Posted on March 20, 2024March 5, 2024 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

How to Integrate Stuffed Animals into Learning Activities

Stuffed animals are more than just cuddly companions; they can also be valuable tools in a child’s educational journey. Integrating plush toys into learning activities can make education more engaging and fun. Here are some creative ways to incorporate stuffed animals from The Zoo Factory into your child’s learning routine:

Counting and Sorting

Use stuffed animals to teach basic math skills like counting, sorting, and grouping. For example, ask your child to count how many stuffed animals they have, sort them by color or size, or group them into sets of two or three. This hands-on approach makes learning tangible and enjoyable.

Storytelling and Language Skills

Encourage your child to create stories involving their stuffed animals. This activity fosters creativity, imagination, and language development. They can narrate adventures, describe the characters, and even write down their stories. It’s a fun way to enhance vocabulary and storytelling skills.

Role-Playing and Social Skills

Stuffed animals can be great actors in role-playing games. Set up scenarios where your child interacts with their plush friends, such as playing doctor, running a store, or having a tea party. These activities teach important social skills like empathy, cooperation, and communication.

Sensory Exploration

Use stuffed animals with different textures to engage your child’s sense of touch. Ask them to describe how each toy feels, whether it’s soft, fluffy, or smooth. This sensory exploration helps develop descriptive language and tactile awareness.

Science and Nature Lessons

If your child has stuffed animals representing real animals, use them to teach about wildlife, habitats, and conservation. They can learn about where each animal lives, what it eats, and how it adapts to its environment. It’s a cuddly introduction to the wonders of the natural world.

Looking for the perfect plush partner for your child’s educational adventures? The Zoo Factory offers a wide range of stuffed animals that are perfect for integrating into learning activities. Explore our collection and find the ideal companion for your little learner today!

Posted on October 5, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — 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

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

A 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.

Carolyn Hushbeck

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Posted on September 12, 2013October 14, 2022 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids – INFOGRAPHIC

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

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!

Carolyn Hushbeck

Posted on August 17, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — 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 May 14, 2013February 25, 2020 by The Zoo Factory — 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!

This 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.

Sometimes 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 May 3, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — 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.

When 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.

Posted on April 26, 2013February 25, 2020 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Sports Stuffed Animals

Molding your little one into a sports fan takes some work, especially when it comes to cheering for a specific team. Families don their children in clothing of their favorite teams, and even take them to a game when they’re young to get them prepared for a life of being a fan for the rest of their lives.

Another way to get the little one prepared is to get them a stuffed animal to hold on to that resembles a teams mascot or nickname.You have to be creative and imaginative, since these aren’t official sports stuffed animals, but the psychological factors in having your child hold on to something that represents your team could pay off in the long run.

Think of it like this, if your children’s favorite stuffed animal is an Eagle, maybe he’ll want to become a Philadelphia Eagles fan! Or if you want your child to grow up being an Eagles fan, get him an Eagle stuffed animal.

So with the NFL Draft taking place this weekend, lets go through The Zoo Factory’s stuffed animals you can give to your children to mold them into an NFL fan!

Denver Broncos — One of the most storied franchises in the entire league that also boasts possibly the best quarterback to ever live in Peyton Manning, this horse replicates that of the Broncos logo, which is a horse.

Philadelphia Eagles — If your son or daughter’s favorite bird is an Eagle, chances are they could very well grow up to be an Eagles fan. The Philadelphia Eagles have never won a Super Bowl, but maybe your little fan’s spirit can push them over the top.

Jacksonville Jaguars — This cool looking stuffed animal could represent your children’s love for the Jaguars. The Jaguars haven’t been the best team in the league of late, but with a new ownership, your little one could be the first one on the bandwagon.

Cincinnati Bengals — What kid wouldn’t want to grow up a Bengals fan when dragging this guy around town. If you name him “Cinci,” your child may be well on his way to becoming a big time Bengals fan.

Detroit Lions — Not only does a lion represent the king of the jungle, it could show your children’s love for the Detroit Lions. Couldn’t you see your child squeezing this sports stuffed animal when the Lions are making a last minute attempt to win the game? Or could that be you?!

Buffalo Bills — Just like this cute and lovable stuffed animal, the Buffalo Bills are one of the more lovable teams in the NFL. They’re sometimes lovable for the wrong reasons, because they tend to lose more games than they win, but their fans are passionate and love their fans through thick and thin. Just a warning, you might need to hold this tight during close games!

