National American Teddy Bear Day

There’s nothing quite so comforting to a child than a friend who takes the form of a stuffed Teddy bear. National American Teddy Bear Day brings to light the important role these sweet creatures can take and shows appreciation for the icon that the Teddy bear has become in American culture today.

History of National American Teddy Bear Day

Teddy bears first got their name in the early 1900s. The story goes that then President Theodore Roosevelt had been on a hunting trip in Mississippi in 1902 when his hunting buddies had captured a small bear cub. Saying that it would be unsportsmanlike to kill that little bear, the story about the president being kind to animals spread. Many political cartoons were created and his nickname “Teddy” was attached to bears.

From there, the development of Teddy bears gets a bit murky because some people attribute it to a woman, Margarete Steiff, who made a stuffed bear for her nephew after visiting a zoo in 1903. 

But it seems the larger marketing of the idea for stuffed Teddy bears was implemented by Morris Michtom in 1903. He was a shop owner in Brooklyn who had seen a caricature that had been drawn of the president and decided it would be fun to market the stuffed bears in his shop as “Teddy” bears. So he got permission from the president and the bears began selling like wildfire!

Established in honor of former US President Theodore Roosevelt, National American Teddy Bear Day brings appreciation to the joy, delight and comfort that these little stuffed creatures bring to the lives of children in the United States and all over the world.

How to Celebrate National American Teddy Bear Day 

Celebrate National American Teddy Bear Day with some of these fun ideas:

Give a Teddy Bear to a Child

National American Teddy Bear Day would be a great time to gift a special child with a Teddy bear. Whether it is the baby of a friend or family member, or your own child, enjoy the day by giving a Teddy bear to a little one who will surely appreciate it!

Start a Teddy Bear Collection

Fascinated by the idea of Teddy bears? This might be because of their history that is related to American politics, or simply because they are such cute little stuffed creatures that can be dressed up in all sorts of ways. National American Teddy Bear Day is a great time to buy (or make!) a new Teddy bear to start or add to a collection.

Enjoy The Teddy Bears’ Picnic

In 1907, John Walter Bratton composed a song that was originally only an instrumental, which he titled The Teddy Bears’ Picnic. Then, 25 years later, lyrics were added by Jimmy Kennedy and it became a popular children’s song that has been recorded by a variety of different artists over time. Since then, The Teddy Bears’ Picnic has been developed into a few different beautifully illustrated books that have been delighting kids of all ages for many years.