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What to Do When Your Child Gets Overstimulated

What to Do When Your Child Gets Overstimulated

You’re at the grocery store trying to stock up for the week. Then, suddenly, your child starts to scream and cry. No matter what you do, they won’t stop crying, and you eventually declare defeat and head home. Sometimes our children do this when they’re stressed, but they may also do this when they’re overstimulated. By recognizing the signs of overstimulation, you can help your child calm down sooner rather than later.

What is overstimulation?

Overstimulation occurs when a child is overcome with various sounds, sensations, and activities. This typically happens in loud, crowded areas such as a grocery store, school, a party, and more. Adults can often feel overstimulated as well, but with kids, they are less equipped to handle it. As a result, kids (especially toddlers) have meltdowns from too much stimulation.

Signs of overstimulation

Different children will react to overstimulation in different ways. Some may become more hyper or aggressive, while others might begin to cry or run off to a different room. Babies and toddlers are more often to cry and scream when they’re overstimulated. School-age children, meanwhile, may start acting wild, out-of-character, grumpy, or exhausted.

How to calm an overstimulated child

If your child starts to become overstimulated, it’s best not to panic. Stay calm and try to take your child to a quiet place. Let them sit quietly while doing a calming activity like reading, playing with a stuffed animal, or cuddling up with you. Once they’ve calmed down, ask them if they’d like to return to what they were doing or if they’d like to do something else.

Find the right amount of stimulation

In the future, it’s important to find what amount of stimulation your child can handle. This can help prevent meltdowns. Over time you’ll start to see patterns, and you’ll realize what situations cause your child the most stress. This does not mean you have to avoid these situations, but it may be a good idea to limit how much time you spend in them and give your child the ability to get away to relax.

Here at The Zoo Factory, we believe in the calming effect of stuffed animals. If you think a stuffed animal friend can help your child with overstimulation, look through our website today!

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Benefits of Taking Your Child Camping

Benefits of Taking Your Child Camping

If you’re looking to teach your child about the natural world and want to slow down their fast-paced lifestyle, a camping trip may be the perfect thing to try.

Bringing your child camping during their formative years is important for their development and exposes them to areas of the world they may be unaccustomed to. Although camping may not be for every child, it’s a great learning experience and certainly something worth trying out.

They learn about the natural world

A great way to have your child connect with nature is by taking them on a camping trip. Your child will be exposed to many different plants, animals and activities that will teach them about the natural world and how we coexist with it.

Whether you take a nature walk looking for different critters and insects, discover and inspect different plants, trees or rocks, or anything in between, you’ll be allowing your child to gain a better understanding of the wild.

They become self-reliant

Although it may be years before they need to take care of themselves completely, camping instills good habits that will translate well to your child’s adult life.

By learning how to start a fire, set up a tent or even how to catch a fish, your child will improve their problem solving, learn how to overcome obstacles and more. And in the event that they are in an emergency situation in the future, they will have a better chance of staying safe with the knowledge they picked up on camping trips.

They unplug from technology

Younger generations have grown up with technology at their fingertips. While this certainly has its benefits, it’s sometimes helpful to turn off electronics to let your youngster’s imagination run wild.

Taking your child camping is a great way to shut off their tablets and other devices for a day or two. Your child will have many things to keep them stimulated and it will teach them to find entertainment in other ways.

According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, children that are 8-12 spend 4-6 hours a day looking at screens. Camping can help spark a passion for the outdoors and can cut down on screen time in the long run.

No matter how much your child enjoys their first outdoor experience, it can be natural for them to be nervous when going to sleep their first few nights outdoors. Bringing along their favorite stuffed animal can be a great way to have them feeling safe and secure while dozing off.

When your child wants a few extra buddies to take along on your upcoming nature adventure, The Zoo Factory has everything you need. View our inventory of stuffed animals to find the perfect outdoor companion for your child!

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How to Protect Your Kids from the Summer Heat

How to Protect Your Kids from the Summer Heat

School is out and summer is here! While you’re getting ready for pool parties, summer camps, and the like, don’t forget about summer safety. Our kids can be particularly susceptible to the summer sun and heat. So, here are some ways you and your kids can beat the heat this summer:

Lather up on sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must for kids six years and older. The sun’s UV rays can cause nasty sunburns and even put your kids at risk for skin cancer later in life. Before heading outside or into the pool, apply sunscreen 15 minutes prior to stepping outside. Your sunscreen should have an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15 or greater (the higher the number, the more protection it affords).

