With the holiday season in full swing and Starbucks cup controversies aflame, it’s imperative we resort back to the roots of holiday cheer. What is the substance of holiday celebration? What gives us joy? For adults, perhaps it’s family time. For chefs, maybe it’s the abundant seasonal food opportunity. For children, it may be picking out, trying out, and receiving gifts. Regardless, the underlying theme, for any and all age groups, is a playful spirit; that is the gateway to all things grand.

Grandrabbit’s Toy Shoppe exudes all forms of the word “grand;” grand, meaning great. Grand, meaning huge. Grand, meaning all-ages, such as that of a grandparent. Today, November 14, from 10-4pm, local toy stores are coming together to support neighborhood businesses with toy discounts and youthful camraderie. While the store’s mantra claims to grow “young bodies, minds, and hearts,” that by no means limits the demographic to children.

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(via Paige Frisone)

The event’s offerings include raffles for eligible prizes, holiday sign ups for twenty percent off any item for the next month, demonstrations, tournaments, and speakers. Shannon, Boulder local and inventor of Modular Robotics, spoke and demonstrated his contribution to the toy world at 1pm today. At 3pm, there was a scavenger hunt and a Tenzi tournament (a competitive dice game). The holiday spirit resides in giving, and Grandrabbit’s hosted an event that epitomized the spirit of exchange. When asked what age range comes into the shoppe, an event host answered, “We have anywhere from newborn gift-giving to someone buying a sewing kit for their ninety-year-old grandmother.” Grandrabbit’s does not discriminate; in fact, it brings everyone together to rest in the core feelings of holiday giving, receiving, neighborly love and togetherness.

As we age, the definition of holidays transform from what’s material to what’s valuable. Regardless, Grandrabbit’s caters to any and all folk, not only in search of material things, but embodying the feelings that giving brings. It’s rare these days to walk into a toy store without feeling “too old,” or out of place. This one’s different. There is no shame in having a young soul or staying a kid at heart; in fact, that’s perhaps the one thing we should all strive to preserve.

Where is the youth in you? What does that child want? Toy stores do not promote the celebration of one holiday over the other, or remind us of the controversial current events infiltrating social media. Toy stores don’t even promote excessive spending or materialism; they demonstrate playing in the purest form. They shelter excited children and curious minds grabbing hands with their parents or grandparents, allowing everyone to live and re-live the best times of their childhood. With technology advancing at unfathomable rates, it’s a blessing to still have toys that still engage and challenge us. The giddiness is abundant and vastly spreading; let’s make sure to keep the innocence alive, amidst the rest of it. Grandrabbit’s, today and all days, is the home of all things happy. A non-discriminatory sacred space for sentimental, rooted, youthful hearts, minds, and bodies to run wild through their imagination and brilliance. What is at your core? The child in you seeks celebration, purity, joy. The holiday season is waiting for you to come out and play. Are you ready?

Paige is a professional writer, author, Subconscious Health Practitioner, and international award-winning Impact Speaker. She is the founder and owner of her emotions-based healing practice, where she helps men and women struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction to process the subconscious programs that trigger present-day stress using over 14+ modalities from Eastern / Western medicine combined. You can learn more about Paige and her work on her website.