“If you go down in the woods today
You’re sure of a big surprise
If you go down in the woods today
You’d better go in disguise!For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today’s the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic!”
Just like little girls and boys, teddy bears having a picnic is a wonderful image, but what if the little teddy bears get a tummy ache, get hurt or just feel sick?
MRPS Kindy and Pre-primary students had that covered last week when they hosted the annual Teddy Bears Hospital visit by medical students at UWA.
The Kindy room was transformed into a hospital triage or doctors consulting room, with doctors in lab coats or scrub outfits sitting at tables surrounded by little cups for medicines, bandages, stethoscopes and all things hospital or ‘doctory’. And in amongst all this were a happy little group of kindy kids, milling around and excitedly waiting their turn to ‘see the doctor’.
What a fabulous program to bring to our students! An opportunity for young children to interact with doctors and experience the atmosphere of a hospital in a non-threatening way as they bring their teddy bears in for treatment. Not being the patient helps, as well as the opportunity to try out the medical equipment for themselves – holding the stethoscope to teddy’s chest and listening hard, before getting the doctor’s advice on treatment to take home to make teddy better.
I saw students clutching their teddies and giving clear answers when the nurse or doctor asked, “What seems to be the problem with teddy today?” Carefully, they’d go away taking medicine or health advice with them, smiling quietly as they reassured teddy that, “You’ll be okay now.”
Outside, a doctor in his medical coat helped a giant teddy bear find his way to a game of Duck, Duck, Goose before being bombarded by young students, all keen to interact with the giant teddy.
Thank you, Teddy Bear Hospital students at UWA – what a gift you have given us with your visit!
Written, photos and posted by Dawn Veary
Canteen