{"id":8640,"date":"2011-07-05T14:09:43","date_gmt":"2011-07-05T12:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.colleensparis.com\/?p=8640"},"modified":"2022-02-18T20:05:40","modified_gmt":"2022-02-18T19:05:40","slug":"toys-that-speak-french-and-toy-stores-in-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/2011\/07\/toys-that-speak-french-and-toy-stores-in-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Toys That Speak French and Toy Stores in Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"French<\/a>Does this bear speak French?<\/strong>
\nThe bear might not speak French, but it can sing in French… as does the flower, baby Camille, the octopus, the farm animals, and many more.<\/p>\n

Whether your baby is in a bilingual household or not, it can be coaxed and coddled into familiarity with the sound of French.<\/p>\n

However, while shopping, recall the familiar shopping creed: \u201cIf you see it, buy it!\u201d<\/p>\n

One day a reader asked me where to find a stuffed animal that speaks or sings in French for their new little baby.<\/p>\n

At a store, I found the \u201cours des doux reves\u201d (pleasant dreams bear). It was the ideal bear for babies over 18 months.<\/p>\n

The dream bear talked for five minutes and told different bedtime stories by pinching its ear, or its hands, or the feet or the stomach.<\/p>\n

But alas, no more…. Between December and May, all had been sold.<\/p>\n

Another possibility to find it was on eBay France, but after 29 pages and 1,444 dolls and stuffed animals, not one could be found.<\/p>\n

When in this position, despair not! As clothing styles change, so do these entertaining toys.<\/p>\n

Bears<\/strong>
\nLook for \u201cLes P\u2019tinours\u201d — a package of two bears! The boy and girl bears are \u201cinteractive musical stuffed toys with infrared sensors\u201d (he is wearing a blue and white checkered outfit and she is wearing a red and white checkered dress).<\/p>\n

The sensors are on their sides and when the bears are placed side by side up to a meter away (3 \u00bc ft)* \u00a0from each other they sing in French and sway to the rhythm of the music.<\/p>\n

Ma Petite Soeur Camille<\/strong>
\nBy manipulating the doll\u2019s hands you can play a song. The pacifier lights up when you put in the doll\u2019s mouth and it sets off playing melodies. Her hands control different melodies.<\/p>\n

Pressing on the stomach sets off different musical rhythms.<\/p>\n

Flower and Octopus<\/strong>
\n\u201cUne chanson douce\u201d (a soft song) is the voice of a well-known French singer, Henri Salvador. He sings and recites poetry in a very soft, comforting voice. Lifting the different flaps that surround the little doll and pressing the figures will activate a story. The batteries are included.<\/p>\n

Octave la pieuvre<\/strong>\u00a0(the octopus pictured) is a lighted, musical piano. You can also change the melodies from piano to violin, to organ or to flute — Toys R Us and Jou\u00e9Club.<\/p>\n

J\u2019apprends avec Babar<\/strong>
\nBabar acts as the perfect professor to lead the games of colors and forms.
\nBabar is as soft and cuddly as a traditional stuffed animal.<\/p>\n

The interactive Babar initiates the child in the discovery of right from left, forms and colors with the help of a remote control. Babar moves, asks questions, congratulates the child after every correct answer.<\/p>\n

Books and CDs \u2013 Gallimard Jeunesse<\/strong>
\nIf your child is not interested in cuddly objects ,\u00a0l\u2019Ep\u00e9e de Bois<\/strong>\u00a0sells books with the contents on a CD. Inside the book\u2019s cover is a CD and they are for various ages.<\/p>\n

Gallimard Jeunesse describes their products this way using the senses:
\n\u201cWith your ears, the voice\u2019s music tells the story; you smell the glue; when the paper is smooth it is soft to the touch, when the paper is grainy, it tickles. Your eyes are enchanted by the images.<\/p>\n

The first physical contacts you have with your first books, is something you remember for the rest of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

To hear a sampling of the book\/CDs for the 0 \u2013 7 year olds, visit the\u00a0Gallimard Jeunesse<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0:<\/p>\n

