How to Celebrate Teddy Bear Day

September 9 is Teddy Bear Day. Teddy bears have been around over 100 years. They are plain and fancy, large and small. Everyone has a teddy bear or knows a teddy bear. Here are tips to help you celebrate Teddy Bear Day.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Teddy bear

1. Smokey Bear

   Participate in an adopt-a-teddy bear program. A teddy bear is a symbol of love to a child suffering grief, trauma or loss. Many police officers, firefighters and doctors use teddy bears to help console children in moments of need. The children hug the teddy bear for comfort. These teddy bears are provided by donated funds. Keep a change jar handy to donate to your favorite teddy bear program.

2. Heaps of Hugs

   Hold a teddy bear drive. Check with children's hospitals, police chaplains and fire stations for local teddy bear needs. Recruit your newspaper and TV stations to help publicize the teddy bear drive. Set up donation centers at hospitals, libraries, city halls or other donation stations.

3. Find a home for a teddy bear. Take one or two or more to a hospital or nursing home. Choose someone to adopt the bear and care for it. A teddy can be a great comfort. As Charlotte Gray said, "Wake in the deepest dark of night and hear the driving rain. Reach out a hand and take a paw and go to sleep again."

4. Little teddies

   Hold a birthday party for your teddy bear. Invite your teddy bear's friends and all stuffed toys. Invite them to a teddy bear picnic or tea party. Read stories, eat porridge and take pictures for the guests.

5. At the museum

   Travel with the bear today. Take your teddy or your child's teddy along to work or on a day's chores. Use a camera or camera phone to take the bear's picture on a bench, in the car or standing with a landmark in the background. Take the bear and your child to the zoo or park for fun and photos. Make up a Teddy Bear Day memory page for the day's photos.

6. Hug your teddy bear. Writer Joseph Lempa said, "It is astonishing, really, how many thoroughly mature, well-adjusted grown ups harbor a teddy bear, which is perhaps why they are thoroughly mature and well-adjusted."

Tips & Warnings

• Join a teddy bear club.