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How to Support Your Kids During the COVID-19 Outbreak

The coronavirus has completely upended our lives, causing stress and anxiety for everyone, no matter their age. As parents, however, you have the extra responsibility of not only keeping your anxiety in check, but also the anxiety of your children as well. You don’t want them to worry, but you also want them to take things seriously. 

If you’re not sure where to begin, then here a few ways you can support your kids during the COVID-19 outbreak: 

Talk to them honestly 

If you keep your kids in the dark, they’ll only grow more anxious. As such, you should speak honestly with them, answering any questions that they have. You don’t want to make them more nervous, and some details they may not be able to understand, so only answer the questions that they have, and try to keep your answers short and simple. The CDC also has guidelines that you can follow on how best to speak with your children about the coronavirus outbreak. 

Stick to your normal schedule as much as possible 

Children take comfort in routine, especially during times of crisis. While you won’t be able to stick to the exact schedule you had before the pandemic (after all, most children are not going to school at this time), you should still have them getting up and going to bed at the same time. Other daily traditions such as family dinners should also take place to give a sense of normalcy. 

Don’t let them get bored 

Without school or sports, our kids will likely run out of things to do pretty quickly. With so much time to themselves, they will likely get bored, which will only stress them out even further. So, try to keep them distracted with board games, video games, arts and crafts, books, or pretend play activities with their dolls and stuffed animals. 

Here at The Zoo Factory, our selection of stuffable animals can be a great source of comfort to children during these stressful times. Take a look through our inventory or contact us with any questions or concerns. 

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The Value of Transitional Objects During the Coronavirus Outbreak

We all grew up with that favorite blanket or teddy bear. We’d sleep with it, eat with it, and drive around in the car with it. These transitional objects were a great source of joy and comfort to us in our early years, but in the time of coronavirus, they have become increasingly important both to our children. 

What are transitional objects? 

Transitional objects, also known as comfort objects, are a doll, stuffed animal, blanket, or other type of object that provides psychological comfort to a child. They’re typically that security blanket or teddy bear that your child will not let go of, no matter how hard you try. They’re called transitional objects because they help children transition from being completely dependent on their parents (typically their mother) to becoming more independent.  

Transitional objects and coronavirus 

So why, exactly, are transitional objects useful during the coronavirus outbreak? Simply put, they help to ease anxiety, both during normal times and during times of crisis. Explains Dr. Daniel Lewin: “Children have less capacity in some cases to express their fears than adults. Transitional objects are wonderful ways for children to express them.” 

The coronavirus outbreak has caused a lot of uncertainty, and as a result, a lot of anxiety. Even if our children don’t completely understand what is happening, they can pick up on the anxiety and stress of their parents. Transitional objects, however, can provide comfort to children while also helping them work through their own emotions about this crisis.  

Here at The Zoo Factory, our selection of stuffable animals can be a great source of comfort to children during these stressful times. Take a look through our inventory or contact us with any questions or concerns. 

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How ‘Bear Hunts’ Are Distracting Kids Amidst the Coronavirus Outbreak

Take a walk around the neighborhood and what do you see? Empty streets, shuttered businesses, and cars lining their driveways. However, if you take a closer look, you may see something sitting by a window: a teddy bear. 

From the United States to France to Japan, individuals are placing teddy bears in their windows or in their yards as part of a worldwide ‘bear hunt’ for kids.

Essentially a social distancing form of a scavenger hunt, the game is meant to distract kids from the current stresses of the coronavirus pandemic. Unable to go to school or play games with their friends, most kids can only go out for walks or drives around the neighborhood with their families. So, individuals have started placing teddy bears in their windows, on their porches, or in their parked cars to encourage kids to get out of the house and see how many teddy bears they can find.  

In Monmouth, Maine, one parent told her local TV station that the teddy bear hunts help distract her kids from the current crisis: “For about an hour we didn’t think about anything else that was happening in the world. It was just about the bears. The kids sat in the back seat. My daughter kept a tally. We kept looking, and it was only that, and I had completely forgotten what was going on until we pulled back into the yard.” 

If you’d like to participate, it’s as simple as grabbing a stuffed animal (teddy bear or otherwise) and placing it somewhere in your house or yard where it’s visible from the street. You can put it in your window, or you can get more creative like this family who had their teddy bears doing activities out in the yard. 

Don’t have any stuffed animals to place in your windows? The Zoo Factory has you covered. We have a wide range of stuffable animals, including teddy bears, for you to choose from. Take a look through our inventory or contact us with any questions! 

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How to Use Stuffed Animals in the Classroom

Not only can stuffed animals benefit our children at home, but they can also work wonders in the classroom. They can make excellent educational tools, teaching our children important skills that will help them for years to come.

If you’re a teacher or tutor, here are some ways you can use stuffed animals in your own classroom:

Class mascot

A cuddly and unique stuffed animal can make the perfect class mascot. Mascots create a sense of belonging, uniting everyone in the class and representing diverse classrooms as a solidified unit. Class mascots make kids excited to go to school every day, giving them something fun to look forward to. These special class heroes can increase classroom morale with minimal effort.

