Plush Animal Lover's Day – Oct. 28, 2026

Expected Plush Animal Lover's Day Deals

As Plush Animal Lover’s Day approaches, expect retailers to roll out charming promotions on stuffed animals and related accessories. In prior years, brands like Build-A-Bear Workshop have offered discounts on new creations or special bundles. Major toy retailers such as Target and Walmart often feature sales on popular plush lines like Squishmallows and Jellycat. Online specialty stores like Gund and Ty Inc. are also likely to run limited-time deals. Keep an eye out for promotions from Disney Store on character plushies and from independent toy shops. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as October 28 approaches.

History of Plush Animal Lover's Day

Stuffed animals didn’t start as toys in ancient history. However, records show that creating an animal replica has always been a staple in many cultures. From carved and chiseled animals made out of wood to paintings of aristocratic families’ favorite pets, the desire to immortalize a beloved animal has long existed in history. But the true origin of a stuffed animal dated back to the 1880s during the Roman times when rag dolls in animal shapes were in fashion. These dolls were made out of old fabric scraps filled with straw and designed for poor children who couldn’t afford wooden dolls.

Modern stuffed toys were first produced in 1880 by Margarete Steiff. She started making stuffed elephants as pincushions. She began manufacturing them the moment she noticed that children loved them. Within 6 years, she had already sold more than 5,000 stuffed animals. In 1890, her company started producing other stuffed animals like dogs, pigs, and cats that she designed herself.

The moment when stuffed animals truly entered the zeitgeist was when American President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt went on a hunting trip but spared a bearcub from being shot. This moment was drawn by “The Washington Post” as a cartoon for their editorial section. This was made even more popular when a shop owner called Morris Michtom replicated the cartoon by creating a stuffed bear animal he later called ‘Teddy Bear.’ Later that year, Margarete Steiff started producing Teddy Bears as well.

The popularity of stuffed animals continued in the 20th century as companies started mass-producing plushies — from Grund and Mattel, Disney, to Warner Bros. By then, stuffed animals have become a childhood staple that continues even up to this day.

The origin of the Plush Animal Lover’s Day remains unclear, but others consider it a response to the Teddy Bear’s Picnic Day celebrated on July 10. The only difference is Plush Animal Lover’s Day is for all types of stuffed animals.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Plush Animal Lover's Day