Stuffed animals make excellent pets because they don't require food and are silent except for the screeching episodes that occur once during each solstice. Create a birthday-time stuffed animal with today's Groupon: for $89, you get a Silver stuffed-animal-workshop party for five kids (a $100 value plus a waived $25 hostess fee) and a visit from Mojo Monkey (a $75 value) from Noah's Ark Animal Workshop (a $200 total value). The party comes directly to your house, with an extra traveling charge ($25) for locations more than 40 miles outside of San Antonio.

Noah's Ark Animal Workshop's birthday parties allow attendees to assemble their own sewing-free stuffed animals in a festive atmosphere that has received a host of press attention. As the celebrants grab fistfuls of stuffing to bring their birthday beasts to life, a party hostess leads the cuddly charge by directing the crafting process and lassoing any animals that try to flee as they gain sentience. After choosing from a pride of animals including Jimmie Elephant, Olive Alligator, or Gary Industrial-Grade Concrete Supplier, every party guest stuffs, seals, and outfits their own fuzzy pal. Mojo Monkey adds celebrity to the celebration during a larger-than-life mascot visit.