Stay hydrated

Heat stroke and dehydration are one of summer’s biggest threats. Even if the temperature is relatively mild, your child can still get dehydrated quickly. Always have a bottle of water on-hand whenever you go outside. You should also be aware of the top signs of dehydration so you can catch it before it gets worse.

Never leave children in parked cars

Even if you’re stepping away for just a few minutes, you should never leave your child in a parked car. Cars can heat up rapidly, reaching dangerous temperatures in just a few minutes. The higher the temperature, the greater the risk of a heat-related illness or death, even if the window is cracked open. If you’re leaving your car, always bring your child with you.

Cool off inside

You can take all the steps above and still find your children hot and dehydrated. It’s important to take a break from the heat and find somewhere inside to cool off, preferably in an air-conditioned room. While they’re inside cooling off, give your kids some toys, video games, or stuffed animals to play with and to keep them occupied before it’s time to head back outside.

The Zoo Factory has plenty of stuffed animals your children can play with either inside or outside this summer. Look through our inventory today to get started!

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Why Do Pets Love Stuffed Animals?

Why Do Pets Love Stuffed Animals?

Growing up, our first best friend was likely our favorite stuffed animal. We all carried our treasured stuffed animals through life to help us tackle tough times and sleep through the night. Even as adults, we still love and cherish our stuffed animals. But did you know that our pets can love stuffed animals just like we do? Indeed, many pets, specifically dogs, can become attached to stuffed animals. But why is this the case? Read on to learn more.

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 retriever breeds, enjoy carrying around stuffed animals in their mouth because the feeling is familiar. Dogs that are passionate about playing fetch or chasing things also enjoy the playful aspect of stuffed animals. Stuffed animals rip apart easily and many dogs enjoy it because it triggers that “hunting” instinct that they can’t help but satisfy.

Pets Plays Favorites

Both dogs and cats have that one toy that seems to be their favorite, but what makes a certain stuffed animal a “favorite” for your pet? Many different reasons could explain why your pet might like one stuffed toy the most, from the size and smell to the shape and texture. Your pet probably also enjoys how that specific toy makes them feel or they might believe they are taking care of the toy like they would care for a puppy or kitten. Pets create attachments to their favorite stuffed animals and associate them with mothering, playfulness, or relaxation.

Our Pets Love Us

Pets are intelligent and can make connection between special moments with their favorite toy and happy memories of you. Giving your dog or cat a new toy makes them happy with you, symbolizing a special moment that impacts your pet in a unique way. Perhaps because you gave your pet a stuffed animal 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 a loved one? With dozens of fun, soft animals to choose from,  The Zoo Factory likely has your child’s new favorite friend and toy.

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How Playing Dress-Up Brings Developmental Benefits

How Playing Dress-Up Brings Developmental Benefits

Playtime may seem silly on the surface, but it actually serves a vital role in childhood development. Many species use play as a way to teach their children lessons that will help them years down the line. Humans are no different. Playing dress-up can be especially beneficial, offering developmental benefits that will last a long time. Read on to learn more:

See the World Through Other Viewpoints

When children play dress-up, they learn valuable ways in which others contribute to our lives. Perhaps a child is playing the role of a mother and has a crying baby to nurture, or maybe they’re pretending to be a policeman and stopping “the bad guys.” This sense of imagination allows children to learn empathy by seeing alternative viewpoints and responding to them accordingly.

Building Blocks for a Diverse Vocabulary

When children play through dress-up, they begin to explore terms, phrases, and words that are often inclusive to the role they are playing. These strengths can develop through hearing certain words in books and transferring them into the role they’re playing. Eventually, children will use them in daily conversations.

Confidence Building

For children, dressing up and having theatrical elements to their play can greatly impact their overall confidence. Self-expression is incredibly helpful when building self-confidence and this is just another way we can allow children to develop that skill. What child doesn’t feel on top of the world while dressed up as their favorite super hero?

If your child loves playing dress up, consider purchasing some outfits for one of their Zoo Factory stuffed animals so that the two can play dress up together! Visit our website for a wide selection of outfits.

