Go, Bears, go!The second graders at my children's school recently participated in a project called Traveling Bears. This project is similar to Flat Stanley, if you are familiar with that. Each child brought in a teddy bear to send along with family and friends on their adventures. My daughter named her pink teddy bear Cotton Candy. The students then kept track of the states and countries that each stuffed teddy bear visited. Each teddy bear had a notebook in its back pack where the sponsors could write about each adventure. Cotton Candy sent letters or postcards to the school from each stop, too.
We sent Lil Missy's bear with family on their trips from January to April. The lucky bear went on a cruise to Hawaii, California, Arizona, Indiana, and Wisconsin. We took the bear with us to Canada (see pic above of Niagara Falls), Michigan, Ohio and Indiana on spring break as well. The students also made a flat bear to send to places. Lil Missy's flat Cotton Candy visited Spain, Montana, and New York. It's a fabulous project that incorporates so many school subjects like music (there was a Teddy Bear Singalong to kick off the project), geography, world cultures, reading, writing, and more.
Lil Missy just had her Teddy Bear Fair to end this five month school project, and I wanted to share a few of the fun pictures that came from Cotton Candy's adventures.
On the cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean
A few fabulous authors also hosted Cotton Candy. I am a helper in my daughter's classroom and also a mystery reader in her class so I shared the stories of Rena Jones and poetry and illustrations of Douglas Florian with them. They were excited to receive pictures and correspondence from these two authors as well.
Rena took Cotton Candy to many scenic spots in Montana and created a wonderfully creative packet about the trip. She also sent taffy for the students to share!
Douglas was kind enough to paint a bear and send a note from New York for Lil Missy to share with her class. Isn't it beautiful? This polar(k) bear will be framed soon!
THANK YOU so much Douglas and Rena for going above and beyond for my daughter and her class!! Also thank you to my family and friends for letting Cotton Candy tag along with you, too!
I also want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to my friend, Anita Laydon Miller! Anita recently signed a contract with Sara Megibow of the Nelson Literary Agency! Go to her blog and say congrats! I just know the news of your book being sold will be next, Anita!
