Weighted Stuffed Animal
By: Heather
Weighted stuff animals can be very helpful in times of stress, anxiety, fear and worry. Holding a weighted stuffed animal can feel like a great big hug – and who doesn’t love a hug? These come in handy during a thunderstorm or times your child has a meltdown. If you come to my home, you will often find one of my children sitting on the couch holding their weighted stuffed animals. They feel good after a hard day of living life or feeling stressed.
In the therapy world, they are often used for children with Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, Autism and Anxiety. Weighted stuffed animals have shown to generate proprioceptive input in our bodies. This causes the brain to release neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which have natural calming effect. Therefore, having a weighted stuffed animal often makes people feel calm, relaxed and more focused. I use these in my therapy practice with children and I find that my adult clients love them as well. Here is what you will need to create your own weighted stuffed animal.
Supplies:
You will need a stuffed animal, poly pellets (easily found on Amazon), a seam ripper, thread, a needle and scissors. It should take you less than an hour to complete this and it’s fun to get the kids involved. Have them help you pick the right stuffed animal. The stuffed animal should be soft and a size that the individual enjoys cuddling. It can be big or small – depending on preference. The stuffed animal I used was a 15″ teddy bear from Walmart. To make it easy on myself I just added this bear to my Walmart Grocery Pickup!
IMPORTANT: The stuffed animal should not have seams that seal the arms and legs off from the rest of the body. If it does, then it is more work and more sewing on your part. (See Video below for more details)
Step 1:
Lay the stuffed animal on it’s stomach and find the seam in the center of the back. Using your seam ripper you will undo the seam on the back and open a hole big enough for your hand to fit inside the stuffed animal.
Step 2:
Reach your hand inside and pull out about half of the stuffing. This will allow you space to add the weight and maneuver it where you want in inside the stuffed animal.
Step 3:
Start pouring the poly pellets into the stuffed animal. You can use anything you have on hand to accomplish this, a funnel, a cup, a measuring cup or your hands. After you have poured several scoops into the stuffed animal, reach your hand in and place the pellets into the hands, feet and bottom of the stuffed animal. Do not weight the head or the animal will not sit up straight and will fall over. Your animal should be somewhere between 2lbs – 5lbs depending on preference. What I usually do is add weight and then have the individual who will be using the animal hold it and tell me if it needs more or less weight. I keep adding weight until it feels comfortable and comforting.
Step 4:
After you have added the weight, you will then add as much stuffing back in as you can. Sometimes all the stuffing will fit back in and sometimes its too much and you will have to throw some away. Again, this is a preference, so make it as soft or hard as you like.
Step 5:
Thread your needle with a color that matches the stuffed animal and sew the hole shut.
Step 6:
Now you are ready to cuddle your weighted stuffed animal. Make sure you name the animal so it feels more personal. Have your child help you name it! My bear is Danny Tanner. My daughter is really into Full House these days so we had to name him after our favorite TV dad.
Encourage your child to breathe slowly while holding the weighted stuffed animal. This helps them learn to relax and use breathing to calm down. Breathing is so important. It’s the first thing you do when you are born and the last thing you do before you die. Do not underestimate it!
I always tell my clients that weighted stuffed animals are for sitting and cuddling. They are not for throwing or twirling through the air. Laying out expectations for kids helps them to understand the purpose of the weighted stuffed animal and exactly how to use it.
Please note: Weighted stuffed animals should only be used for kids old enough and strong enough to lift the animal off of them without assistance. Children under 3 are not recommended.
