In Poland, on the 25th of November, schools across the nation celebrate Teddy Bear Day (DzieĆ Pluszowego Misia). The day is typically celebrated by children bringing in their favorite teddy into the classroom for show and tell. At Big Ben British-Polish Bilingual Preschool in Krakow, we decided to go the extra mile with our creative preschool activities and constructivist approach to learning.
In the morning, the children brought in their teddies from home and discussed them during circle time. Our teacher taught them about the history of the teddy bear and its modern-day production process.  Did you know the charming origin story of the first teddy bear? The U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once refused to shoot a bear cub and was mocked by his political rivals for "not having a backbone." A supporter of Roosevelt named Morris Michtom found the story endearing and created the first-ever teddy bear in honor of the soft-hearted president. The public adored the new creation, and although bear dolls had been made before, this was the first time the name "teddy bear" was used and the first time it became a cultural norm to gift them to children. Soon, every child in America would receive a teddy bear from loving relatives.

With every topic, there is always an opportunity to impart more knowledge. By adhering to the experiential learning philosophy, we enrich our kindergarten learning experience. We talked about the history of teddy bears, how fabric is made, which materials are used, and what the production process looks like. Of course, the best way to learn is by doing, so we brought in a sewing machine and materials for the children to make their own bears! This hands-on activity aligns with our commitment to eco-friendly crafts for preschoolers.
The children, using newly bought white socks, elastic bands, buttons, and (a lot) of uncooked plain white rice, crafted their very own teddy bears. They named their creations and performed a "heart ritual," where they embedded their hopes and dreams into the bear. A small wooden heart was then placed inside the bear or sewn onto its chest. These fun DIY crafts for preschoolers combined motor skill development with emotional engagement.
The obvious question is: why socks? Why not provide a Build-A-Bear kit, which is readily available across various e-commerce sites? There are many reasons! Firstly, emotional engagement: by creating something out of nothing, the child imparts a great deal of emotional attachment to the finished craft and will take extra steps to care for it to ensure it does not fall apart. Secondly, we have been teaching children about recycling, reusing, and eco-production. By turning something into something else, we are recycling, revisiting lessons we covered previously, and reinforcing this topic. Lastly, it's fun! We think the finished bears speak for themselves!
If you want step-by-step instructions to create these teddy bears at home, you can watch the video below or, better yet, download our free teddy bear craft guide!
But hold on a second! What about our nursery group, ages 1â3? Well, they were practicing their motor skills and learning colors and parts of the face by scooping out rice and placing it into the correct areas! Sensory play activities for toddlers are the best way to spend the day. Well done, nursery kids!
We hope youâve enjoyed reading about our Teddy Bear Day celebrations! These photos were taken at Big Ben Bonarka, located at ul. Puszkarska 7i. Our second location, at ul. KukliĆskiego 7, also held the same engaging workshop for our children.
Weâd love to see how your teddy bear craft turned out! Send us your comments and photos to share your creations with our community.
We hope to see you soon at Big Ben British-Polish Bilingual Preschool & Nurseryâwhere learning and creativity come together!
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