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How Children Benefit from Playing with Teddy Bears

Girl Hugging white Teddy Bear

Whether your child is just learning to walk or is conquering their first year of elementary school, they are sure to have a favorite toy. It may be a doll or an action figure, but more likely than not it’s a stuffed teddy bear.

Why? It may have to do with the many benefits that a stuffed teddy bear friend can provide. From word recognition to emotional discovery, these benefits begin when your child is a baby and continue on throughout their school years.

Practice life skills

Playing with teddy bears and other stuffed animal friends allows our children to practice life skills. They are constantly learning, role playing with their stuffed animals and teaching them how to perform tasks like brushing their teeth and getting dressed for school.

Socialization

Teddy bears also provide an early form of socialization. Whether your child is having a tea party with all their favorite stuffed animals or is the teacher in a school filled with fluffy rabbit, dog and teddy bear students, there are endless opportunities to learn good behavior. And if your child is particularly shy, a teddy bear can help them make new friends.

Teaches them about other animals

Even as our children get older, introducing them to wild and exotic stuffed animal friends – like crocodiles, hippos and gorillas – is a way to inspire learning. When they have a new and unique animal hanging out with them every day, they are sure to want to learn more about the creatures and its habitats!

If we’ve convinced you of the real benefits a stuffed teddy can bring to your child, then be sure to check out all of the stuffable teddy bears that we at The Zoo Factory have to offer. If you’re not, convinced, however, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns!

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Why Dogs Love Stuffed Animals

Dog with Stuffed Pheasant

There’s nothing cuter than a dog nestling up with their favorite stuffed animal. Many dogs have a great affection for stuffed animals, much like we do, but why is that the case?

It’s in their genes

Different dog breeds exhibit different character traits towards stuffed animals based on their ancestors. Dogs traditionally used for hunting and carrying game, such as Labradors or other Retrievers, have a genetic drive or instinct to hunt or prey on smaller animals. In that regard, carrying around a stuffed animal is very similar to carrying around their prey.

Dogs form attachments to their stuffed animals

You don’t have to be a human to play games with a stuffed animal. Dogs, too, enjoy playing around with them simply because it’s a fun thing to do. This causes our dogs to form an attachment to their stuffed animal as they would with any of their favorite toys. They may even believe they’re taking care of the toy like they would a puppy.

A stuffed animal reminds our dogs of us

Pets are intelligent and can make connections between special moments with their favorite toy and happy memories of you. Giving your dog a new toy makes them happy, symbolizing a special moment that impacts your pet in a unique way, and because they love and respect you, they choose to love and care for the toy as a result. This is likely why our pets attempt to play with us when playing with their toys.

Looking for a stuffed animal for your dog? With dozens of fun, soft animals to choose from, The Zoo Factory can help you find the perfect stuffed animal for your dog, or for someone else in your family.

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Fun Games Kids Can Play with their Stuffed Animals

Kids playing with Doll House and Stuffed animal

A stuffed animal is great for many things—sleeping, traveling, companionship, and, of course, playing. Whether it’s for a party or a typical Sunday afternoon, here are some games your child can play with their beloved stuffed animal:

Animal Hospital

Grab a toy doctor kit and let your child try on the stethoscope for a change with a game of animal hospital. Throw in some real-life medical supplies like bandages or band-aids to give it a realistic feel. Or, if you don’t want to waste medical supplies, you can always use toilet paper in lieu of bandages.

Teddy Bear Picnic

It doesn’t just have to be teddy bears, of course, but hosting a picnic for your stuffed animals is always tons of fun. Make a day of it by inviting other children and their stuffed animals, and be sure to have plenty of treats to go around. You can also bring books, frisbees, or other activities along, too.

Animal Fashion Show

If your child’s stuffed animal has lots of outfits, then encourage them to get on the runway with an animal fashion show. Invite friends so that their stuffed animals can join in and then award prizes for things like cutest, funniest, silliest, etc.

Hide and seek

Grab all of your stuffed animals and sit your child down. Tell them to cover their eyes and count to 100 as you hide each stuffed animal somewhere in the house. Then let your child go and find them—and make sure there’s an award at the end of it!

As fun as all of these games can be, they can’t be done without a trusty stuffed animal sidekick. So if your child is in need of a stuffed animal of their own, then check out The Zoo Factory. We have plenty of stuffable animals to choose from, as well as tons of outfits if you want your stuffed animal to get in on an animal fashion show!

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How to Pick the Perfect Stuffed Animal for Your Child

Teddy Bear in a Gift Box

Kids love stuffed animals; it’s why they make the perfect gifts. However, there are a lot of options when it comes to stuffed animals, and as a result, a lot of decisions to make. Choosing the right one can be difficult, so read over some of these tips so that you can get the perfect stuffed animal for your child.

Consider your child’s age

Buying a stuffed animal for a baby is different than buying one for a child. If you’re buying for a baby, you need to make sure that the stuffed animal is safe for their age, meaning it should have nothing a baby can chew on or swallow. A stuffed animal for an older child, on the other hand, should be meant for playing, traveling, and sleeping with, so make sure it’s durable.

Think about your child’s interests

You want your child to play with the stuffed animal, so getting one that aligns with their interests is usually a good step. Do they love dinosaurs? Then get a stuffed dinosaur. Horses? Get a stuffed horse. If they don’t have a favorite animal, you can always get a stuffed animal with a special outfit. For example, if your child loves Spider-Man, then get a stuffed animal that’s dressed up just like Spidey.

Make it an experience

Often times, the experience is what makes something special. Picking out a stuffed animal together will be something your child will remember for the rest of their life, so don’t feel like you need your gift to be a surprise just for it to be special. To add an extra touch, you can buy one that you and your child can make together. The experience of putting together a stuffed animal from one of The Zoo Factory’s stuffable animal kits, for instance, will create a fun and lasting experience that can form an instant connection between your child and their new friend. Look through our inventory to get started!