Remai Modern Art & Design Store a hidden gem for kids
I’m very picky about toys and rarely do I buy them outside of birthdays and Christmas. So when I told my mom that I’d taken my kids for end-of-school shopping fun at Remai Modern Art & Design Store, her reaction was two-fold. One, surprise that I had found toys worthy of inviting into the house! And two, she wondered “isn’t it pretty pricey there?”… which brings me to writing this blog post about what could be the most hidden gem in Saskatoon. See, until one actually visits, an art gallery gift shop might read to be inaccessible or elite. But let me tell you, the children’s product curation is so child-led, joyful, unique, and well-priced, it deserves be your top toy destination. Not to mention, every purchase you make helps fund museum programs for everyone!
Whether you’re shopping for a birthday, an end of school treat for your child, or just looking for a boredom-buster over the summer, you’ll find hundreds of hands-on activities, toys, and games in store. And I’m happy to be your hookup for a sweet deal: For a limited time, get a FREE tote with purchase over $50 by just mentioning my blog! Here are just a few of my top picks for kids from the Remai Modern Art & Design Store (it was tough to choose):
Plus-Plus - $14.00/ $13.49 members We’re big Lego fans in my house but here’s the benefit to Plus-Plus: there’s no searching for specific pieces. And for Petra, the other benefit is that in her mind, she’s creating in the Minecraft world. I’ll be throwing these in a deep tray for car rides and restaurant trips & will be back to buy colour expansion packs of which there are endless choices.
Solar Kit Racing Car - $15.99 $14.39 members This one was neat to put together with my kids but the end product is what was even cooler to them. In sunshine, this car zips around happily, but hover your hand overtop to make a shadow… and it stops! It’s great on sidewalks but bumps along our cul-de-sac pavement pretty well, too.
Straws and Connectors. One of the biggest wins as a parent is finding a toy with BIG impact that compacts to store away SMALL. Straws and Connectors allows for 3D builds that are only limited by imagination… a resource that seems limitless! So far, my kids have made houses, planes, modern art, and steering wheels, just to name a few.
Tuban Bubble and Wand Set - $6.49/ $5.84 members This set creates the most enormous, structurally-sound bubbles I’ve witnessed. Bubbles are always magical, smile-inducing phenomenon but these Tuban ones are next level.
Hey Clay has proved to be Petra’s new true love. The clay kits are designed to be used with an interactive app that teaches kids how to make each project. I’m a grinch about screen time but this is so tactile and creative, I’m all for it! Plus, it’s a perfect way to keep the kids occupied with instruction while I get some bloggin’ done at the other end of the table.
Rainbow 10-in-1 Pen - $4.99/ $4.49 members I had this pen as a kid and LOVED clicking through the colours so when Petra gravitated toward it, I couldn’t say no! Under 5 bucks for this makes it a good loot bag stand-in, too.
Art Out of the Box. The premise of this art game is simple and can be done with friends or alone: choose a technique (“use only poodle curl lines”) , a subject (“as many things that start with the first letter of your name as you can”), and start drawing! We’ve had a lot of fun with this one. The technique cards employ interesting suggestions like shadow play and collage, but nothing that requires so much effort that you want to pick a new card. Excellent gift for a budding artist.
Indigenous Art Colouring Book by Jerry Whitehead - $9.99/ $8.99 members Jerry Whitehead is a celebrated Cree Artist whose works incorporate powwow and family themes. Especially since the Artist’s own colour preferences are vibrant and bold, it’s delightful to see your child bring the outlines to life with their own media of choice!
I’m highlighting a tiny fraction of what’s in store. Glen, the Art & Design Store manager, does a magnificent job of buying with the whole community in mind from incredible home and decor finds to books and activities. But he must be a kid at heart because that section is PACKED with goodies. I hope you’ll go see for yourself!
And get this tote bag!! Just mention my blog when you spend $50 and it’s all yours. Thanks so much to Remai Modern for working with me on this post… my kids clearly had the best time and will for ages to come with these items. There really isn’t an age limit on any of them.
real talk: sent my kids outta the house & to the tent to play with this stuff. We were all happy.
xo Maygen
