My youngest son absolutely loves animals and has a huge collection of plush animal friends to prove it. From a favourite fluffy bear to a wide-eyed monkey to a cute floppy-eared puppy, all of Benjamin’s animals have to be carefully arranged on his bed before I tuck him into bed each night. Yet even with so many favourite stuffed friends already, his real dream is to have a live pet of his very own.
At five years old, Benjamin isn’t quite ready for the responsibility of a real pet and with two kids to care for and a home business to run, I’m not willing to add another animal to our family just yet either. But luckily, I’ve found a way to introduce my son to some of the concepts of caring for a pet without making any extra work for myself. Introducing Build-a-Bear Workshop Promise Pets!
These adorable stuffed animals are as close to a real pet as a toy can get, with pets being offered in popular breeds including Golden Retriever, Beagle and Persian Kitten. The plush toys themselves are soft, cuddly and realistic. But the true genius of the Promise Pets is that the line also offers a free downloadable Promise Pets app that helps teach children about pet care!
The app is available for both iOS and Android devices and covers all the basics of pet care, from feeding to grooming to vet checkups. For my family, it was the perfect way of letting Benjamin know just how much work goes into caring for a pet. But at the same time, it has also helped him to learn more about some of those pet-related skills and chores so that when we do decide to add another pet to the family, he’ll be ready.
By playing fun mini games about different aspects of pet care, kids can earn Paw Points and eventually achieve the rank of Pet Care Pro. Benjamin’s personal favourite game was the bathroom mini game. By swiping left and right on the screen, he could steer his pet around obstacles to reach the litter box in time. He loved giggling at how badly “Fluffy” needed to go!
Because Build-a-Bear Workshop is so passionate about animals, the company is celebrating the new Promise Pets launch with a very special partnership too! From now until May 31, 2015, Canadians may make a donation of $1.00 or more in store by purchasing a satin heart benefiting the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation, which supports local educational outreach programs that teach children about caring for pets. This national grant program will be administered by the Petfinder Foundation, whose grant recipients care for more than 300,000 homeless pets at any given time across North America!
Build-a-Bear Workshop will be adding new breeds to the Promise Pets collection in the future, so if your child has always dreamed of having a certain dog or cat as a pet, these plush animals are a great alternative. Soft, huggable and educational too, Promise Pets are a child’s and a parent’s dream come true!
This is an awesome app to teach kids to be responsible with pets.This is a really good idea!
That’s so cute. I think it’s super creative
Cool app! Kids are going to be so ahead because of technology for toys. Like the idea of a practice pet for when the kids get much older.
What an awesome app/program@
This is a great idea..how many pets are in shelters because parents caved in and purchased a pet for the family and they aren’t ready for a commitment..great idea Build A Bear
That is such an awesome app. I love how it teaches responsibility, and I love the kitty so cute, I would do one myself to look after!!
Sounds like a great idea to teach them about having responsibilities for a pet before you get a real one!
who wouldn’t love a stuffed animal; what an awesome idea for kids to get the idea of
caring for a pet.
I grew up surrounded by animals and learned from a young age that they are a lot of responsibility. Too often people buy young children animals and, after the novelty wears off, the pets are pushed aside or abandoned. An interactive toy like this is a great way to prepare kids and see how they balance the fun with the work.
oh wow what an awesome program! I love that they are giving back and helping the animals <3