Posted on by — 1 Comment

History & Interesting Facts about the Teddy Bear

Teddy’s Bear

teddy bear stuffed animal birthda giftMorris Michtom might not have foreseen his invention of stuffed bears becoming a staple for our childhood, but he knew this was a great idea. Placing two bears in his store window, his toy store quickly hosted a plethora of interested customers. Mitchtom requested permission from Theodore Roosevelt to call the bears “Teddy’s bears”, as “Teddy” was Roosevelt’s nickname. It’s rumored that Michtom wanted to remind people of Roosevelt’s compassion, specifically the day he decided shooting an unconscious bear (tied to a tree) was unsportsman like; he put the bear out of misery peacefully. This act gained a lot of love and respect from Americans. Now, any story that starts like that is one worth telling.

The first teddy bear went on sale in 1903, but there’s so much more to this companion than dates and facts. The teddy bear becomes special when we add our own personal experiences in with its own rich history. As the first of two Teddy Bears resides at the National Museum of American History, encourage your child to keep his or her teddy when done with it, and explain why. It may already be family tradition to pass down a Teddy, but if not, you can start now. Whatever bear style you choose, just remember to love it, and the rest will come naturally. When you pass it on to children and grandchildren, their friendship with it will fill you with an amount of love you didn’t even know existed. One of the best parts of becoming a parent is sharing with your kids, the things you loved as a child.

Interesting Teddy Bear Facts

  • The first time bears appeared in the literal sense was in the 1834 tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” by Robert Southey.
  • Bear toys existed, though not in stuffed form, and were called Bruins.
  • In 1924, Disney’s Alice and the Three Bears was the first color-animated film about teddy bears!
  • Wendy Boston changed lives in 1954, when she invented a washable teddy bear! Go Wendy! We bet you would have loved Teddy needs a Bath!

 

 

 

[msh_feedburner]

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Five Great Ways to Spoil Your Birthday Boy or Girl

By the time your son or daughter is in the tween years, you’re bound to start running out of creative gifts. To continue your reign as “parent of the year”, you’ll have to outdo yourself every year (which can get exhausting).

Gather ideas from Pinterest, meet with friends, or hit up eHow for an array if handmade DIY gift ideas. They’re sentimental, cost effective, and fun to make. Or, you can look at a few ideas that other parents love on forums and online communities

 Go Feral

cat purse gift for young girls birthday party
Animal prints and character purses are hot items with the pre-teen crowd. Opt for something like a stuffed animal purse, or an animal print clothing item.

Let the Customization Begin

Younger kids love to create things, especially when it comes to personalizing their toys, clothes, and living area. Red Envelope has fun, interactive pillows where kids can create characters and dress them, right on the pillow. Our guess is, this gift would take the fight right out of bedtime; it’s play-until-you-fall-asleep fun!

Get fun Props for the Party Theme

Photo Props from Paper Source always make for a silly and exciting time! Look for things that match the theme of the party. For example, if you were doing pirates, this Captain Hat & Beard would make a great party favor for guests to wear around!

Friendship Bracelets

Kids, particularly girls, love to honor and celebrate their friendship with matching bracelets, necklaces or scarves. Consider something like DIY projects where everyone can make two bracelets; be sure to tell everyone to give their item away after the party, to avoid any hurt feelings.

American Girl Dolls and/or Accessories

american girl doll clothing items and knockoff accessoriesA few weeks ago, we went in depth about our new collection of clothes that fit American Girl Dolls and other 18” dolls. These dolls are huge with younger girls, preteens, and girls often keep them as collectables when they outgrow them.If your intended has an American Girl Doll, a unique outfit, sports uniform, or cute sundress would be a wonderful gift.

[msh_feedburner]

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Great Ideas for a “Stuff-Your-Own Animal” Birthday Party

Stuff-Your-Own Animal Parties

stuff animal birthday party ideas for kids stuffable animalsAll kids love being creative and personalizing their items, their living space, and even their clothes. To present them with a new toy, that they can create to be their own, is to give “the.best.gift.EVER”.

This is a great party idea for a few other reasons too. Specifically, the kids stay busy. Not to mention, “Stuff-your-own animal” parties are easy to clean up after, and they create a memorable experience for your child and his or her friends.

