How do you build a bear?

The Year One children are currently designing and making their own sensory toys.  They were, therefore, interested in how 'real' toys are made.  Each class had a trip to Build a Bear Workshop in Drake's Circus to go and find out!

The first step was to choose a base design animal.  This then had to be stuffed with a material similar to cotton wool, and everyone had a go of using the stuffer machine to fill the bear, making it soft and cuddly.  Unlike real animals, the bears from Build a Bear don't have one heart - they have loads of them!  Each child was given a heart and made a wish for the bear - that it would have kind paws or be good at jumping for example.  Each child then placed their wish filled heart into the bear before it was sewn up.  The final step in making the bear was to vote on an outfit.  The children were then invited to choose a name for their bear, which was then put on its own special 'birth certificate'.

Everyone enjoyed learning about the designing and making process and look forward to cherishing their class bear back in school.



The cat before it was stuffed.

The unanimous choice for 1CW's base 'bear' was an adorable black cat.  As well as being stuffed with stuffing and hearts, it also had a strawberry flavour scent sewn into its body, as a reminder of our own work on sensory toys.  The chosen name is Pumpkin, which suits the outfit it now wears - a glamourous witch costume.