Plush Animals as a Teaching Tool

My daughter is about halfway through the fourth grade, and she recently came home to announce an upcoming homework assignment. Her task was to do some research on a particular species of animal, including the physical characteristics, behavioral traits and natural habitat. We had taken numerous trips to the zoo over the years, and I [...]

Stuffed Animals and Taxidermy

Surprisingly enough, the history of stuffed animals is inextricably tied to that of taxidermy. Hunters have long been fond of celebrating and preserving their greatest kills in the form of a hunting trophy. Over the years, hunters and outside specialists developed the skills necessary to keep those trophies for posterity. This often involved gutting the [...]

Discovering the Wild World of Animal Life

Ecosystems make for a fascinating study, and few things are more enthralling to a child than the animal kingdom. Whether their interest is piqued by a Disney movie or a tidbit of information they picked up in science class, most children go through a phase where they have a favorite animal. Before your kid’s next [...]

Making Peace with a Neighborhood Pest

Ever since I moved to a picturesque spot in the Michigan wilderness, I’ve been captivated by the local wildlife. During the course of my attempts to lure birds to my backyard feeders, I’ve also attracted some less desirable critters. At night raccoons and opossums feast on the sunflower seeds that have been knocked down to [...]

Hosting a Stuffed Animal Party

My daughter just turned 5 years old, and now that she’s in kindergarten we decided to hold a party. She invited all of her friends from school and a few from daycare. My husband and I decided to make it a bring-your-own-stuffed-animal party, knowing that it’s hard for some kids to leave their parents at [...]

A Newfound Soft Spot for Raccoons

I had always harbored preconceived notions about raccoons. To me, they were nothing more than scavengers who terrorized raided my birdfeeders at night and bullied the household pets if we accidentally left them outside. Having seen them scrounging for meals in dumpsters and trash bins, I believed raccoons were a public health hazard. All of [...]

Keeping Teddy Clean and Fresh

You can try to prevent it from happening all you want, but it’s just inevitable. Kids are some of the most efficient mess-makers alive, and they are especially adept at covering their stuffed animals with layers of filth. Whether it’s food particles or bits of dirt from being dragged around outside, teddy bears are often [...]

Taking the Cat on Vacation

My family and I just returned from a two-week vacation in Florida, and we couldn’t be more refreshed and invigorated. It’s funny to think that we almost called the whole thing off because of a cat. My 4-year-old daughter has a special attachment to Fuzzy, the tabby cat we got right around the time our [...]

Materials used to make Teddy Bears

The majority of teddy bears manufactured are made from Mohair, or a fur that is shorn or combed from long haired goats and woven into cloth. Others are made from Alpaca and some teddy bears are made from recycled materials, such as old quilts, dresses and fur collars.
There are also bears that are crocheted. These [...]

How Teddy Got His Name

President Theodore Roosevelt remains one of America’s most celebrated leaders. He set the wheels in motion for one of the most serious undertakings in the history of mankind: the Panama Canal project. He garnered legend as a member of the Rough Riders volunteer regiment during the Battle of San Juan Hill. And of course, his [...]

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