Stuffable Animals Archives - Page 4 of 4

Posted on September 25, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Great Ideas for a “Stuff-Your-Own Animal” Birthday Party

Stuff-Your-Own Animal Parties

All kids love being creative and personalizing their items, their living space, and even their clothes. To present them with a new toy, that they can create to be their own, is to give “the.best.gift.EVER”.

This is a great party idea for a few other reasons too. Specifically, the kids stay busy. Not to mention, “Stuff-your-own animal” parties are easy to clean up after, and they create a memorable experience for your child and his or her friends.

First, look over our collection of stuffed animals; choose a wide array to give kids a selection. Alternatively, you could choose to go with the same animal, if you want to eliminate the possibility of an argument. When getting the supplies, be sure to grab a few extra in case of mistakes.

Set up stuffing stations for the party, and include anything extra you deem fun. For example, since kids are making their own outfits for these animals, you can include things like rhinestones, sequins, and fabric paint to let them create custom fashions on their new friends.

Work on the animals in the beginning of the party, because then you can create even more fun afterwards. One of the best ideas is to create a manhunt. The guest of honor, or the birthday child, hides his or her animal, and the guests must follow clues to find where it is hidden. This creates exciting, educational fun. The person who finds the animal wins a prize. You can give away a cool accessory as a great gift for the winner.

A great idea for snacks is to bake cookies and decorate them like the various animals you’ve stocked up. If you don’t have a hand for decorating, you can find some here.

Create a pre-determined location to place the animals during cake and ice-cream time, to keep the animals clean. Finalize the party with a fairytale about the animals, highlighting each child’s creation with a role in the story.

We promise, you’ll win parent-of-the-year award!

Carolyn Hushbeck

[msh_feedburner]

Posted on August 21, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Custom Sound Chips in Stuffed Animals Can Promote Health & Development!

Calm, relaxing noises that emanate the womb have consistently proven to be beneficial to babies in a myriad of ways. Womb sounds, coupled with a mother’s loving voice, can dramatically influence the development and well-being of a child.

Amir Lanav, a neuroscientist, was more than a little worried and curious after the premature birth of his twins. Intrigued, Lanav wondered if his wife’s voice could help improve his children’s health and spirits. With his home computer, Lanav recorded his wife telling the babies to stay strong.

This theory proved to have a decent effect on the babies’ health, so the hospital queried Lanav about his ideas and together they set up more tests. A series of studies with premature babies and older infants showed that babies who listen to their mom’s voices get better sleep and feel less anxiety, promoting a better immune system.

Speaking, reading, and singing also played a major role in how the baby improved over time. The more soft and emotional the voice is the better; naturally, singing proved to be the most effective.

To read more on this study, check out the following article: http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/13/mom-as-recording-star-can-playing-maternal-voice-and-heartbeat-sounds-benefit-premies/

A stuffed animal in itself is a thoughtful, timeless gift, perfect for any new or expecting mother. Record a comforting, maternal message and place it inside of the companion. When the child heads to bed and snuggles against this toy, he or she will be welcomed by familiar sounds in a scary, unfamiliar word. These precious gifts are not only adorable, but also they could play a huge role in improving your child’s mood, development, behavior, and health.

Carolyn Hushbeck

Posted on January 18, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Why we love stuffed animals

From the dawn of child’s play, there has been one toy that has stood out among the rest: the stuffed animal. Kids everywhere go nuts for these soft, stuffed creatures.

In a study published by Time Magazine, which listed the most popular toys by decade throughout the past century, the one toy that appeared in almost every decade was – you guess it – a stuffed animal. The 1980s saw a sustained interest in stuffed animals, from regular stuffable animals and trademarked television show animals to wild animals and domestic pets. There is no doubt about it; children love stuffed animals.

But what is it about stuffed animals that is so appealing? Is it their likeness to real animals that makes us to cuddle them? Is it our instilled sense of nurturing that tells us we should cradle our stuffed animals, treat them as if they were real and care for them like no other?

Perhaps it’s because real pets – or wild animals brought down to stuffed animal proportions – would never stand for constant petting, cradling, poking, prodding and toting. By caring for our stuffed animals, we get a chance to know what it would be like to care for a rhino, lion, buffalo , monkey or other beast.

Most children have very little control over their day-to-day matters. So when a child plays with a stuffed animal, they are often all too happy to assign roles, play boss, make up scenarios and be in charge. Through interaction with a stuffed animal – something that never talks back, or acts controlling – a child is learning how to work through life situations, find comfort, grow and develop.

For something that is typically just, stuffing and stitches, a stuffed animal might be the best thing every made. It’s a soft, comforting toy that can teach life skills and create lasting bonds and memories for children.

Posted on January 4, 2013 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Stuffed animal sleepover in Chicago

The River Forest Public Library is hosting a slumber party. Not for children, though, but for their little stuffed animal friends.

Starting at 6 p.m. next Friday, children will bring their little stuffable animals to the library and listen to a few bedtime stories before leaving their friends for the night. What will the stuffed animals do? Well have a party of course!

