s sweet sounds on Wednesday nights. It is just the best having our family’s toy store located where you all can find us quickly and easily!

This weekend is another wonderful Silver Spring Drive event – the Whitefish Bay Art Festival! Silver Spring will be filled with fun and 100+ artists from 10am-5pm on Saturday July 10 and Sunday July 11! Your artistic side will be inspired. Perhaps you’ve been wanting to pick up the knitting needle again… or spark your love of latchhook. Did you fall back in love with the intricate detail of paint by number, or less messy… sticker by numbers? Maybe your younger artists will boost their curiosity of painting or creating again… if so, Winkie’s Toys & Variety is open for your supplies!

We look forward to seeing Whitefish Bay’s fabulous Silver Spring Drive filled with folks once again who are just happy to be outside. But remember, you made need sunscreen or perhaps a jacket! Wisconsin weather keeps us on our toes!

Stress Free School Year? Is that a thing?

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Let us help make this coming school year so stress FREE with all of your school supply shopping DONE! Whitefish Bay schools provides your favorite local toy and variety store (us) with their supply list for each grade level.

Then, we do the shopping for you!

What do you need to do? Simply call 414-964-2131 and let us know what grade and quantity you need!

School supply shopping….DONE!

No problem!

No more boredom with these board games!

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One of our favorite things to stock our shelves with is the newest board games on the market. Plus we get to hear from you on what your family is enjoying and we share that feedback with our customers! What’s the latest for you? Our customers love CATAN, RUMMIKUB, HEIST and PENCIL NOSE! Classics like ANTS IN THE PANTS and APPLES to APPLES – we know these will never disappear off the shelves because they are sooo much fun!

What else are you playing Milwaukee?