teddy to go home

[blondie]

hi

we are about to start sending a teddy home with a child for a "visit" - trying to encourage home / school links.

has anyone does this - i am sure someone has - who can help me with where and how to start this - the letter you sent out prior to starting this and the letter and things that went with the child taking the bear home etc.,

any help gratefully received.=thank you x

[Panders]

I think it is all fairly straight forward thing to do but two issues spring to mind. The size of the bear. And it needs to be washable. There will be some parents who will not want a grubby bear in their child's bed etc. we used to send the bear's diary home with it as welll as toothbrush etc. etc. a nd the things that happened to it, whilst on one level quite sweet but on another a little too much realism for our liking! Your letter will need to list what the bear travels with and be prepared to check it back and possibly chase up missing things but on the whole be prepared for stuff to go missing and some stuff to Appear. One child put in a very expensive silver bootee charm try as we might no parent ever claimed it.

Good luck with your bear keep it simple the children do like doing it, we haven't done it fora long time most reception classes do it now and I don't want to have it become less exciting once they get to school I.e., done that got the t shirt!

[Guest]

We do this and the children love it, they are always asking who is taking ted. He goes home with clothes, wash bag and a diary. He does the rounds with everyone and then children can take him again if they are keen, and they usually are!

[Cait]

We have Walkabout Walter, a Koala who goes to visit on special occasions or on holidays with the children. Walter went to stay with a child who was off with chicken pox last, so he would feel a tie to the group. He has a little knapsack with a diary in and a little story book about koalas.

[Guest babyjane31]

^{we have a special bear called gulliver and all our school leavers take a turn to take him home over the year. he has a diary and toothbrush, comb etc and usually ends up with lots of extra bits like suitcases and passports the children have made for him. the staff also take a turn to take him home and share what they have got up to when not at pre-school.}

^{we are very lucky that all of our childrne feed into the same primary school and so Gulliver also moves to school with them. we either take him over on their first morning which is a great chance to say hello and offer a bit of reassurance or if we have a child that is really struggling with the transition they will take him home for the summer and look after him when he starts school 'as he's a bit worried' this has really helped with transition and the reception teacher loves it she says the children will often look through his diary in the early weeks and it gives them a little reassurance}

[louby loo]

We always quielty point out to mum (or carer) that we will not be affended if the bear wants to try out their washing maching!!!

 

xxx

[DebbieW]

We have family groups and each family group has a bear in a bag... so each child can take the bear home more than once a year! We have put in books to share at home, a diary for parents to fill in and a space for a photograph. Key persons also add a game or activity such as colour recognition or a maths game to do at home with parents but something that has been identified as a child's next steps.