First, look over our collection of stuffed animals; choose a wide array to give kids a selection. Alternatively, you could choose to go with the same animal, if you want to eliminate the possibility of an argument. When getting the supplies, be sure to grab a few extra in case of mistakes.

Set up stuffing stations for the party, and include anything extra you deem fun. For example, since kids are making their own outfits for these animals, you can include things like rhinestones, sequins, and fabric paint to let them create custom fashions on their new friends.

Work on the animals in the beginning of the party, because then you can create even more fun afterwards. One of the best ideas is to create a manhunt. The guest of honor, or the birthday child, hides his or her animal, and the guests must follow clues to find where it is hidden. This creates exciting, educational fun. The person who finds the animal wins a prize. You can give away a cool accessory as a great gift for the winner.

A great idea for snacks is to bake cookies and decorate them like the various animals you’ve stocked up. If you don’t have a hand for decorating, you can find some here.

Create a pre-determined location to place the animals during cake and ice-cream time, to keep the animals clean. Finalize the party with a fairytale about the animals, highlighting each child’s creation with a role in the story.

We promise, you’ll win parent-of-the-year award!

 
[msh_feedburner]
 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids – INFOGRAPHIC

Yes, we said Holiday. Wait! Before you do this:

online holiday shopping for kids toys

Read this:

Okay, we know it’s only September, and we know that feeling of nausea we all get when we hear holiday music in fall. We get it, it’s too early, and we want to hold on to thoughts of summer break, but did you know that most people start their holiday shopping in September? It makes sense if you think about it, there are a lot of reasons to start the holiday shopping as early as possible. The only reason you don’t want to start shopping too early (like May) is that wants and trends change. Moreover, if the anticipation gets the better of you, you may give in and give the gift early.  Fall is the perfect time, because it gives you enough time to shop at your convenience, and it gives you an insight into what’s cool at school this year.

Six Reasons to Start Your Holiday Shopping in September:

“If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.”― Rita Mae Brown

  • You’ll Save Time – With more time and less people, you’ll be able to shop like it’s any other day of the year (because it is). Avoid long lines, volcanically hot stores, and grumpy people by shopping months ahead of the ‘crazy season’.
  • You’ll Minimize Stress – This ties in with the above points; there’s nothing more frustrating than shopping for fifteen minutes, only to wait in line for forty-five.
  • You’ll Choose Better Gifts – You’ll have a wider selection and more time to decide. This results in better, more thoughtful gifts
  • You’ll Earn Bragging Rights – When someone invites you shopping, you’ll have the rewarding experience of saying “I’m already done!”
  • You’ll Protect your Income – Wouldn’t it be better to spread your holiday budget over four months instead of four weeks?

Okay, so you’re ready to go shopping, but what if you have no idea what is “big” with kids this year? Stuffable animals are always safe!

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why Girls Love American Girl Dolls & Their Accessories

american girl doll clothes and knock offsPleasent T. Rowland, a retired teacher and writer, founded the Pleasant company in 1986. Operating out of Middleton, Wisconsin, the company produced three dolls, each from a different era of American history. American girl dolls open up the imagination, filling a child’s eyes with wonder, and the doll comes with an educational benefit as well.

Samantha, Kirsten, and Molly were the first three original American girl dolls, each with her own set of historically accurate accessories and outfits. Their popularity exploded in the 90’s and kids still go crazy for them today.

American Girl Doll Nostalgia

The girls who grew up with American girl dolls are now having kids of their own, and parents love to give their children the same things they loved. Subsequently, the popularity has grown even more in the last few years.

Collecting American Girl Dolls, Clothes, and Accessories

When a child has one of these dolls, it opens up a world of options for gift-giving occasions. With a myriad of outfits and accessories available, you can appeal to a youngster’s personality and give “The. Best. Gift. Ever.”

What Makes them Awesome?

In addition to collecting and playing dress-up, girls are getting even more creative with the American Girl Dolls now. Check out this adorable dance video, featuring six American Girls. The impressive part? This was all done by a 9-year-old, with minimal help from an adult; looks like someone has a career in choreography or video production!!