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5 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy

5 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy

Let’s face it, our kids don’t eat as healthy as they should. Instead of eating salad or broccoli, they’d rather have a plate full of chicken nuggets or macaroni. While these things are fine to eat every now and then, our children need a well-balanced diet in order to grow into healthy, fully functional adults. If you’re struggling to get your kids to eat healthy, here are some tips that may help:

Provide choices

Kids don’t like to be told what to do. If you tell them they have to eat that plate of broccoli no matter what, you’ll be in for a world of disappointment. Instead, offer them choices. Instead of having only that plate of broccoli, have them choose between broccoli, salad, or celery. This way you’re giving your kids some form of autonomy while still controlling what they put into their bodies.

Start small

Just as with any lifestyle change, it’s best to start small. Changing too much too quickly often ends in failure. If you want healthy eating to become a lifelong habit, then introduce new foods gradually and don’t eliminate sweets or junk food completely.

Include your kids while cooking

Many of our kids are suspicious of new foods, but they’re often more willing to try new foods if they had a hand in making them. Of course, you don’t want them doing anything that is too difficult for them, but even young children can handle basic tasks such as measuring or stirring ingredients.

Set an example

If you encourage your kids to eat healthy but don’t do so yourself, you will have a hard time getting them to commit. Set an example by making changes in your own diet as well as your children’s.

Have goals in mind

Does your child eat too much chocolate or drink too much soda? Then set goals to try and cut back on those unhealthy habits. Once again, start gradually by cutting out unhealthy foods a little bit at a time. If your child drinks too much soda, for instance, try cutting back on one can of soda each day first. After your child has done this for a few weeks, reward them, and then move the goal post to two sodas.

Here at The Zoo Factory, we want all our kids to live happy and healthy lives. To learn more, look through our blog today!

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What Is Positive Reinforcement?

What Is Positive Reinforcement?

Kids misbehave. Even the most docile, angelic children will do something wrong at some point. How are you going to respond? Increasingly, parents and teachers are turning to positive reinforcement to teach their kids what is right and what is wrong. Here’s how it works:

How positive reinforcement works

Positive reinforcement is all about rewarding good behavior and ignoring the bad. For some caregivers, this may seem counterintuitive. After all, if we don’t punish bad behavior, how will our kids know what they’re doing is bad? Yet, studies have shown over and over that punishing bad behavior does little to prevent that behavior from happening again. Kids typically misbehave to get attention, and by punishing bad behavior, we’re giving them attention (however, not all bad behavior can be ignored, which we will address later). That’s why it’s best to turn our attention to the good things that they do instead of the bad.

How to practice positive reinforcement

Practicing positive reinforcement is all about praising and rewarding good behavior. This can range from verbal praise to offering gifts for a job well done. What you do to reward that good behavior will depend on the behavior. For example, if your child put their dishes away without you asking, acknowledge this behavior by verbally praising them or giving them a thank you hug. On the other hand, if your child has improved their grades over the past semester, consider giving them a bigger reward like a new toy or stuffed animal.

Be careful not to reinforce negative behavior

As we said before, punishing bad behavior simply gives your child the attention they’re seeking. As such, they’ll learn that this bad behavior is a good way to get your attention. While you’re practicing positive reinforcement, it’s important that you don’t also reinforce negative behavior. Positive reinforcement only works if you pay attention to the good things your child does and ignore the bad things.

However, not all bad behavior can be ignored. If your child got into a fight with another child, this needs to be addressed. When these incidents happen, make sure there are consequences such as loss of privileges or other logical consequences.

If you’re child has been behaving well recently, show them how proud you are with a new stuffable animal from The Zoo Factory! Look through our site to get started.

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How to Help Your Child Get Ready for Bed

How to Get Your Child Ready for Bed

While some children embrace nighttime routines and willingly hop into the bath, other kids struggle with the concept and will do anything to postpone shutting their eyes. This can be frustrating but also worrisome for caregivers. Nevertheless, there is hope. By creating a routine and even enlisting the help of their favorite stuffed animal, you can get your kids to bed in no time. Here’s how:

Set and Stick to a Bedtime Routine

Children thrive on routines because they set expectations. Create a fun bedtime routine with your child and include some activities that make them excited about bedtime. Start with a bath that includes some entertaining games, directly followed by changing into a set of pajamas of your child’s choosing. Have them pick them out ahead of time so you’re not wasting time looking for the “right pair.”

Reading one book or listening to one song is another easy thing to incorporate into a routine. Choosing a favorite activity will help children look forward to bedtime.

