I am just introducing a class bear to the children, he will have a diary and will go home with one each night. He is also going to help us with some of our geography work by going on holiday to various places (a bit like Barnaby Bear). I am just about to start his diary and was wondering how others have written it, for example does the bear write it as in " I did...."or do the children write "Bear did..."? Also does anyone have a explaination letter for the parents?
The children already love him, and he came on a class visit this week. They are looking forward to after the break when they can take him home overnight!

We did a class hen a few years ago.

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We also have school teddies that go on holiday with anyone going away - I took one to the Seychelles with me and took a CD of photos back into school with me.

Hetty looks great! Have just been to a car boot and got a rucksack for "Ted" so he can keep his diary and passport in. I know Ted is a traditional name but he is a traditional looking bear! Still not sure whether to write in first person or not?!?
Hopefully I will get some space and be able to make a bit of a display when he has done some exciting things! Hubby might be going to Italy with work so might send a postcard (won't take Ted though!!)...still I could cheat with photoshop!

The pupils did the writing along the lines of 'Hetty came home with me for the weekend ... I made her a bed in my bedroom ... we went to the beach ... Hetty likes xyz for breakfast...' Some did it like a daily diary, others one long piece of writing.

As for the parents the school put out a note explaining what was going to happen and the reasons why and we put a little card in Hetty's rucksack, introducing her and saying what she needed - somewhere safe to sleep and tasty food to eat, for example.

You could say Ted needs to share a piece of fruit/ veg with his sleepover buddy if you want to introduce healthy eating into it too - they could try to find out which country it was grown in for the Geography part. Are you doing UK or worldwide in your geography? If UK I'm sure people here would send Ted a postcard.

I made writing paper for them with hens along the top and use underscore to make the lines for them to write on.

They had a disposable camera they could take a couple of photos with if they didn't have digital ones.

Sounds strange but our geography is a very short focus on life in Poland. I had been thinking about introducing a class bear before hearing about the geography but thought it might help introduce it when we eventually do it (not until June I think) if that makes sense! Ted will travel a little before then but that's not the real focus to start.
He was great on the visit to the farm as one little un was suffering and so he looked after her for a while - she wasn't too impressed that I wouldn't let her hold him near the goats, there was one that ate absolutely anything - I didn't want to lose him that soon!

yeah we do this and the children love it! Our bear has pjamas, toothbrush etc and a diary that the children write in and a disposable camera. We then have a big display in the classroom with all the photographs on. The children write what the bear did e.g. " i took teddy to see santa".

Our reception class has a bear who goes on all kinds of lovely adventures, parties, holidays, sleepovers etc - I thought about suggesting we take him with us this next week up to Lake Coniston, but then found out my niece is having him to stay at her house & has already made up a bed for him, so thought against it

at my daughters school she has done this in reception,year 1 and year 2 and loved it each time.the schools diaries just had a note written from the bear on the inside cover e.g
hello my name is mr higgins and i would love to come and stay for a while with you and your family and have lots of fun.

i though that was quite sweet

Just to let you know that the children love Ted! I took on the idea of him needing to eat healthly and we not only get info on what he has been up to but also of what they had for tea and there is always something healthy! He did make it to Italy, hubby was brave! He has also had a pretend trip to Spain and might be having a photoshop trip to the states as well. Many thanks for all your help and suggestions again

We do this every year ,ours is a class gift from father christmas ,and the children each take him or her home for a weekend and write [as the pet ] what adventures he or she got up to .We have 2 dogs at the moment , the children can add photos 's etc . they love it