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8 Ideas to Create Fun and Laughter with Your Young Grandchildren
September has arrived, and I’m looking forward to the three day weekend ahead! For our family, Labor Day has traditionally meant sports practices, or doing actual labor around the house – finishing up projects that have been languishing on that summer to do list before the weather takes a turn downward.
September 9th, 2020
But I am craving a ‘fun’ holiday, so I checked the ‘Random National Holiday List’ and discovered that National Teddy Bear Day is September 9th.
Perfect! It’s now on my official calendar as well, because it’s the perfect type of day to celebrate with my 3 year old granddaughter.
So on September 9th, teddy bear lovers across the nation can celebrate and honor the history of the creation of the Teddy Bear.
Where Did Teddy Bears Come From Anyways?
According to history.com, “one of the world’s most beloved toys was named in honor of President Theordore Roosevelt, after he refused to shoot a bear during a Missisippi hunting trip in 1902.”
That story made national news, became a caricature in a cartoon, and eventually inspired the fuzzy little bears we know and still love today.
8 Ways to Celebrate Teddy Bear Day
Morgan (my granddaughter) LOVES teddy bears, and has some very special bears at both her house, and here at our home too. They’ll be the backdrop for many of the ideas we’ll be trying out this year.
We thought we’d share these ideas with you too! There are eight ideas in all – we may just need to extend the celebration!
1. Sing an old favorite – Teddy Bear Teddy Bear
We love singing songs together, and it will be fun to teach Morgan this old favorite!
You can watch/learn it here if it’s new to you.
As you repeat the song, make up some new verses and have your bears with you to help with the motions.
2. Read some favorite books about some favorite bears.
We especially enjoy:
-The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear, by Don Wood
-Coruroy’s Birthday, and Corduroy (the classic) by Don Freeman
-The Big Honey Hunt and The Bears Christmas (any time of year!) by Stan and Jan Berenstain
3. Paddington Movie Night
If you’re fortunate enough to be together, make some popcorn and enjoy the Paddington movie together.
Morgan and I have also enjoyed a movie online together a couple of times (seems to work best if we break it into little chunks though!)
4. Hide & Seek
One of our favorite things to do together, whether it’s together or virtual, is play hide and seek. This week we’ll be hiding bears!
5. Bear Crafts
Corduroy Bear Crafts from 2 Paws Designs are sure to be a hit – whether we paint, color, or glue scraps of paper, this options are simple to do!
6. Play “Doctor” or “Hospital”
When Morgan comes to visit, one of our daily activities is playing hospital with the teddy bears.
They wear masks, we take their temperatures, cover them with warm plankets, wrap their legs with ace bandages, and anything else needed to make them comfortable.
So when I discovered this free printable Teddy Bear and nurse activity, I knew we’d have to try it. I’ve ordered these little bandages from Amazon, and can’t wait to send it all her way.
7. Bear Adventures
Each time Morgan leaves, she gives me detailed instructions on how to care for the bears while she is away.
However since she is gone for lengthy periods of time, sometimes these bears need to wake up and have some adventures. For National Teddy Bear day I plan to have pictures ready of her bears doing all sorts of things around the house. It will be great fun to tell stories of their adventures!
8. Send a ‘Beary’ Sweet Greeting
Here’s a great little Paddington origami tutorial from Red Ted Art that I’ve got saved. Can’t wait to send Morgan a little something special by snail mail!
We hope that you’ve found these ideas for this sweet little holiday helpful! Whether you share fun times with your grandkids in person or from a distance like me, the memories that are made during our times of connection are the biggest celebration of all!
Looking for more tips on how to connect with your grandkids during the early years? Check out How Preschoolers Think Relationally for practical connection tips based on where they are at developmentally AND how to support mom and dad during this phase as well.