 Which American Girl are You? Click Here to Find Out!

[msh_feedburner]

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Cotton Candy Dryer Sheets & Teddy Needs a Bath

 

The Zoo Factory is now offering awesome products from a Shark Tank success story! Shark Tank is an Emmy nominated reality show, in which self-made entrepreneurs search to invest in some of the best businesses and ideas in the country. A recent winner had an idea that was too awesome for us to forget about. Subsequently, The Zoo Factory now carries Cotton Candy Dryer Sheets and Teddy Needs a Bath Bags.

 

Teddy Needs a Bath

The National Allergy Association suggests cleaning your child’s stuffed toys often, at least once per month. Washing a stuffed toy in a traditional washer and dryer may effectively destroy bacteria, but it could destroy your son or daughter’s beloved ‘pet’ as well.

Teddy Needs a Bath is a safe, pediatrician recommended solution for removing bacteria and dust mites, while keeping the toy intact.

Cotton Candy Dryer Sheets

You can add to the excitement by drying the stuffed animal with a scented dryer sheet. Place it inside the Teddy Needs a Bath laundry bag, along with the toy, and it will come out smelling sweet and feeling soft.

For more information about these awesome products, visit: teddyneedsabath.com

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Custom Sound Chips in Stuffed Animals Can Promote Health & Development!

 

Record Your Baby's Heartbeat with Sound Chip For Stuffed AnimalsCalm, relaxing noises that emanate the womb have consistently proven to be beneficial to babies in a myriad of ways. Womb sounds, coupled with a mother’s loving voice, can dramatically influence the development and well-being of a child.

Amir Lanav, a neuroscientist, was more than a little worried and curious after the premature birth of his twins. Intrigued, Lanav wondered if his wife’s voice could help improve his children’s health and spirits. With his home computer, Lanav recorded his wife telling the babies to stay strong.

This theory proved to have a decent effect on the babies’ health, so the hospital queried Lanav about his ideas and together they set up more tests. A series of studies with premature babies and older infants showed that babies who listen to their mom’s voices get better sleep and feel less anxiety, promoting a better immune system.

Speaking, reading, and singing also played a major role in how the baby improved over time. The more soft and emotional the voice is the better; naturally, singing proved to be the most effective.

To read more on this study, check out the following article: http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/13/mom-as-recording-star-can-playing-maternal-voice-and-heartbeat-sounds-benefit-premies/

pre recorded sound chips for stuffed animals for saleA stuffed animal in itself is a thoughtful, timeless gift, perfect for any new or expecting mother. Record a comforting, maternal message and place it inside of the companion. When the child heads to bed and snuggles against this toy, he or she will be welcomed by familiar sounds in a scary, unfamiliar word. These precious gifts are not only adorable, but also they could play a huge role in improving your child’s mood, development, behavior, and health.

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

It Pays to Know the Worth of Your Stuffed Animals

When people have stuffed animals that may be worth money, they don’t necessarily want their little ones playing with them, undressing or dressing them or brushing their fur or hair. While this may seem like fun to the child, it could be doing irrevocable harm to the plush toy and in the world of antiquities, the better the item’s condition, usually the more valuable it is.

A woman in Western New York recently reported a case in which her aunt had given the woman’s six year-old daughter an old teddy bear that belonged to the aunt in her youth. Kept in storage and still in good condition, the young child was eager to play with the plush toy and make it a part of her own collection.

The mother relished watching her daughter play with the bear and was happy to tell her aunt that the bear had become a part of the child’s regular play things. But all that changed when the child’s grandmother, the sister of the aunt, saw the child playing with the stuffed bear and panicked. She recognized the bear as an antique, a Steiff to be exact. The German stuffed animal company, founded in 1880, is known for its production of high-quality stuffed animals.

The grandmother was able to identify the Steiff bear based on the silver colored metal button on the left ear of the bear. It featured raised script that read “Steiff.” Knowing that she had quite the find in her hands, the grandmother did her best to pacify the child with the promise of the purchase of a new stuffed animal. She took her find to an appraiser who estimated the bear’s worth to be somewhere in the thousands of dollars.

