stuffed animals Archives - Page 2 of 4

Posted on October 5, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Fall Camping With Your Stuffed Animals

Looking back, some of the best childhood memories were from family camping trips that we all took. Away from the technology and busyness, we had the entire time to ourselves and our families.

If you didn’t get the opportunity to go camping this summer, it actually works out for the better.

Taking a camping trip during the fall months may prove to be a better time to go for your family. The scenery and fall foliage are beautiful and these picturesque views will make you glad you waited a few months.

Not only are the views spectacular but the weather isn’t too shabby either. Waking up to crisp morning air will make your coffee and hot chocolate taste even better and the cooler temperatures make hiking and spending time outdoors much more comfortable than the stifling summer months.

There are a variety of different camp activities for the entire family like apple and pumpkin picking, local festivals and even fishing derbies.

Many children like to bring their friends along for the camping trip and you’d hate for them to miss out on the fun.

If you’re thinking of taking your stuffed friend or dolls along for the adventure consider adding these items to your packing list:

Let your doll or stuffed animal snuggle up next to you in sleeping bag that fits them just right.
Feeling hungry after a long day of apple picking and running through corn mazes? With the Coleman stove you will get a light-up stove, iron skillet, spatula, burger, grilled cheese, fried eggs and bacon.
Cool down after a long day hiking with some nice cold drinks from the Coleman cooler. It also comes with two glasses of lemonade with straws.
Being afraid of the dark is no longer a problem with our Coleman Lantern!

With dozens of stuffed animals to choose from and a wide variety of accessories, The Zoo Factory has everything you need for your stuffed animals or dolls and your upcoming camping trip. Please check out our selection and contact us today!

Posted on September 14, 2015March 1, 2023 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Cool Extras To Use At Your Child’s Next Stuffed Animal Birthday Party

Parents are always looking for a way to make their child’s birthday party memorable. Whether it is special decorations, a character themed party, awesome games, and prizes, parents of little ones want their child’s day to be significant in every way possible.

As we scour through dozens of Pinterest pages, get tips from friends and family and even take notes from the things our little ones say, we still may come up short on an idea.

So what is a parent to do?

An ideal birthday party activity is one that can be done with the group and can be a great “thank you” gift for attending. We are not talking about the traditional goody bags filled with candy and fun little trinkets. We are talking about putting together stuffed animals.

Stuffed animals are and will always remain a favorite among little children. At your child’s birthday party, why not allow all of the kids to stuff their own friend. This is not only fun but memorable for all involved.

Probably one of the coolest parts of stuffing animals at the birthday party is not just the actual stuffing; it’s the creativeness that is put into making the friend unique. You can allow the kids to use their imaginations and draw whatever they want on their animals. Maybe the birthday girl or boy would like all of their friends to sign their animal? Or they can draw pictures of their favorite things like sunshine, rainbows, flowers, and animals.

In addition to fabric markers, we also carry home carry boxes which look like a little house for the stuffed animal and also wishing stars where the children can make a wish upon the star and then place the star in the animal before it closes.

At The Zoo Factory, we have all of the above-mentioned accessories to help make the birthday party stuffed friends personal. For more information or questions on the products we offer, contact us today!

Posted on August 31, 2015March 1, 2023 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Purchasing New Stuffing To Bring Your Child’s Animal Back To Life

Stuffed animals are so adorably soft, plush and serve as the perfect source for comfort and cuddling. Overtime after all of the hugs and snuggles, your little one’s stuffed animal could have seen better days.

It is not uncommon for stuffed animals to have lost their fluffiness and your little one may begin to notice the changes and become upset. After all, stuffed animals are a sense of security for little children and even the slightest of changes can become a catastrophe.

Some parents might think it is time to make a new friend by purchasing a new stuffed animal when they notice the other one has gotten too flat. This is not really necessary, especially if the child has an emotional attachment to it.

