It’s November and, I don’t know about you, but this year has flown by, and I am definitely feeling the need to begin sorting Christmas gifts ASAP. Luckily, MiniZoo is home to not just some awesome and realistic mode animal toys, but some fun and educational animal resources including books, games, puzzles, activities and more.

This year we have welcomed a number of new brands and products to enhance your model animal play and they’re perfect for bundling up with your MiniZoo purchases and helping you find the perfect gift combination that makes online Christmas shopping easy while providing hours of awesome animal playtime. So I’ve got a list here to share with you if you’re wondering where to start.

Tara Treasures Play Mats

We welcomed the wonderful felt products from Tara Treasures to the MiniZoo family this year and if you haven’t already seen them, the play mats are AMAZING. There are 2 sizes, the larger is perfect for our ‘regular’ sized model animals, while the smaller size works well with our tube animals. For farm animal fans, go for the Tara Treasures Large Farm Play Mat Playscape, with some model animals including the CollectA Friesian Cow, Calf, Sheep, Sow, and Rabbit, as well as the Papo Alezan English Thoroughbred, and the Schleich Hen. 

Or if you prefer a smaller scale, and have a magical ocean lover, I’d recommend the Mermaid Cove Play Mat Playscape with the Wild Republic Mermaids Nature Tube and the Safari Coral Reef Toob animals. But with a number of Tara Treasures play mat themes to choose from, you can make any environment easily. 

Modern Monty Games

Modern Monty is a lovely brand which offers a range of animal games and activities which is beautifully illustrated with whimsical watercolours. Their range includes Snap & Go Fish cards, Memory games, Puzzles and Flash cards, each of which pair well with MiniZoo model animals. We’d suggest grabbing the Modern Monty Australia Snap & Go Fish card game and some Science & Nature Aussie animals including the Penguin, Crocodile, Kookaburra, Cockatoo, Emu, Koala, Wombat, Platypus, Echidna, Bilby, and Kangaroo.

Books

We love our new range of books, so be sure to check them out. They’re an easy gift to bundle with your model animal purchases. Maybe you’re buying a Mojo Grizzly Bear and Cub, then add ‘A Book of Bears’ by Katie Viggers. Or perhaps you have a young dino lover like I do. The Large Soft Latex Triceratops or the Tender Leaf Toys Wooden Dinosaur Pack pairs perfectly with the board book ‘There are 101 Dinosaurs in this Book’.

Breyer Activities

Breyer is always a fan favourite among horse and pony club fans. Did you know they offer a bunch of horse themed craft and activities? The ‘H is for Horse’ Colouring, Sticker and Activity Book will provide hours of crafting fun alongside your Breyer Activity Suncatcher Unicorn Paint and Play Kit and Breyer Freedom Keep the Peace model rainbow unicorn, or the ‘World of Breyer’ 500 piece puzzle for those looking for a challenge.

Schleich Playsets

We have our popular large play sets from Schleich which are always well received. While they come with some animals already inside, you could easily add the Schleich Ankylosaurus to your Quad Escape from Velociraptor purchase and truly create some prehistoric adventure playtime by pretending the adult ankylosaur wants to be reunited with its baby. Or combine two or three smaller sets together and create a story at home, e.g. train your horses in fun activities with the Pony Curtain Obstacle, Pony Agility Training, and the Agility Race. Or simply add the Camping Accessories to any horse and rider combination set like Sarah and Mystery and go on a camping and trail riding adventure.

Papoose Pouches

If you’re shopping for very little ones, then check out the Papoose Felt Pouches. They are an awesome all-in-one activity, where the pouch unzips to become a playmat scene and the soft animals can be found inside. We have Dinosaur, Africa, Farm and Sea themes, and they’re perfect for playtime on-the-go.

Sensory Play

Another exciting new addition to the MiniZoo range is our sensory play collection. Now you can create a sensory experience with water marbles, cotton sand, snow and plenty more for your model animals to play in. Find the Huckleberry Ocean Water Marbles and Snow here at MiniZoo as well as the CollectA Polar Bear and Cub, Narwhal, Walrus, and the Emperor Penguin and Chicks and some Safari Good Luck Minis like the Giant Squid, Squid, Octopus, Jellyfish, Harp Seal, and easily create a fun arctic adventure.

When purchasing a bundle of gifts such as the ones listed above, why not get it all in a MiniZoo calico bag for easy storage and transportation? This will help to keep your ‘like’ animals together with their habitat or learning resources and games.

Christmas shipping times vary from state to state, so be sure to keep your eyes out for these cut offs so you don’t miss out.

If you need a hand with your MiniZoo Christmas shopping, don’t hesitate to reach out, but we also have an amazing group of MiniZoo VIPs on Facebook, so join the gang if you haven’t already because its so much easier to shop with friends.

Jenna @ MiniZoo