To view an example of one of the books, follow these instructions:
\nOn the left sidebar, click on “Faites Chantier le Juke Box”
\nWhen the new window opens, click on which age group, which you see at the top of the window
\nChoose either “musique” (music) or “livres lus” (books) and choose from the list<\/p>\n

Learning toys at l\u2019\u00c9p\u00e9e de Bois<\/strong>
\nFor quality wood products\/toys, visit this as well as ceramics, engravings, chestnuts, pottery, wool garments (and the Corsican history of wool), etc.\u00a0 (Note: Corsica is a French island off the southeastern French coast and west of the Italian coast in the Mediterranean.)<\/p>\n

Dagobert learning games come in age-respective versions 3-5 and 6-9 years. English rules are included.<\/p>\n

Washable toys<\/strong>
\nl\u2019Ep\u00e9e de Bois carries washable learning toys \u2013 alphabet, numbers, and story books by Latitude with a little animal character that follows a story. The little animal follows a different theme: getting ready for bed,<\/p>\n

For soft, fabric, and washable learning toys.<\/p>\n

Their activity books include a small animal character that the child can move from page to page with the story. A favorite with shoppers and children is \u201cAvant d\u2019Aller Dormir\u201d. The story is to help the little bear prepare for bed.<\/p>\n

HABA<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0produces inventive playthings for inquisitive minds\u201d and has an English section on their website: . I did not find anything on their site that speaks in foreign tongues, but I thought it might be interesting anyway.<\/p>\n

Word of caution<\/strong>
\nOne sales person brought to my attention the quality of Moulin Roty products (wood and stuffed animals). If you want wood, their products are shaky, not sturdy, break easily and will not ship well. She suggested that their stuffed animals are better, but was discontinuing the whole line.<\/p>\n

Shopping information<\/strong>
\nFor soft and cuddly toys, VTech and Leap Frog:<\/p>\n

Jou\u00e9Club – Village de Paris<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(in a fabulous passage gallery setting)
\nTo find Camille and \u201cUne Chanson Douce\u201d and the bilingual farm by Chicco
\n3\/5 boulevard des Italiens (2nd arrondissement), 01 53 45 41 41
\nOpen Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
\nMetro: Richelieu Drouot (lines 8 and 9); Bus (20, 48 67, 74, 85)<\/p>\n

l\u2019\u00c9p\u00e9e de Bois<\/strong>\u00a0– For book\/CDs and interactive toys
\n12, rue l\u2019\u00c9p\u00e9e de Bois (5th) Metro: Monge or Censier Daubenton (I really liked this store!) They speak English.<\/p>\n

Additional toy stores (non-inclusive list)<\/strong>
\nJouets Bass<\/strong>, 8 rue de l\u2019Abb\u00e9 de l\u2019\u00c9p\u00e9e 75005, Metro Luxembourg
\nSi Tu Veux<\/a><\/strong>, 68 la Galerie Vivienne 75002 near the Bibliot\u00e8que Nationale de France
\nLa Boite \u00e0 Doudou<\/strong>\u00a024 passage Jouffroy 7009 Metro Grands Boulevards or Richelieu Drouot and Mus\u00e9e Grevin.
\nPain d\u2019Epice<\/a><\/strong>, 29 passage Jouffroy 75009
\nl\u2019Ours du Marais<\/a><\/strong>, 18 rue Pav\u00e9e 75004, Metro Saint-Paul
\nTumbleweed<\/strong>, 19, rue de Turenne, Paris , Metro: Bastille and Saint-Paul
\nOpen Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
\nAu Nain Bleu<\/strong>, 5 Boulevard Malesherbes, 75008 Paris
\nTelephone: 01 42 65 20 00
\nMetro: Madeleine<\/p>\n

For collectors<\/strong>
\nJeanne et J\u00e9r\u00e9my , (a beautiful shop to visit and be amazed), 4 rue Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Sauton 75005<\/p>\n

Metro: Maubert Mutualit\u00e9\/St. Michel
\nOpen Tuesday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Oursement V\u00f4tre<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0– the Web site is about stuffed Teddy bears. (Use\u00a0Google Translate<\/a>)
\nThis Web site goes way back in time, as do Teddy Bears. Bear seals of approval rate the books.<\/p>\n

