Archive for December, 2009
Toddlers can be a bit picky when it comes to toys and gifts, so next time you have to buy something for a little one, nothing is more a certain to satisfy than stuffed animals. Not only do all children love all varieties of wild creatures, but they also are attracted to the soft plush nature of a memory bear or other stuffed animal.
A versatile gift, plush and stuffed animals can be a toddler’s new companion as they begin developing social skills and improving upon their speech. As their new friend, plush animals are also a great way for toddlers to learn the importance of sharing. Purchasing something like a stuffed animal is more than just buying a toy; it’s watching a child’s heart grow.
A stuffed animal is a toy animal stuffed with straw, beans, cotton or other similar materials. Some stuffed animals are very old - home made cloth dolls stuffed with straw go back to at least the 1830s, perhaps much older. Stuffed animals are also known as plush toys and soft toys or cuddly toys. The most well known type of stuffed toy is undoubtedly the teddy bear, and there are even many custom teddy bear variations.
Stuffed animals, in the past, were used for random stuffing of the evacuated skins of hunted animals. The phrase is still sometimes used to refer to examples of taxidermy. However, with modern technology it is now possible to produce them with synthetic materials. For this reason, plush toy or plushie or soft toy may be more appropriate names for modern synthetic stuffed animals.
It seems like everything today is mass-produced from the same mold, and it is difficult to find products that exhibit originality or reflect your personality. When my sister had her first child last spring, I didn’t want to get my new nephew some run-of-the-mill, generic toy from a department store. I decided to look online to see if I could find something more personal.
After some scouring on the internet, I came across a site that offered custom teddy bears. This seemed to be the perfect combination of a traditional gift that still maintained a sense of individuality. I choose a distinct outfit for my nephew and had the bear created in the same attire, which created several memorable photo ops.