Whatever their age, chances are the majority of your club members own a teddy bear. And you probably still have one yourself! But do the children know the origin of their furry friends?
Just 100 years ago teddies were new to the market, and their popularity was spreading in the UK. Although there is some debate about who first made a soft toy bear, the origin of the name 'teddy bear' is generally attributed to the American President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.
The President went on a bear hunt in 1902. It was three days before guides eventually came across a bear for him to shoot. When the crucial moment came Roosevelt felt sorry for the animal and refused to aim his gun.
Artist Clifford Berryman turned the incident into a cartoon for an American newspaper and this inspired Morris Michtom, a New York storeowner, to make some toy bears to display in his window - he advertised them as 'Teddy's bears'.
Around the same time, German toy company Steiff was launching a jointed toy bear. An American wholesaler, aware of the interest in bears back home, ordered 3,000. The teddy bear boom had begun - and shows no signs of ending.
Making teddies
Why not use the story to inspire children to make their own simple teddy bears?
You will need:
* Tracing paper
* Fabric scissors
* Fake fur or felt
* Needle and thread or glue
* Stuffing such as kapok or fabric scraps
* Eyes, nose and whiskers (optional) What to do: 1 Design a teddy outline on tracing paper and then cut out the shape to create a basic teddy pattern.
2 Pin the pattern on to the chosen fabric and then cut out two shapes providing a front and a back.
3 Join the pieces by sewing or gluing. Be careful to put the right sides together and leave a hole for stuffing.
4 Turn the bear the right way out and add the bear's features.
5 Stuff the bear and close up the hole with needle and thread or with glue.
Or:
To make a cuddly glove puppet, follow the instructions above but leave a gap for a hand rather than for stuffing.
Cool koalas
Koala bears, native to Australia, are loved for their teddy-like appearance, but are in fact marsupials rather than bears. Baby koalas, known as Joeys, are the size of a jelly bean at birth - naked and blind they journey to their mother's pouch, feeding from her for about six months until they are ready to make their way on to the mother's back where they ride for a further few months. A frightened Joey cries like a human baby and retreats back to the pouch.
Koalas are an endangered species. Wildlife organisations are encouraging children to find out more about these unique creatures in the hope that this will help secure the future of the koala.
Koalas live in eucalyptus trees and eat the leaves. Why not give children the opportunity to experience the wonderful cool scent of eucalyptus by adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a batch of dough?
Children can make koala models and bake them in the oven - they will maintain their eucalyptus scent for some time and make fantastic gifts.
You will need:
* Two cups of flour
* One cup of salt
* One cup of water
* Non-toxic eucalyptus oil
What to do:
1 Combine the salt and flour in a large bowl, and then add small amounts of water, with a few drops of eucalyptus oil, until the desired consistency is achieved.
2 Shape the dough into koalas.
3 Leave to air-dry for about 48 hours (the thicker the model, the longer it will take), or oven bake on a low heat until the surface turns a light golden brown.
4 Acrylic paints and varnishes can be used to decorate the baked models.
Additional ideas:
Visit www.savethekoala.com to find out 'cool stuff about koalas', view the photo gallery and download puzzles.
Pooh sticks
Finding new and traditional bear stories to share with the children is an easy task since they are so plentiful and they can inspire activities.
How about a group of children playing a game of Pooh Sticks in AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh's honour?
What to do:
* Players stand on a bridge over a river.
* Each simultaneously tosses a stick into the water.
* Players then cross the bridge and wait for the flow to carry the sticks beneath.
* The first stick out denotes the winner.
Additional ideas:
If you haven't got a suitable place to play, how about adapting the game for the water tray? Or you can even play virtual Pooh Sticks online at www.poohsticks.com.
Bear food
You could follow the bear activities by tasting a selection of Winnie the Pooh's beloved honey - have the children tried both the clear and set varieties, and tasted natural honeycomb? Or how about a snack of Paddington Bear's famous marmalade sandwiches?
The Brown family found Paddington in the railway station with a tag attached to him that read 'Please look after this bear'. You could supply some luggage tags so that children can attach a message to their own home-made bears.
Paddington fans can visit www.cobweb.nl/ wcoumans/pad1.htm to play the TV cartoon theme music, send and receive Paddington postcards and download pictures.
Cartoon capers
Would your club's children like to learn to draw their own bear cartoons? Perhaps there is a cartoonist locally, or an artist or art student who would be willing to come in and demonstrate (my club found a professional cartoonist living in our Devon town simply by looking up 'animation' in the telephone directory).
Children could be inspired to make a traditional flicker book to animate their drawing. Alternatively, create plasticine bear characters and try making a photo-story by coming up with a simple script for their character to 'act out'.
You will need:
* Plasticine
* Camera, preferably digital
* Card
* Glue
* Marker pens
* Props (optional)
* Plenty of imagination!
What to do:
1 Write a simple, short bear-themed script.
2 Model sturdy plasticine bear characters.
3 Manipulate the characters into appropriate poses for each scene and photograph them.
4 Mount the photos on card in comic strip-style sequence.
5 Add narrative by using thought or speech bubbles or text at the bottom of the photos.
6 The finished result could be distributed to other club members.
Fundraising bear
On 19 November, Pudsey Bear, the BBC Children in Need appeal mascot, will be fundraising once again as the annual telethon is screened.
Your club can get involved by requesting a free fundraising pack full of ideas: call 020 8576 7788, or visit www.bbc.co.uk/ pudsey/.
A 1904 Steiff 'Girl Teddy' was once auctioned by Christies for 110,000, making it the most valuable teddy in the world. You may not reach those dizzy figures, but how about selling your club's fragrant koala models or home-made teddy bears and donating the money to Pudsey's cause? Or you could hold a Pudsey party with a small entrance fee, featuring some of the bear-themed activities and snacks suggested?
Whatever you decide, local press are usually happy to promote your activities and if you attend one of the regional centres hosting a show (check the BBC website for details) your club could even end up on television alongside the famous fundraising bear.
Miranda Walker is a playwork trainer who owns Playtime out-of-school club in Cullompton, Devon