Reading partner

Stuffed animals serve as the perfect audience for reading practice. Letting students read books out loud to stuffed animals allows them to practice reading comprehension and fluency while minimizing nerves. Reading with a non-judgmental stuffed animal causes an increase in confidence (and fun!) for young students.

Offer recognition and reward

Kids love positive recognition and rewards for appropriate behaviors and actions. Use stuffed animals in the classroom as a tool for rewarding students for following your classroom rules. For example, let a student that demonstrates good manners sit with a stuffed animal on their desk during class. If a student does a particularly good job with reading something out loud or mastering other course content, let them pick out a stuffed animal to carry around for the day.

There is no shortage of fun ways to use stuffed animals in the classroom! Find teddy bears, unicorns, sea creatures, farm animals, and more at The Zoo Factory.

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How to Create an Effective Reward System for Your Kids

Reward systems are a great way to encourage good behavior in our kids. According to psychologist Alan Kazdin, reward systems use “repeated practice” to make good behavior more routine, no matter what age your child is. So, if you’d like to implement a reward system in your home, here are some ways to go about it.

 

Toddlers and Preschoolers

When it comes to younger children such as toddlers or preschoolers, a simple sticker chart will usually do the trick. Let them choose their favorite stickers and then give them a sticker to place on a chart every time they exhibit behavior you’d like to encourage. Choose one behavior to work on at a time, keeping the goal simple to start.

School-Age

Children who are six years of age or older typically require more motivation than just stickers. You can use a sticker chart to keep track of their good behavior, but you should be giving them a big reward at the end of it. For example, if your child has earned five stickers in a row, you can take them out for some ice cream. If they have a month full of stickers, you can give them an even bigger reward, such as a toy or stuffed animal.

Teenagers

Teenagers aren’t going to be motivated by your typical reward system. Instead, you’ll have to think outside of the box. Consider focus on privileges, rather than items. For example, you can let them borrow your car or go out with their friends for the night after they’ve exhibited consistent good behavior.

Do you want to reward your child for their positive behavior? Then consider getting them a stuffable animal at The Zoo Factory. Look through our inventory or contact us today to get started!

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How to Disinfect Your Child’s Toys

Our children’s toys go through a lot. They’re dropped on the ground, put in mouths, and shoved into the bottom of backpacks. As a parent, you want your children to be able to play with their toys, but you also want to make sure that the germs those toys pick up don’t hurt your kids. Indeed, toys can be germ magnets, with bacteria surviving for long periods of time. To best protect our children, then, we need to regularly disinfect their toys. Here’s how:

Plastic

For plastic toys that don’t run on batteries, the best way to clean them is by sticking them in the dishwasher. If, however, they do have batteries, then you should handwash them with soap and hot water. This should get rid of most surface dirt and germs, but if the toy needs a more thorough cleaning, then add in some vinegar and baking soda to get the job done. Once you’ve finished washing, be sure to rinse the toy thoroughly and let them dry.

Wood

Toys made out of natural wood will warp if you try to place them in a sink full of water. Instead, grab a lint-free cloth and dip it into mild soapy water (such as dish soap or hand soap). Then, wipe the damp cloth along the surface of the wood before drying with a towel. For extremely dirty spots, use rubbing alcohol to break down the remaining dirt and grime.

Knitted toys

Knitted toys such as stuffed animals, blankets, or cloth books can either be hand-washed or machine-washed. If you hand-wash the toys, use lukewarm water and detergent. If you decide to machine-wash them, then do so on the gentlest cycle that your washing machine has. For a step-by-step guide on how to wash your stuffed animals, read over our guide here.

For more tips on how to clean and disinfect your child’s toys, look through our website or contact us today.

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4 Things to Do for When Your Kids Are Stuck Inside

Many parts of the United States have recently been impacted by the coronavirus. In order to protect us, government officials are shutting down large gatherings and closing schools. Unable to go to class or attend games, our kids will likely get bored being stuck at home all day. Here are some things you can do to keep them busy:

Cook up something good

Who doesn’t love the taste of home-made cookies in the afternoon? If you’re spending a lot of time at home, then that means more time for you and your children to cook up some great meals and desserts. It’ll also act as a great way to teach your children some cooking skills that will help them later in life. Just be sure to follow these safety rules when cooking in the kitchen with kids.

Play some games

Playing games with your kids is a great way to spend some quality time with them and keep them busy at the same time. You can get out some board games such as Monopoly or Twister, or you can play games on their PlayStation or Nintendo Switch. You can even do pretend play with stuffed animal for something more out-of-the-box.

Arts and crafts

Tap into your child’s creative side by doing some arts and crafts. You can draw some scenes from nature, paint your favorite animals, or create a scrapbook of all of your favorite family moments. And don’t be afraid to let them get messy—you can always lay down a tarp or a canvas to keep the mess contained.