By re-stuffing, the animal can once again have its fluffy appearance. Most store bought stuffed animals are sewn together when you purchase them. This entails you having to make a cut along the seam and opening the stuffed animal. Once the new stuffing has been put in, you just have to sew it back up. With this option, you run the risk of not closing the fur tightly enough, which could result in a tear and spillage of stuffing.

A simple solution to this problem is by purchasing a stuff-able bear that you and your child can stuff for the first time together. These stuffed animals are closed by zipper or Velcro, which makes it much easier to re-apply stuffing in the future.

Our stuff-able adorable animal friends can be re-stuffed and we have our available stuffing listed on our website. You can purchase additional stuffing by choosing the size of the animal. The sizing options are for 8 inch and 16 inch. If you want to bring back to life your child’s stuffed animal, you can do so with The Zoo Factory today.

Posted on August 14, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Finding Accessories For Your Child’s Stuffed Animal

There are a variety of child friendly toys that can become a treasured item in their life. However, nothing can really compare to the love given to a stuffed animal. Stuffed animals are a little one’s first best friend and companion that travel to and fro wherever they go.

Stuffed animals bring much comfort in times of need in a child’s life such as birthdays, illnesses, first school experience, and also for those just because moments.

What else that is so great about a stuffed animal is that there are no batteries required, there is little to no maintenance expect for an occasional washing, and they are the perfect way to give and get a comforting squeeze.

When stuffed animals first became popular decades ago, it was typically a brown, black or white teddy bear. This teddy bear would be fuzzy and cute and very simple. Nowadays, stuffed animals can be accessorized to the fullest, making playing with them so much more fun.

Your little one will certainly have a delightful time dressing up and accessorizing their stuffed friend. Some examples of accessories include outfits, shoes, hats, jewelry, back packs, bathing items, swimwear, and sunglasses.

Two very adorable accessories available for stuffed animals are the sleeping bags and Little Secret Hearts.

As a companion for sleepovers, the sleeping bag is perfect. Fitting a large stuffed animal, the sleeping bag is so much fun for little ones to play pretend sleepover with their best furry friend. When going on vacation or when having to be away, your child’s stuffed animal’s sleeping bag brings much comfort and entertainment.

Little Secret Hearts are 16 inches and have an elastic band that wraps around the stuffed animal and also has a little storage compartment. Closing with Velcro, your little one’s animal can hold or hug their little secrets! Each Little Secret Heart has a sweet message embroidered on the front, making it much more significant.

For a look at these stuffed animal accessories, feel free to browse through our website. The Zoo Factory has a wonderful collection of accessories that will be perfect, contact us for more information today.

Posted on August 11, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — 1 Comment

Adding A Wonderful Scent To Your Child’s Stuffed Animal

One of the strongest senses the human body experiences is the sense of smell. Scents play a key role in our mental and emotional well-being. Most people have a favorite scent that brings them peace, and a feeling of calm and happiness. This occurs most often with children.

Whether it is a parent’s scent, the smell of the laundry detergent or food, children relate happiness and memories to a special scent. Scents and significant items are particularly important in the life of a child. Think back to your own childhood and we can imagine that at one point, there was a stuffed animal or doll that was a favorite. As a small child, stuffed animals and their unique scent are very comforting.

When you combine the two, a stuffed animal and inviting scent, you have a wonderful combination in a product that is sure to be loved by any little human being.

The world of creating a stuffed animal friend is a popular activity for our youngest generation. They love the idea that their buddy has been hand-picked and stuffed just for them. You can now take the special process one step further by placing a scent in the middle of the stuffing within the animal for a long-lasting smell.

Aromabearapy has a full line of adorable paw-inspired scent chips to be placed within stuffed animals. All you have to do is add the scent chip in the middle of the tummy inside of the stuffing. After a few minutes, tell your little one to hug their friend tightly and a wonderful smell will erupt from the animal. The smell is not over-powering. Some of the scents include baby powder, bubble gum, apple, cotton candy, strawberry, and more.

