Teddy bears can be an important part of childhood. Many children (and adults!) have a teddy bear that they have owned all their lives. Regardless of shape or size, toys can provide great comfort and joy. Do you have a teddy bear that is special to you?
Royal play
Royal children, past and present, have played with all kinds of toys – teddy bears, dolls, jigsaws and train sets, as well as miniature versions of prams and wheelbarrows.
This teddy bear from the Royal Nursery looks a little worse for wear – probably because he is quite old, but perhaps also because he has been well loved and played with over the years. Toys belonging to royal children have been passed down from one child to the next and from one generation to another.
Princess Elizabeth
Before she learnt to ride, Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, had a particular love of toy horses. In her childhood home at 145 Piccadilly, London, a large number of toy horses on wheels were ‘stabled’ on the upper staircase landing. Each had its own saddle and bridle, and they were fed and watered every night. When Princess Elizabeth’s father became The King and the Royal Family moved to Buckingham Palace, the toy horses came too. The horses occupied a new position outside the children’s bedrooms on the second floor of the palace. You can see the princess’s toy horses in the image at the top of this page.
Here are some more toys in the Royal Collection, including another teddy bear. Which one is your favourite?
Have a go!
Can you create a picnic for a teddy bear? Download our activity sheet and draw your picnic.
Resource
A picnic for a teddy bear
