Around a year ago I came across a site that sold plush microbes and other organisms. Immediately I realized the potential, since they could serve so many purposes. Whether you wanted to give someone a hint that they could use some mouthwash, teach awareness of diseases and nature, educate in biology or sex ed … or they serve as a great gag gift. Especially around the holidays – when lots of families and organizations do “white elephant gifts” that are supposed to be funny and take some of the stress out of finding the perfect gift.

Giant Microbes sent over a few plush toys to the Mom Buzz. One to keep and review – the others to share and spread the word. Personally, I thought the Common Cold microbe is the cutest of the whole bunch and the least threatening. But my youngest immediately became attached to Ear Ache. The bacteria that causes Ear Ache is S. Pneumoniae. When you look at the plush, you would imagine that it is such a random, pink shape. But then you look at what the real bacteria looks like and think, “Dang! That’s right on!”. Except the real bacteria don’t have cute, giant gold eyes staring at you. The plush came with a tag that had information on Ear Ache and how it is treated.

My thought is that many kids today have a lot of ear aches and sometimes they need tubes to release the pressure. Wouldn’t giving them a plush toy before the procedure take some of the fear out of the event?

Or if the flu is going around your office, it would be great if HR passed the FLU or COLD Plush Toys around, since their tags provide information on the disease and how to reduce your risk in catching it.

So, since my youngest claimed Ear Ache, our playmates were going to receive Stomach Ache and Common Cold. Common Cold is blue and round with blue plush bumps. It has big black eyes. Honestly, it has a puppy dog look to them. This went to a 5 year old girl. She loved it. She kept asking me and her mom to explain what it was and she wanted to know more about the information on the tag. Then she started repeating that to reduce her chance of catching the Common Cold she needs to wash her hands. And she learned that the buggers that cause the Common Cold are teeny-tiny and need to be viewed with a microscope. She carried it with her EVERYWHERE once she had it!

Stomach Ache is slender and tan with little frillies around his whole body. He went to a 7 year old. He and his mom thought it was “cool”. He also kept it close to his side, but the 5-year old wanted to learn more about “Stomach Ache” too. She thought it was interesting that just 10 of these microbes can cause you to get sick … and that washing hands was once again a preventative measure. It was amazing how these plush toys really spoke to the preschooler!

All of these microbes come from the HEALTH category. That’s also where you will find sore throat, cough and flu. All are available in petri size and most are available as giant sized microbes.

There are quite a few categories to choose from, though! Here is the complete list of categories and just some of my favorite plush:

Health – Flu, Cold, Etc.

Corporeals – Sperm, Fat, Brain Cells, Etc. This selection is great for Health Ed.

Infirmaries - Chicken Pox (get well gift idea), Toxic Mold, Etc.

Maladies – Bad Breath (Hint, Hint), Kissing Disease (Valentine’s Day), Etc.

Alimentaries – Salmonella, E. Coli, Cavity

Aerials – Mosquito, House Fly

Calamities – Mad Cow, Flesh Eating, Black Death, etc.

Exotics – Martian Life, Beer & Bread, etc. (The two I named are great gag gifts! There are more options here to check out, though)

Critters – Bookworm (for avid readers), Bed Bugs (staying in a hotel?), Flea (for vet offices), etc.

Venereals – Chlamydia, Herpes, etc. I’ll let you figure out why you would want to have or give these – but they are popular with college kids and great for sex ed.

Menageries – Toxoplasmosis, Heartworm, Mange, Rabies – Great for Vet offices and Pet Owners.

Tropicals – Malaria, West Nile, Etc. (Know someone going on a trip – make sure these plush critters are all they catch!)

Professionals – HIV, TB, Hepatitis (Professionals use these to keep the public informed in a unique, memorable, non-threatening way.)

Aquatics – Red Tide, Krill, Scum, etc.

This is not the complete list of plush – they are just some of my favorites. There are a lot to choose from and for so many reasons!  The traditional plush are approximately 4 inched tall and widths vary. But you can also buy petri ones, three to a canister, and GIANT ones. They range in price from $7.95 to $24.95. The plush toys are intended for ages 3 and up. You can see the complete selection here: giantmicrobes.com

BUZZWORTHY: The Swine Flu Microbe is now availabe at Giant Microbes.com!

MY THOUGHT: Cute and serve a variety or purposes! Great gag gift, get well gift, or build awareness of diseases and organisms.

WHAT WOULD BE CUTER: They sell Microbes, GIANT Microbes and petri (mini) microbes. It would be super cute if some came with a sound chip or button. For example if the Common Cold sneezed or the Kissing Disease made a Smooching Noise! I am keeping my Fingers Crossed that those will be available eventually!

OTHER MUST-HAVES: Want to remind your family or people in the office to WASH THEY HANDS this cold and flu season? Who can resits pumping with the Common Cold Soap Dispenser?

WIN – WIN – WIN

One winner here at the Mom Buzz will win a Plush Microbe of choice from Giant Microbes.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Giant Microbes and tell me your favorite plush and why!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
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Contest ends 11/30/09. Please refer to complete contest rules. The entries listed above are the ONLY entries for this contest. Winners will be notified by e-mail (if supplied in the entry or on profile page), as well as on the Winner’s Wall. The Mom Buzz received a Popcorn Tin full of popcorn for inspiration.