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Teddy Bears Bring Tears this Holiday Season

If you spend any amount of time on social media throughout the past week, you probably saw a lot of heart-warming stories.

One of our favorite “feel good” stories this holiday season involved, you guessed it: a teddy bear.

One story that took the world by storm last week was the story of Mariana and Sarahy Ramos, two little girls that received a teddy bear that brought them to tears minutes after pulling them out of their packaging. Their older sister recorded a video of them receiving the gift and shared it on Twitter, and the post went viral within minutes.  The video now has over 100,000 likes and 69,000 shares.

The Ramos girls lost their grandfather, Florencio Jimenez, last year under tragic. The girls Aunt Andrea purchased the two teddy bears for the girls as their Christmas gifts this year.

Both teddy bears contained an audio message that their aunt had pulled from a video recording of the girls grandfather before he passed.

The audio message inside of the bear was an inside joke that the girls had with their grandfather, following the sound of his laugh.

Their aunt wanted to give them something to remember their grandfather by and a cuddly teddy bear playing the the sound of his voice did the job.

When the young girls opened the gift on Christmas morning, they were immediately brought to tears Warning, you will be too after watching this clip.

The Zoo Factory also offers this feature, where you can record your own message to put inside of your bear of choice with a small recording device.

This is a perfect gift for a loved one for a birthday, a holiday, an anniversary, or just because.

Whether you are a young child saying “I love you” to your grandmother, or a grandmother saying “I love you” to a young child, it will be a priceless keepsake to your loved one.

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Hockey and Teddy Bears are the Perfect Pair

Hockey and Teddy Bears are the Perfect PairHockey is rough, aggressive, competitive, and strenuous sport. Teddy bears are soft warm, cozy, and sweet stuffed animals.

If you tried to list the similarities between hockey and teddy bears, you probably wouldn’t come up with much at all.

However, hockey and teddy bears have been making the perfect pair for decades.

Many minor and junior hockey teams in United States and Canada have made teddy bears a focus of their team during winter months.

Many hockey teams hold a “teddy bear toss” at one of their games during the holiday season.

Minor and junior hockey teams typically select one game where they encourage anyone attending to bring a teddy bear with them to the game. When the hockey game is finished, win or lose, the fans are encouraged to throw all of the teddy bears over the boards and onto the ice. The teddy bears are collected by the players and coaches and given to a good cause.

The teddy bears collected are donated to children at hospitals, local shelters, or charities in honor of the holiday season.

The teddy bear toss tradition has been going since the early nineties and it is still going throughout North America. Teams manage to collect hundreds to thousands of teddy bears during this event.

Below is a video of the Calgary Hitmen, a major junior ice hockey team out of Canada, receiving 17,601 teddy bears after a win at home.

The teddy bears collected during this even were able to be donate to 60 different local charities.

If you’re going to a teddy bear toss sometime soon, make sure you get your teddy bear from The Zoo Factory.

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Celebrate National Dog Day with a Stuffed Animal Dog

stuffable dogDogs come with a ton of responsibility for the entire family. And if your young child has been begging you to get a family dog, but you just aren’t quite ready yet, that’s ok! Instead of celebrating National Dog Day with a real dog this year, why not pick out an adorable, stuffable one instead?

Children hold stuffed animals. They hug them and squeeze them tight when they’re scared. They bring them to the park. They take them for car rides. They watch movies and snuggle with them. Children do just about everything with a stuffed animal, as they would with a real pet. With this being said, stuffed animal dogs are excellent ways to help your little one learn the responsibilities of taking care of a real dog.

Real dogs need to eat, go to the bathroom, drink, stay healthy, stay active, be cared for, shown affection, and treated with kindness. These responsibilities might sound easier than your little one thinks, however, caring for a real puppy requires just as much attention as caring for a newborn. Unfortunately, these responsibilities can’t be met by just your little one at such a young age. They need to learn and grow themselves in order to help a dog grow up to be healthy and happy.

If your child is not ready to take on this huge responsibility of caring for another life, or if he or she is allergic to dogs, bring home a stuffed animal to give them the satisfaction of owning a dog in one form or another. You can help your child learn the basics of owning a dog and everything that’s involved including feeding, bathing, walking, and taking the pet outside.

Surprise your little one with a stuffed animal dog, big or small, on National Dog Day August 26th. You can help your son or daughter learn the basics of caring for a real dog through an adorable stuffed animal by using the stuffed animal as an example while you discuss properly feeding, bathing, walking, training and raising a real dog.

We have so many adorable options to choose from, The Zoo Factory is the perfect place to pick up your child’s stuffable pet. Who knows, you might just end up with more than one!