In the end, the grandmother was able to procure the stuffed animal and keep it in safe place, where it could continue to appreciate without sustaining any damage. She didn’t want to sell the toy out from under the child to whom the bear was given, but she also wanted to keep it nice until the child was grown and able to understand the true value of the bear.

It’s not every day you find a treasure such as a Steiff stuffed animal. But if it ever happens, have it appraised by a professional antiques appraiser, specifically one who deals with antique toys, dolls and stuffed animals. This way, you’ll know whether or not your child’s play things could bring more money than you imagined.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Behind the scenes of stuffed animal play

You see it every day…a child playing make-believe with their stuffed animals. These animals become accessories to the imaginations of children. From dolls and animals in dress up attire to plush animals acting out scenes like those in fantasy or science fiction. Depending on the age of the child, these stuffed animals might be involved in elaborate plot lines or just sitting down for light conversation at high tea. What this means for the child is companionship, development and the ability to feel in control. To the stuffed animal, it means having a purpose!

 

Elephant stuffed animalThis kind of play is known as dramatic play and it refers to the made up games that children enjoy. When adults witness it, they see a child acting cute while playing with stuffed animals and other non-living friends. But to a child involved in dramatic playing, the world that is created fosters their abilities to learn and develop. This is an imaginary world that supports intellectual growth and builds social and verbal skills.

 

It may seem like just fun and games in a make-believe environment, but dramatic play with stuffed animals is rooted in psychology.

 

During this type of play, children are acting out scenes from their own day-to-day lives, albeit, they are not entirely cognizant of that. They may be acting out, or reliving the things they’ve witnessed or participated in with their stuffed animals. That’s why some toddlers and young children carry their dolls and stuffed animals around like babies and why they mimic the coos that parents often do if there is a younger sibling at home.

 

Sea animal stuffed animalSometimes young ones will scold a stuffed animal or doll as if it were a living thing if the child remembers being scolded or told “no” about something. The latter type of mimicking behavior should not be alarming unless accompanied by other negative behaviors or if it is the only type of dramatic play the child tends to participate in.

 

Otherwise, watching a child act out real life scenes with a stuffed animal can be a great way to see how they are developing and how their minds are expanding. It is the first step towards gaining more in-depth play and learning how to form thoughts and relationships.

 

So, the next time you see a little one sitting down for tea with a stuffed animal or solving a crime with a beloved plush friend, take a moment to listen in; you’ll discover that there is a lot more going on!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Teddy Bear toss brings smile, fans

There are plenty of stuffed animal drives throughout the country, but there not be a better one than this. The Calgary Hitman of the Western Hockey League, sponsors an annual act that’s been part of their history for the past 18 seasons. It’s called the Teddy Bear Toss.

Back in December, hosting the Kootenay Ice, the Hitmen’s first goal would yield a shower of teddy bears like it did every year. But every year it always seems to come as a surprise to the players.

Whale Stuffed AnimalWhen the first goal of the game was scored by Hitmen winger Pavlo Padakin, the crowd went nuts, throwing a total of 21,453 stuffed bears onto the ice. Rather than just shrills and cheers, the fans started rifling their plush friends that encased the players in rainbows of soft colors.

Padakin didn’t expect the experience, which was his first, to be so overwhelming. As quoted in the Calgary Herald, Padakin said “I didn’t think it was like this…..not emotional.”

With 16,912 fans in attendance and over 21,000 stuffed bears coloring the ice, you can only imagine the excitement from all who were there to see. Hitmen player Greg Chase reflected on the atmosphere by stating, “The nerves are flying at the start of the game — everyone wants to score that goal. We wanted to score in front of our fans and let those teddy bears come down.” (Calgary Herald).

Aside from the thrill of tossing a teddy onto the ice, imagine how the recipients felt? The Teddy Bear Toss has been a charity mission to bring smiles to those staying at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Since the tradition began 18 years ago, the Hitmen team has donated an astounding 213,000 bears.

You’ll find there to be quite a few stuffed animal drives across the country, but this one is certainly unique. For minor league teams, this idea is great for drawing and building a community of fans. But furthermore, it’s not only a great marketing tool, it benefits children too. If your organization wants to sponsor an event to brighten someone else’s day, browse through our many collections of cuddly stuffed animals today.