The announcement in the Riverforest Sun Times said the animals will be occupied by hearing more bedtime stories, playing dress up, dancing and playing games. It’s a chance for the stuffed animals to let loose and tell stories with their other stuffed animal friends.

“It is fun to be in the library after hours,” Susan Quinn, head of Children’s Services, told the newspaper. “It will be perfectly acceptable for the animals to get a little louder in the library at night because they will be the only ones there besides our staff and the Teen Volunteer Team.”

When the children come to pick up their favorite stuffed animal friends, they will be greeted with a light breakfast and a slide show to see all the fun they had over night the announcement said.

It’s a unique way to see how your children react to a night without their stuffed animals, and a fun way to keep the children involved with their local library. I’m curious to see the fun the stuffed animals next week!

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.

Posted on December 6, 2012 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Rescuing misfit toys and making them better

The Island of Misfit Toys has always held a certain mystique around the holidays. Although an integral part to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the island is also such a perfect symbol for loneliness and the feeling that you’re an outcast, feelings that for many are unavoidable during the holidays. Stuffed animals are not just cherished toys meant for children, but also symbols of the human experience. Not many toys, in my opinion, possess such cultural cache. Stuffed animals represent the BEST aspects of living.

Silver Spring Township, PA resident Jane Kreitzer recognizes the deeper meaning behind stuffed animals.

In the feature article “Silver Spring Township woman dresses, gives dolls, and stuffed animals to charity,” Tammie Gitt of The Sentinel writes “Each year, the Silver Spring Township woman buys dolls and stuffed animals at the Dollar Store or Walmart when they are discounted after holidays. Then, she takes them home and crochets dresses, sweaters, hats, and even underwear for them.”

Kreitzer’s a rescuer of stuffable animals that time forgets and makes them better!

We’ve all seen the discount bins after the holidays and how sad the racks and bins look. It’s almost as if you want to reach out to the toys and comfort them, tell them that there’s always next year. For many of these toys and stuffed animals, there isn’t a next year.

What of the children that may need them? Jane has that covered as well! Gitt writes, “She called a local minister who gladly took [the stuffed animals]. Her donations continued for another six years in Florida including one year when some were given to a nursing home.”

Everyone can use a stuffed animal for that little extra cheer. Around this time of the year, we can all use that. Never forget the power of a stuffed animal.

Posted on November 27, 2012 by The Zoo Factory — 1 Comment

Stuffed animal drives for Superstorm Sandy victims held nationwide

Sometimes all it takes is a stuffable animal to feel better.

Nationwide, people have been showing their support for those affected the most by Superstorm Sandy by holding stuffed animal drives.

In Kansas City, a four-year old girl told her parents she wanted to help the children who were affected after hearing tales of children her age losing stuffed animals forever. Little Katherine Schell helped spearhead a drive that accumulated 1,800 stuffed animals, called “Project Daisy” after her favorite stuffed animals. Her and her parents flew to Stanton Island to deliver the load to happy children.

In New Bern, NC, on the coast of North Carolina, a second-grader also helped lead a drive for stuffed animal drive for those in need in the New Jersey and New York area. Jordyn Goodwin told ABC affiliate WCTI that she wanted to start the drive because she knew they would need the stuffed animals the most. “They can feel safe with their stuffed animal like I feel every night,” Goodwin said. “All of my stuffed animals are my best friends.”

Other stuffed animal drives in the news have been found in Iowa, Eastern Arizona and other parts of the country.

It was just released that damage in New York by Superstrom Sandy reached a staggering $32 billion dollars.

Posted on November 9, 2012 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Build a stuffed animal party!

Looking for an inexpensive birthday party for your child where his friends and guests can enjoy and take home gifts? How about a stuffable animal birthday party!

Pick a litter of 8-inch stuffed animal kittens for $26.95, add on some apparel for the customizable animals and some accessories and have a fun build a stuffed animal party where everyone can be involved.

The Zoo Factory has the stuffing, plenty of accessories and apparel to make each animal unique while using your child’s creativity to make something he or she can truly call their own. It’s a way to have fun, be creative at a relatively inexpensive price and something you child and truly be proud of. The best part about it, the guests can take home their creations too and will be a birthday party they can remember too!

Check out all the unique animals, apparel, and accessories The Zoo Factory has to offer and make your child’s next birthday party, a stuffable animal birthday extravaganza!

Here are the four kittens that come in our litter for a stuffed animal party!

Posted on September 24, 2012 by The Zoo Factory — 1 Comment

Welcome to our blog!

Hello everybody and welcome to The Zoo Factory’s Blog! Here you will find interesting factoids about our stuffable animals, gift ideas, special features and industry related news, so make sure you check back often to see what new we have in store.

We one of the largest inventory of 8-inch and 15-inch stuffable animals available on the web.

Here’s how it works. Purchase what precious stuffed animal you want, choose the stuffing and accessories, and start building your friendly stuffable animal! Your child will love their custom stuffed animal, watching them “come to life” while filling the animal with the cotton stuffing. They’ll feel more bonded with their special friend actually making them.

Get them away from the video games and build a stuffed animal!

So browse our inventory and choose what cutie your child will fall in love with and check back with more news from The Zoo Factory!