Consider Teddy Bear Backup

Grab your child’s favorite teddy bear and have your child change it into pajamas during your child’s bedtime routine. While you help your child change into pajamas, they can help their teddy bear do so. Children tend to imitate, so they might be excited to change into their pajamas if their favorite stuffed animal is as well.

Create a Game

Most children love games and making bedtime into a game  can help some children enjoy the experience. Once you have an established routine, add in some activities to make it more fun. Time how long it takes your child to get through their bedtime routine, and on a night that it seems to be dragging, have them try and beat the time. Consider changing into your own pajamas with your child and “race” to see who can change the fastest.

Don’t be afraid to offer small prizes when bedtime goes as planned such as stickers, a stuffed animal for consistent good behavior, and so forth.

Find teddy bear outfits for any occasion with The Zoo Factory. We offer pajamas, sports outfits, dance outfits, costumes, vests, sunglasses, and more.

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Gift Ideas for Kids Going Off to College

Gift Ideas for Kids Going Off to College

Our kids are graduating high school, and before we know it, they’ll be heading off to college. As we well know, college is a huge step, provoking a lot of emotions like excitement, curiosity, and even anxiety. We can help our kids by getting them the perfect gifts to start their new life. Here are a few ideas to get started:

The Practical Gifts

College isn’t like high school. Our kids will have new responsibilities from cooking their own meals to preparing for tough final exams. As such, they’ll need a helping hand to get situated and used to their new life. You may not be able to look after them all the time like you used to, but you can still help them out even if you’re miles away. Here are some practical gifts that your kids can use every day to keep themselves afloat:

  • Programmable alarm clock: Some kids have a hard time getting up for that 8am lecture. Make sure they don’t miss out by getting them a programmable alarm clock.
  • College cookbooks: There is a plethora of cookbooks out there geared directly to college students. Many of these contain recipes that can be cooked inside a dorm.
  • Eye mask and ear buds: Sharing a single room can be tough. Give your kids something to block out any disturbances with eye masks and ear buds.

The Sentimental Gifts

While practical gifts are all well and good, don’t forget the sentimental ones too. College can be a rough transition, and most kids feel some sense of homesickness. A few sentimental gifts from their parents and family members can mean all the difference.

  • Framed pictures: Find a few sentimental photos of the family that your kid can hang in their dorm room.
  • Care packages: While your kids are away at school, be sure to send them care packages with gifts from home.
  • Stuffed animals: Stuffed animals aren’t just for little kids, they can also be for big kids who are making the tough transition into adulthood.

Are you looking for the perfect stuffed animal for your kids who are going off to college? Then look through our inventory here at The Zoo Factory today!

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Family Summer Activities for 2021

Family Summer Activities for 2021

In a little over a month, our kids will be out of school and starting their summer vacations. But COVID-19 is still a concern. While most of us adults will be vaccinated during the summer months, kids under the age of 12 likely won’t be. That’s because the FDA has not yet authorized any of the current vaccines to be administered to children, and that likely won’t change before the beginning of summer.

However, that doesn’t mean you and your family can’t enjoy themselves this summer. Here are some fun and safe summer activities the entire family can enjoy in 2021:

Go camping or to a secluded getaway

If you’re eager to get away from home, camping is a great bet. Unlike other types of vacations, you won’t be interacting with too many strangers. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the great outdoors. Even if you don’t want to spend your time in a tent, cabins or an Airbnb are still safe alternatives. They’re at least better than hotels where you have to share eating areas and stay in close quarters with other guests.

Visit friends or relatives

Chances are that the kids haven’t seen grandma or grandpa in quite some time. But the CDC has updated their guidelines, saying that fully vaccinated people can interact with unvaccinated people from a single household. This means that even if your kids aren’t vaccinated yet, they pose little threat to their grandparents or other elderly family members.

Start a new project or hobby

If you’re not comfortable traveling yet, there is still plenty for you to do in the comfort of your own home. Encourage your kids to pick up a new project or hobby. Plus, thanks to online resources like YouTube or Udemy, it’s easier now than ever to learn new tricks in the comfort of your own home. They can start gardening, drawing, painting, or anything else that may interest them.

Take a virtual tour

Many famous sites around the world are now offering virtual tours for families who can’t travel. Gettysburg, the Louvre, and the Smithsonian are just some of the many sites that offer online tours. So, settle down with the kids and get ready to experience some of the world’s greatest wonders.

If you’re looking to get your kid something special this summer, look through our inventory here at The Zoo Factory today!