Miami Dolphins — This is a great gift for any young Dolphins fan. This stuffed animal not only looks exactly like Miami’s logo, but it’s cute like the Dolphins new logo too.

Chicago Bears — This big bad Bear could represent your child’s love for the Chicago Bears. The Bears are known for having a punishing defense, and there’s not a better way in representing that than having this bear in your arms. If you want your child growing up to root for one of the oldest and most storied franchises in the NFL, this loveable sports stuffed animal is for you!

Remember, these stuffed animals are not licensed NFL products, nor are they officially affiliated with any team, but with a little creativeness these stuffed animals could easily represent the love for their favorite team — and it doesn’t even have to be a football team. Browse our collection and see what stuffable animal could be the one to mold your child into a big sports fan today!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

A Custom Stuffed Animal, is the Best Stuffed Animal

Everyone has that special stuffed animal that’s made it through the years. Whether you’re new to the stuffed animal game, or a seasoned veteran, the new trend of being able to create, customize and personalize your own stuffed animal is very exciting. With stuffed animals often being a sign of comfort, going the extra mile and physically creating your closest friend can be a fulfilling and stress relieving activity for people of all ages.

For decades, the standard has been either receiving this special friend as a gift, or purchasing one from a store. While the bonds with these animals are always strong, sometimes it isn’t exactly what you wanted. With minor issues, such as size, texture, color or even breed of animal, these slight flaws often took some getting used to before a bond could be formed. New advances in the stuffed animal industry have made it possible to create and customize the vision that was always in your head. The steps are pretty easy; you pick the breed of your animal and stuff it yourself. The animal is brought to life in your hands and is easily customizable. Shirts, pants, shoes, dresses, sunglasses, and bracelets are just a few of the many options available to really personalize your newest creation.

To really pack that extra punch, most animals will come with accessories birth certificate to be filled out by the creator, making the experience more than just stuffing an animal but also a personal journey to the perfect best friend. Other stuffed animal accessories like sound chips, or stuffed animal outfits also add an element to your animal, giving it a voice that can come pre-recorded or be recorded by yourself. Creating a stuffed animal has taken the love for stuffed animals to a new level.

Posted on April 4, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — 1 Comment

The Zoo Factory Sound Chips

Want to make an impression that will last as long as The Zoo Factory’s stuffable animals?

Put in a customizable stuffed animal sound chip!

You can choose from pre-recorded sound chips or one where you can record your own voice or even your baby’s heartbeat.

Choose from over 20 pre-recorded sounds, from a barking dog, an elephant, a mooing cow, a pig, kitty, or even the happy birthday and Old McDonald had a Farm song.

Even better, buy a customizable sound clip so your own message can be played over and over by your little loved one.

We prefer it if you didn’t record “Clean your room!” But something fun like a nickname, or even your own customizable saying that makes your loved one laugh non-stop.

The heartbeat one is great for babies or even puppies learning to live without their moms for the first time. That is as long as the puppy doesn’t use it as a toy!

These fun sound clips are incredibly reasonably priced too. The pre-recorded clips are just $2.50 and the customizable ones are $8.50

At The Zoo Factory, make your stuffable animal custom inside and out!

Posted on December 21, 2012 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Kids need Stuffed Animals Now More Than Ever

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut has affected us more than ever. It’s hard to look at a young child, a kindergartener, first-grader, second-grader, see how innocent they are and think their life was taken away in a fashion that was unimaginable until last Friday.

As everyone mourns — parents, relatives and people across the nation – children do too. Parents can look for comfort by hugging their children and keeping them close, but who do children seek comfort in? Their first best friend, and one that never lets them down – their stuffed animals. Much like children are the rock of their parents lives, stuffed animals play a major role in being the rock of their lives.

People know this, and just like how people donated stuffed animals for Superstorm Sandy, people are starting to set up stuffable animal drives for the children and families in Newtown, Conn.

In Hudson, NH, two workers set up a stuffed animal drive through the Someone Who Loves You project.

In a story that appeared that appeared in the Nashua Telegraph, Ashleigh Homon and Jenna Selfridge started the idea when Ashleigh said she wanted to “hug and give teddy bears to all of the children of the school,” Selfridge told the Telegraph.

We certainly feel the same way.

Selfridge said an aunt of Homon’s fiancé “was a volunteer in the Sandy Hook School District for years and have been working together to coordinate the drive,” as read in the newspaper.

Donation centers have been made in multiple states across the country.