For a full list and description of the available Aromabearapy scent chips, feel free to browse our website. For more information, contact us today!

Posted on July 16, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Why It’s Important To Clean Your Stuffed Animal

You may keep a very clean home, shampooing your carpets and disinfecting your surfaces regularly to keep your kids safe from everyday germs that can be very harmful to them. What you may not realize, though is that their security item, like their stuffed animals, also need a little bit of extra attention in order for your children to stay safe.

The most common issue that your child’s stuffed animal would likely have is dust mites, and dust mite allergens can become a contributing factor to eczema and asthma flare-ups. Stuffed animals can also be home to other harmful bacteria that can pass colds and flus, from one child to another or from your child to you.

Luckily for you, as long as your child’s stuffed animal fits in the washing machine, you can prevent the spread of germ and allergens! With the help of a laundry bag, like the ones we have available on our site, your stuffed friends become machine washable.

We recommend that you wash your furry friends once per week at a high temperature with antibiotic detergent. The laundry bag will ensure that your stuffed friend will stay intact and unharmed in the washing machine, as well as the dryer. Rips and tears could occur if your teddy gets snagged on buttons or zippers that are also in the washing machine, but our laundry bag will prevent all of these issues.

Pick up a laundry bag today and stick those stuffed animals in the wash to get rid of germs and allergens that are hiding behind their sweet plush faces. Get your hands on these helpful stuffed animal cleaning accessories from The Zoo Factory! For more information or to order any of our great products, contact us today!

Posted on May 6, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Summertime Programs With Stuffed Animals

Attention all summer camp counselors and summer program coordinators!

School will be letting out soon for summer vacation and that means you will be taking over for the teachers and parents and have multiple children to care for. Usually these children will be a wide range of ages and sometimes it can be difficult to find tasks all the children will enjoy doing, along with one that is affordable and fits in with your program budget.

To help get everyone to know each other it may be a fun idea to have them all stuff their own animal in the first week of camp, then all summer long they will have a friend nearby even if their school friends are not in the same program.

To make things easy buy all the animals a plain white t-shirt and use graffiti pens to decorate them. This way each animal can be an individual just like your campers.

These stuffed animals will go on many adventures with your students and the students will always have them. Just think of the times when they grow up and pack away their toys, they may keep the stuffed animal out just as a reminder of what fun the summer of 2015 was for them. Stuffed pets are the best for cuddling for when the students have a scrapped knee and need to get a Band-Aid, they also make a great companion for playing red rover.

The Zoo Factory animals are an extremely affordable option for your program. Start your summer program on the right foot, or even the proverbial furry foot. Contact us for more information today!

Posted on March 20, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Customizing Stuffable Animals For Your Child

Having toys for your child to play with is important, it helps their imagination run wild and lets them have the dreams you hope they achieve someday.

Many children will use their toys as a way of creating dreams and aspirations for themselves. Instead of letting your child use the popular toy to impersonate them, give them a stuffable animal that is them. Ok, maybe they will not look exactly like them but embodies them in every way possible.

There are many ways to customize one of our stuffed animals to be your child’s mini-me.

First start with the clothes-you can dress them exactly how your child would dress on a daily basis or dress them in your child’s favorite color.

You can also pick the stuffed animal that you think most directly identifies with your child. For example if you have a child who loves to play at the park and is always climbing around you may want to give them a gorilla. Or if your child is somewhat shy and quiet, you could always get them a cute and cuddly rabbit. Choose the animal that is inside of your child just waiting to come out and play.

One last thing you may want to include with your child’s new friend is a scent. If your child is your little sweetie pie or cupcake make sure to include the cupcake aroma-bearapy.

Make your child’s next stuffed animal is a toy they will want to look up to and idolize as they create their own dreams.