Other Toy Stores<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can find toy stores all over Paris. As I look at them, I will add them to the list.<\/p>\n

L’Ep\u00e9e de Bois<\/strong>
\n12 rue de l’\u00e9p\u00e9e de bois (5th arrondissement)
\nTelephone: 01 43 31 50 18<\/p>\n

Near the metro Censier-Daubenton, the toy store on the little street, up the little steps, is a little treasure full of books, learning toys, fun things at a child’s eye level. It’s not the type of store that you walk in and do a quick eye sweep to check out the contents.<\/p>\n

Jou\u00e9Club – Village de Paris<\/a><\/strong>
\n3\/5 boulevard des Italiens (2nd arrondissement)
\nTelephone: 01 53 45 41 41
\nMetro: Richelieu\/Drouot — just in front of the station)
\nOpen Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

La Grande R\u00e9cr\u00e9<\/a><\/strong>
\nOne of my readers ran into a problem with credit cards. Here is the scoop:
\nAt the the Place d’Italie location, the customer service counter does not take CB (short for Carte Bleu). All of the other counters take Visa and Mastercard.<\/p>\n

Refer to your credit card as “Carte Bleu<\/em>” (a generic term) not plastic.<\/p>\n

Place d’Italie – Centre commercial Italie 2 30 av Italie (13th arrondissement) \u00a0\u00a001 53 62 15 12 (in the south)
\n120 r Al\u00e9sia (14th arrondissement)\u00a0\u00a001 45 43 22 22 (in the south)
\n32 av Corentin Cariou (19th arrondissement) \u00a0\u00a001 46 07 00 37 (in the north)
\n126 r La Bo\u00e9tie (8th arrondissement) \u00a0\u00a001 42 25 42 42 (in the center)
\n16 r Linois 75015 PARIS 01 45 79 44 88 (in the south)
\n53 r Passy 75016 PARIS \u00a0\u00a001 42 30 52 02
\n27 bd Poissonni\u00e8re 75002 PARIS \u00a001 40 26 12 20
\n143 av Daumesnil 75012 PARIS \u00a001 43 45 95 50
\n7 bd Barb\u00e8s 75018 PARIS\u00a0\u00a0\u00a001 42 64 90 19<\/p>\n

Historical markers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The invention of the umbrella
\nIn 1710 Jan Marius commercialized the folding umbrella which became quite popular with the Parisians.<\/p>\n

By 1768 umbrellas were equated with social status, (e.g., if you had to use an umbrella while walking, society would know that you could not afford a carriage and footman). Perhaps in an effort to erase this class distinction, the Police Commissioner posted rules for its use and created a rental business in 1769.<\/p>\n

The green taffeta umbrellas were numbered and equipped with a little lantern that illuminated the bearer.<\/p>\n

By 1848, 400 umbrella manufactures existed in the capital.<\/p>\n

The story of Les Grands Boulevard — in front of Jou\u00e9Club
\nThe history of the Grands Boulevards dates back to 1670.<\/p>\n

Louis XIV replaced fortifications with tree-lined boulevards. During the reign of Louis XV houses and mansions with large gardens increased along the fashionable arteries that were now dotted with theatres and caf\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

Between the Restoration (Louis XVIII 1814-1824) and the July Monarchy (Louis Philippe 1840-1848), the main points of interest for the elegant, the fashionable and the dandies, etc. was Boulevard de Gand (des Italiens) and Boulevard du Temple (also known as Blvd. of Crime).<\/p>\n

This nickname was due to the bloody melodramas played out in the numerous theatres (ed: real or theatrical, I am not sure).<\/p>\n

After 1900 the Champs Elys\u00e9es replaced this area as the center of Paris luxury and pleasure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Does this bear speak French? The bear might not speak French, but it can sing in French… as does the flower, baby Camille, the octopus, the farm animals, and many…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[156,1114],"tags":[733,1049,732,1251,1252],"class_list":["post-8640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-children","category-lets-explore","tag-children","tag-french-language","tag-shopping","tag-teens","tag-toys"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bears-toy-store-2.jpg?fit=620%2C465&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8640"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19375,"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8640\/revisions\/19375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-wptechsupport.com\/colleensparis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}