Pictures Of The Week - Kids & Animals, Part 2

We got such an overwhelming response from our first "Kids & Animals" photo gallery that we decided to do it again! Last time we went with a black and white photo theme; this time we decided to gather pictures of future equestrians with their horses.

If you missed our first "Kids & Animals" post, click here. And to see even more pictures of children and their animal friends, visit our "Kids & Animals" board on Pinterest!

Play Date Themes For Kids

It's true, you don't need much to host a good play date. Just a pile of toys, some cookies and juice and the kids are happy. But if you want to get more creative with your next play date, we have some quick and (very) easy themes and ideas you can incorporate!

Tell Me A Story: Read a few of the kids’ favorite stories to them, then have them write their own story. Afterward, have them act it out with puppets – or, if the kids are younger, have the parents do this while the kids watch.

When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth: Have the kids draw their own dinosaurs. What would it look like? What kind of things could it do? Make some yummy fossil cookies, then let them loose with some dinosaur figurines and toys.

Animal Tea Party: Perfect for little girls. Have each one dress in her favorite outfits (or pick one from your dress up box), bring their favorite stuffed animal and have “tea”.  Serve them “fancy” finger foods like tiny peanut butter and jelly squares. This is also a good opportunity to give them a quick lessons on manners, such as using napkins and silverware properly, saying please and thank you, etc.

Under The Sea: Set up a babypool in the backyard or garage and fill it with plastic fish, sea creatures, even mermaids for some imaginative play. Make toilet paper roll octopuses or styrofoam cup crabs, then finish the date with some Goldfish crackers and watching "Finding Nemo".

Imagination & Knowledge

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" ~Albert Einstein

This quote from Albert Einstein is sure to cause some discussion among our readers – is imagination MORE important than knowledge, or is it JUST as important? We’re not going to entertain the question of whether imagination is less important than knowledge, because we believe imagination is an integral part of a child’s development and education.

And yes, we are biased, considering we sell items that are made to foster children’s imaginations and creativity. And proudly so! We love the fact that the stuffed animals and figurines and puppets in our store are things that take kids on magical adventures, whether it be jungle safaris or animal tea parties or dinosaur hunting.

For some new, fun ways your kids can foster their imagination by playing with stuffed animals and toys, take a look at this post and this post!

PS, this awesome imagination illustration is for sale here!

Pics Of The Week - Kids And Animals

We're featuring more than one picture in today's Pic Of The Week posts, but can you really blame us? These black and white photos we've collected are just too precious - how can we pick just one?

Want to see more adorable pictures of children and their animal friends? Then visit our "Kids & Animals" Pinterest board!

Summer Entertainment Ideas For Kids

School's out, the backpacks and books are away and... your kids are bored. Even with the pool and sports and camps, somehow, at some point during the summer, your kids manage to have "nothing to do".

But that's OK, because you'll be prepared! Melissa & Doug have some great arts & crafts sets that will keep your kids entertained for hours... or at least until it's time to hit the pool again.

Horse Stamp Set - This stamp set lets your child mix and match the stamps to create hundreds of horses scenes and pictures! The set includes 10 detailed stamps, a two-color stamp pad and 5 colored pencils.

Paint-Your-Own Dinosaur Figurine - This kit comes with two plain dinosaur figurines ready for kids to paint. They can try to recreate the look of their favorite dinosaur, or maybe make up their own new species!

Butterfly Friends Bead Kit - Your budding fashionista/jewelry designer will have a ball making necklaces and bracelets with these wooden butterflies and accessory beads.

50-Page Jumbo Coloring Pad - This is one coloring book they won't tire of quickly! Picture themes include animals, sports and vehicles.

Build Your Own Birdhouse Kit - Your kids will love all the new feathered friends they meet once they build this easy-to-assemble bird house!

Summer Essentials For Kids

School will be out for your kids in just a couple short weeks! Make sure they're ready to greet the summer with the Jungle Store Summer Essentials!

Protect your children's face from the sun and keep him cool with one of our animal-themed visors or bucket hats.

Keep the sun out of their eyes with a pair of our fun animal sunglasses!

Flip-flops are an absolute must for the summer! Easy to slip on, doesn't matter if they get wet at the pool/beach, they're the ultimate summer essential.

And speaking of the pool/beach, don't forget the towels! These fun, hooded towels are among our most popular items.

Finally, every kid needs their own summer tote bag, whether they're carrying summer library reading program books, pool toys or whatever else they need. And this set even comes with beach toys!

And there you have it, just a few of the summer essentials that you can get for the best price from TheJungleStore.com!