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Posted on March 2, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Re-Stuffing a Limp Stuffed Animal

Stuffed animals become family members very quickly. For children they are companions, teachers, babies, and devoted friends. And for adults they are reminders of another time, perhaps another place, and even a first close relationship. Beloved stuffed animals get worn easily, but are sometimes loved even more in their decay.

When stuffed animals lose their stuffing through play and a lot of holding, they may begin to not look like themselves. But repairing this problem is simple as well as being a loving gesture.

The first thing to do is go to a fabric or craft store and get polyester fiberfill stuffing. Polyester fiberfill is the best thing for re-stuffing as it is both hand and machine washable. You can even put it in the dryer with the worry of it bunching up and distorting the shape of the animal. It is also easy to work with.

The next step is to locate the spot where the stuffing was first put into the animal. Look closely at all the seams on the toy, especially hidden ones, like down the back, between the legs, under the arms. Search carefully. You will find the spot somewhere on a seam where it gets a bit bumpy or it appears that some of the fur is tucked under there. It shouldn’t be too difficult to locate.

Use a good seam ripper and start undoing the threads. Work very gently and carefully so as not to disturb worn patches on the stuffed animal and make them worse. Worn patches may show signs of being well loved, but they are very fragile and need to be worked around with care. Never cut the seam with a scissors.

Once you have found the hole and opened it wide enough for your fingers to get in, pick a gumball-sized piece of fiberfill and put it into the empty spaces. With each piece of stuffing, take the time to rub and pat it into place. With newer stuffed animals you might be able to use a stuffing tool like a chopstick, but never use one with old and very worn toys as you might put a hole in the skin. So you stuff and pat, stuff and pat. Be sure to rub out any lumps and bumps.

Stuff the toy until you are satisfied with its firmness or softness. Now you are ready to re stitch the seam. Using a simple ladder stitch, and sewing with extra strong thread, close up the hole. Take care to not leave any threads hanging out when you finish up. Make sure they are well tucked.

You have your family member back and restored. It can be hugged and played with, sit at a tea party, or be a bed companion. A beloved friend is back in action!

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Posted on February 26, 2015 by The Zoo Factory — Leave a comment

Creative Ways to Store Stuffed Animals

Stuffed animals, whether they are yours or your children’s, tend to be fruitful and multiply. They are wonderful and warm gifts, and we all grow attached to them. Throwing them out is absolutely unheard of.

So how do you store them?

Do you stick them in a toy trunk or use them as decorations and display them?

Most stuffed animals are colorful and cute, and they make a great addition to your home decor. Burying them in a trunk or toy box doesn’t really give them their due. Especially for children who tend to have a special attachment to each stuffed animal, being able to see them all the time is like a security blanket. There are as many ways to display your stuffed animals as there are people to think of them, and here are a few ideas.

Of course you can always put them on a shelf or dresser top. But in the interest of getting a bit more creative, think a bit outside the box. Get a nice tree branch from your yard. You can paint it to accent the room’s color or leave it natural. Then hang a swing from the branch and display the stuffed animals on that swing.

Think baskets. They can be made of any material that you like, and you can buy them readymade or create your own if you’re that energetic. Hang the baskets from floor to ceiling and put a few stuffed animals in each basket. You might organize them according to species, or color, or put the ones your kids hold most often near the bottom so they are easily accessed.

Ladders are beautiful home accessories, and can hold books, objects or anything you can think of. So why not display stuffed animals on them. You can paint the ladder to compliment the room’s color or paint it your child’s favorite color, and let him or her help you place the animals. You should nail the ladder to the wall to prevent accidents.

Finally there is the catch-all – the hammock! String a hammock anywhere that suits the room and just pile all the stuffed animals in it. It is an adorable way to display them and your child will enjoy seeing them all in one place.

As an important part of your child’s life – or even yours – stuffed animals deserve to be visible to everyone. They add color, shape, and life to any room. So think about displaying them and not shutting them up with other toys. They are special items in your life, have earned your or your child’s love, and even been teachers. Honor them.

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