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Celebrate National Zoo and Aquarium Month with a Wild Stuffed Animal!

stuffable giraffe

The start of summer and the end of another busy school year, June is also National Zoo and Aquarium Month, the perfect time to learn more about the wild animals your children love most, instilling within them a compassion for wildlife and the environment.

Read a Book

Whether you take a trip to the library or a nearby bookstore, encourage your children to pick out books about their favorite animals this month, reading them together to learn more about these incredible creatures. We recommend choosing books with plenty of pictures so your little ones can visualize how these magnificent creatures live in the wild.

Take a Trip to the Zoo

There are few things as exciting for young children as a trip to a zoo or aquarium, and seeing the awe on their faces when they see their favorite animals just a few feet away is sure to make you smile too. Instead of running from exhibit to exhibit, take some time to read the plaques and signs, learning about each of the animals to make this fun activity an educational one as well.

Regardless of how you celebrate National Zoo and Aquarium Month, your child will enjoy bringing their favorite stuffed animal friend along to participate in the fun.

Here at The Zoo Factory, we have lots of wild animals and sea creatures that can join you on your adventures! Not only are our stuffable animals fun to play with, but stuffing them is a great afternoon activity to do with your kids. Shop with us online or call us at 866-993-3325 to place your order.

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Valentine’s Day Gifts Every Daughter will Love

A holiday usually celebrated by couples, Valentine’s Day is also a wonderful opportunity to remind your daughter just how much you love her. You daughter will love spending the day with you and whether you decide to bake pink cupcakes together or let your child introduce you to her current favorite movie, there are so many ways to make this holiday a special one for your entire family. And with Valentine’s Day landing on a Sunday this year, you will have plenty of time to spend with your daughter during the day while still being able to enjoy a night out with your spouse.

Looking for a gift your daughter will love? The Zoo Factory has some sweet ideas for her and her favorite stuffed friends:

Jewelry

cupcake necklace

 

The perfect daddy-daughter Valentine’s Day gift, surprise your daughter with an adorable necklace this year. From bumble bees to cupcakes and ladybugs, there are a wide variety of options to choose from, each in a unique box that compliments the jewelry inside. Whether you choose her favorite animal or a cupcake in her favorite color, your daughter will love wearing this Valentine’s Day gift from you.

“Little Secrets” Heart

little secrets stuffed animal hearts

Whether paired with a new stuffed animal or for your daughter’s favorite stuffed pal to hold, this 16 inch heart is available in purple, pink and red. Each color has a different Valentine’s Day themed message embroidered on it and a secret compartment perfect for storing a Valentine inside.

A New Dress

red and silver dress for stuffed animals

Planning a fancy brunch or an afternoon tea party with your daughter this Valentine’s Day? Come prepared with a new dress for her teddy bear. Some of our favorite outfits for the holiday include the red dress with silver hearts, the black dress with pink hearts and the pink satin tutu!

There are so many great ways to make Valentine’s Day special for your daughter, so why not start a new tradition with her this year? With the holiday less than a month away, place your gift order soon to make sure it arrives in time.

Happy Valentine’s Day from The Zoo Factory!

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Make Your Next Holiday Party Special For Your Youngest Guests

 

There is a lot that goes into planning a holiday party and from the dinner menu to the hors d’oeuvres and the drink list, almost everything is planned around the adults. This year, why not come up with something special for the kids to do? There are plenty of games and activities to include in your festivities, like gingerbread house making or karaoke. Parents and children alike will love that you offered something fun for your youngest guests to do. Our favorite holiday party activity: Stuffable animal kits!

Stuff a Festive Friend

icicle the snowman stuffed animal

Make your holiday party one to remember with holiday stuffable animal kits that the kids will have a great time making. The Zoo Factory kits have Velcro closure on the back, making this a project that your young guests will be able to do without much assistance. There are so many adorable and festive animals to choose from, like Chilly the Polar Bear, Icicle the Snowman and Christmas Bear. All you need is some stuffing!

Dress Your Stuffed Animals in Style

Santa Claus Stuffed Animal T-Shirt

Another great Christmas gift idea is a special outfit for your child’s favorite stuffed animal. Get in the holiday spirit with the adorable red and green Christmas Elf Outfit or the fun and festive Santa Clause T-Shirt. With outfits like these, your stuffed friend will be the star of the season.

Whether you are looking for a new stuffed animal friend or a festive outfit for your favorite teddy bear, The Zoo Factory has everything you need to make this holiday season special for your children. Place your order online or by phone at 866-993-3325.We hope you have a happy holiday season!