It’s Checkup Time for Your Home Zoo Crew!

This blog is part of our “Summer Sparks” series where we will give you tips to inspire a summer of wonder! For more ideas on how to encourage imagination all summer long check out more blogs and toys!

It’s checkup time for our favorite zoo animals today in our house. First our two doctors check Mr. Giraffe to make sure he’s in tip-top shape. A quick checkup and a loving hug are all he needs to feel his best.

Moving on to Mrs. Penguin, one of our doctors makes a quick fix of a boo boo on her nose. A follow up prescription for hand-picked strawberries ensures a healthy and speedy recovery.

After a long day of hard work, our two doctors unwind with their friend Ms. Kangaroo and talk shop. Some important lessons were learned, the most important of all: love and attention are the best medicine for our zoo animals.

Countless Ways to Play

Here are a few ideas for other ways to play with your child’s stuffed animals:

• Design a Zoo. Arrange stuffed animals throughout the house in different “habitats.” Encourage kids to talk through their reasons for putting certain animals together. They can even use blocks as fencing to mark off boundaries for the different types of animals. Have them make signs for their “zoo” so visitors can find their way!

• The Doctor Will See You Now. Designate an area where kids can set up an animal hospital. Have them arrange an exam room, as well as a waiting area filled with stuffed animals. A paper towel tube can double as a stethoscope or an otoscope (for examining ears). Or you can outfit kids in a vet role play costume set!

• Animal Tales. Have kids tell a story about one of their stuffed animals. What is its name? Where is it from? What are its favorite things to do?