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Kids and Gift Giving: How to Help Your Kids Buy Gifts for Others

kid giving christmas gifts to mom and grandma

During the holiday season, one of our top priorities as parents is to get the best gifts for our kids. But what about the gifts that our kids give to others? If you have young children at home, chances are they’ll need a bit of help buying and giving gifts to their friends and relatives. So, to make things easier, we’ve listed out a few tips on how you can help your kids with gift giving.

Let them get creative

As adults, we often think the most useful gifts are the best gifts. But often, a hand-crafted gift from our child or grandchild is even more thoughtful. So, if your child wants to get creative with their presents, let them. Plan a special shopping trip where your child can gather supplies, and then set aside a day (or several) where your child can work on their gifts. Don’t try to intervene too much, only when your child needs help.

Give advice, but don’t tell them what to buy

If your child doesn’t want to create a gift, buying one is always perfectly acceptable. However, before you pull out that list of Christmas gifts, try brainstorming with your kids about possible gift ideas. Let them be the ones to come up with the idea by posing questions that may trigger something. For example, ask your child what someone’s favorite color is, or what their favorite thing to do on the weekends is to help get them thinking.

Set monetary limits, or let them pitch in

Many kids don’t understand how money works yet. So, they may come up with a great gift idea only for you to find that gift costs a few hundred dollars. As such, be sure to enforce some monetary limits. And if your kid gets an allowance, ask them to pitch in with some of their own money.

Whether you’re buying gifts for your child or for someone else in your family, consider a stuffable animal from here at The Zoo Factory. Look through our website today to get started!

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Holiday Activity Ideas for Kids

child making handcrafted christmas trees

Thanksgiving turkey, Hanukkah candles, Christmas trees…there’s nothing quite like the holiday season. As adults, we remember how much fun we had with our friends and family around this time. So, why not recreate those happy memories with your own children? Here, we discuss some of the best activities you can do with your kids this holiday season.

Thanksgiving

If you have kids who are old enough, consider having them help make something for Thanksgiving dinner. Cookies, potatoes, or anything else that is relatively simple to make can be a great bonding moment between you and your kids. If your kids are too young or uninterested in cooking, opt for crafts instead. Sit down in the days before Thanksgiving and make turkey handprints that you can hang around your home.

Hanukkah

Unlike Thanksgiving or Christmas, Hanukkah is spread across eight days. This means eight days full of fun activities celebrating Jewish history. You can make hand-made dreidels to play with, or decorate the house with the paper Star of Davids and menorahs. You can also teach your children about the story of Hanukkah by hiding candles underneath plastic cups and shuffling them around. Have the kids guess which candle is hidden under which cups, and then have an adult light them to re-enact the story.

Christmas

From baking Christmas cookies to decorating your tree, there is plenty of things to do to celebrate the Christmas season. Make an advent calendar to count the days, and then plan small activities every few days. You can make hand crafts one day, and then bake Christmas treats and cookies the next. You can also decorate your house (both inside and out) with Christmas decorations or send out hand-crafted Christmas cards to friends and family.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a seven-day holiday starting on December 26, celebrated by Black Americans. To learn about Kwanzaa, the children’s book “The Story of Kwanzaa” by Donna L. Washington is a great place to start. You can then sit down and have your kids create their own crafts, such as necklaces, bracelets, and more. They can even write their own stories about Kwanzaa and bind it into a book!

As you’re searching for gift ideas for your kids this holiday season, consider getting them a stuffable animal from The Zoo Factory. Look through our website today to get started!

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5 Ideas for a Great Stuffed Animal Birthday Party

birthday party with stuffed animals

All children loved stuffed animals, and all adults have had one when they were kids. We can all relate to the comfort and even support these animals gave us. So having a themed birthday party around the idea of stuffed animals is a great way to celebrate.

 Ask Each Child To Bring Their Favorite Stuffed Animal

On your party invitations, invite your guests to choose their favorite stuffed animal to come with them. This gives each child  a sense of participation even before the party.

Make Name Tags

When your guests arrive, sit them all down in a circle and ask each child to introduce his or her stuffed animal. Then get the kids to make name tags to tie around the animal’s neck with a ribbon. You can get tags and different colored ribbons at a craft store, and give the kids crayons or fine-tipped Sharpies to decorate the tags and write their animal’s name.

Animal Coloring Books

Get some animal-themed coloring books and let each child choose an animal to color. This encourages the kids to explore their creativity, and when they are all finished, let each child talk about his coloring project.

Pin The Tail On The…

Make the shape of the birthday child’s favorite stuffed animal on some construction paper, and have the children play Pin the Tail on the Donkey. You can give the winner of the game a tiny stuffed animal as a prize.

Animal Birthday Cake

You can either make a birthday cake in the shape of an animal or buy one and place tiny plastic animals on it. After the cake eating, let each child choose one of the little animals.

The Zoo Factory’s party packs can be a great addition to your stuffed animal party. Contact us today to learn more!

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What to Do When Your Child Has a Cold

young girl sick in bed with cold

Cold season is upon us, and that means lots of late nights dealing with coughs and stuffy noses. As a parent, we never want to see our child sick. Yet, getting a cold is almost inevitable for children. Colds, thankfully, aren’t dangerous, but there are ways you can help your child get over their colds faster.

Keep them comfortable

A scratchy throat, constant coughing, a stuffy nose…these are all the tell-tale signs of a cold. They are also extremely uncomfortable to deal with. While you can’t get rid of these symptoms immediately, you can try to keep your child as comfortable as possible in the process. Keep them in bed or on a couch, give them plenty of blankets and pillows, and put on their favorite TV show. Keeping their favorite toy or stuffed animal by their side can also be a helpful support system.

Provide OTC relief

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can help ease your child’s symptoms. But be careful which ones you use. OTC cough and cold medicines can only be used by children older than six years of age. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen can also be used, but only for children over six months old. Medicated nose drops and sprays can also be helpful, but keep in mind they can only be used for two to three days, and should never be used by children under six years old.

Keep them fed and hydrated

This one seems obvious, but you may have trouble getting your child to eat or drink when they feel awful. Try your best by getting snacks or drinks you know they’ll enjoy. If you’re having a lot of trouble, try and get your child to eat even a little chicken noodle soup. This classic dish is perfect for colds because it provides both nutrients and hydration.

Here at The Zoo Factory, we hope everyone stays healthy in the months to come. For more child care tips, read through our blog today!