Read some books

If you’re stuck in the house, one of the best things you and your children can do is to read all of those books that have been gathering dust on your shelf. Even if your child isn’t much of a bookworm, now can be an excellent opportunity to get them into reading. Try to find some books that focus on their favorite subjects, making sure that the reading level isn’t too high or low.

If you’re still looking for things to do in the following weeks, then consider buying a stuffable animal kit from The Zoo Factory. With these kits, you can create your own stuffable animal from the comfort of your own home. Look through our website today to get started.

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Using Stuffed Animals in a Bilingual Household

More and more children in America are growing up in a bilingual household. Back in 2016, 22% of children in the United States spoke a language other than English at home. For parents who want to encourage bilingualism in their children, stuffed animals are a great way to do it. Here’s how:

Stuffed animals and language skills

Even if a child’s stuffed animals don’t have a sound box, they’re still a great way to teach your children different languages. Pretend play allows children to practice the different words and phrases that they’ve learned in front of a non-judgmental audience (i.e. their dolls and stuffed animals). This kind of experimentation can help them practice phrases they’ve learned at home as well as English phrases that they’ve learned at school.

Choose a toy carefully

If you want your child to play with this stuffed animal, you need to make sure that they actually like it first. In that respect, you’ll want to let your child choose the stuffed animal themselves rather than you picking one out for them.

Create a backstory and personality

To make the stuffed animal seem more real, give them a unique backstory and personality. Together with your child, figure out where your toy was “born,” what languages they speak (for example, they can speak both English and the language you speak at home, or they can speak just one of them), and what their likes and dislikes are. Don’t force any of these decisions, but let a stuffed animal’s story come about naturally.

Stand by as a translator

While a stuffed animal can help your child practice their language skills, they may need a helping hand depending on how well they know either language. This means that you should step in as the one talking for the stuffed animal and helping your child out when need be.

We at The Zoo Factory have plenty of stuffable animals that can help to encourage your child’s bilingualism. Look through our site to pick out your child’s new best friend today!

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4 Screen-free, Rainy Day Activities

When you get up on Saturday morning and see rain pattering down on your windows, you’ll realize that a trip to the park is no longer possible. However, you don’t want your child to just stare at the TV screen all day. That’s why we’ve compiled some fun activities you and your child can do when you’re rained in on the weekend.

Indoor camping trip

You may not be able to enjoy the great outdoors, but you can have just as much fun inside with a pretend camping trip. Set up a tent and spread out some pillows and blankets to transform your living room into a comfy camping space. Then, bring down some books, snacks, crayons, and other toys for you to spend your time with. And don’t forget to bring your child’s favorite stuffed animal along for the trip!

Bake some sweets

A great way to warm up the house and fill your stomachs is to bake some delicious sweets. You can do something simple like chocolate chip cookies, or you can spend the entire day working on a cake for the family. Just be sure to keep your children safe while they’re in the kitchen.

Teddy bear picnic

Similar to having an indoor camping trip, you can also bring the outdoor fun inside with a teddy bear picnic. Get some snacks and drinks together and then gather all of your child’s stuffed animals (teddy bears or otherwise) around the picnic blanket. You can even plan additional activities such as hide and seek or an animal fashion show to keep things interesting!

Get creative

If your child loves arts and crafts, then break out some of the crayons and paints you have around your house. You want your child to have fun, so don’t be afraid to get a little messy. Just lay down a tarp or a plastic cover to protect your belongings from accidental paint spills.

As fun as all of these activities 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 stuffable animals here The Zoo Factory today!

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How Stuffed Animals Benefit Babies and Toddlers

As infants, a few of the first things we grow attached to are our mothers, fathers, and in many cases, stuffed animals. We form bonds with them almost instantaneously, and they shape our perceptions of the world as we wield these tools for learning and interaction.

One of the greatest gifts we can give a newborn baby or toddler is a stuffed animal, and here’s why:

Teaching about the world

When you give an infant a stuffed animal, you may not know it, but you are teaching them about the world. Stuffed animals can be used to classify different animals, such as reptiles and aquatic creatures. Not only do these toys introduce your baby or toddler to the animal kingdom, but they can also help them process and understand human emotion and sensory details such as texture and color.

What to look for in your baby’s first stuffed animal

When choosing your baby’s first stuffed animal, you will want to keep a few things in mind. Try to avoid animals with long fur or removable parts, as babies can easily choke on these. If giving your child a stuffed animal is sentimental to you, you may want to opt for a stuffed animal that your toddler can hold onto once they are of preschool age. At this age, your child is beginning to develop more of an active imagination, and will likely want to interact with their stuffed animal even more.

At the Zoo Factory, we encourage imaginative play, whether you’re 3, 15, or 67! We’re never too young or too old to connect with our inner child. Take a look through our inventory to find the perfect stuffable animal for your child today!