Almost every parent has experienced at least one occasion when their child failed to behave well in public. Of course, there is a certain vicarious pleasure to be had from witnessing someone else’s kid throw a tantrum, but it is a different matter when your own offspring is yelling and drumming their heels on the ground, causing strangers to flee in horror.

For teddy bear-collecting parents, an artist-bear fair is a potential minefield of conflict. From the child’s point of view, the fair is a room filled with appealing soft toys, most of which are at eye- and hand level — and which their parents insist are not toys and must not be touched. How boring and frustrating that must be! So what are the strategies most frequently employed to keep a child amused while Mom or Dad gets their bear fix?

Sandra Wigzell, editor of the magazine Australian Bear Creations, says that success or otherwise of your day out begins with the way a show is marketed and presented. “The behavior of children at shows is often influenced by the way the organizer promotes the show. If it is made clear that the bears are collector items and not toys, then they do not bring children along thinking it is a nice thing to do. In fact, they will stay away, not wanting the tears and tantrums of a child that has been told they can’t have ‘the toy’.”

On the other hand, a show that provides alternative entertainment for children or an area where they can romp around and let off steam may draw collecting parents. Amanda Ferguson, a British bear artist, is involved in the organization of a show in England that sounds like a veritable children’s paradise. “At the New Forest Bear Festival, we house the collectible bears under one roof. But, in addition to that, we have a Teddy Bears Picnic, a balloon race, treasure hunt, bear-themed sideshows, a raffle, bee-keeping demonstrations, a bear-related craft marquee, and a face painter (painting beary faces, of course),” she explains.

Amanda is not alone in feeling that children should be positively encouraged to attend shows, because they are the artist bear collectors of tomorrow. Kirsten Evans of Bears and Bows says, “I think we need kids to be able to attend shows to learn what makes these bears special and teach them that there is a difference between cheap manufactured bears and artist bears.

“Parents need to be responsible and realistic when bringing kids to shows,” she adds. “For my child, she loved checking out the mohair display, and once she had a bear in her arms she was happy to show it to the vendors.”

Sandra Wigzell agrees. “I do believe these children are future collectors as they have been brought up and taught to love these items. I know several twentysomethings who were taken to shows by their moms around 10 to 15 years ago and who are now avid collectors themselves.”

Many bear artists seem to feel that we sometimes underestimate children and do them a disfavor by excluding them from shows. The consensus is that kids are smart and, especially when they have been brought up around artist bears, know how to behave. Cheryl Schmidt of Bruinwerks has taken her son with her to shows from an early age and brought him up to be a very responsible young man. “He was taught very strictly to ‘look with your eyes and not with your hands’ at shows — and when an artist handed him a bear to hold, he just about fainted dead away from the stress!” she says with a laugh.

“I believe children are future collectors ... I know several ‘twentysomethings’ who were taken to shows by their moms around ten to fifteen years ago and who are now avid collectors themselves.”
—Sandra Wigzell, editor of Australian Bear Creations

Several other artists also take their children along when they attend bear fairs. Forward planning and a willing partner can work wonders on frayed nerves. Melanie Jayne suggests doing your homework in advance and checking out any local amusement attractions that might appeal to both Dad and the kids, ensuring a stress-free day for everyone.

For most children, the urge to touch is irresistible — and the thought of sticky fingers clutching eagerly at expensive bears makes artists (and parents!) shudder. Debbie Diment of Debbie’s Bears came up with an excellent way to satisfy the curiosity of small children while keeping her precious real fur bears out of harm’s way. “Since real fur bears can really take a beating and the main selling feature of fur is the feel, I took some scraps from each coat that the bears were made from. I bought some big scrapbooking labels and on each tag I wrote in enormous letters, ‘Please Touch Me!’ Talk about a huge hit!” she says with a laugh. “I placed the scraps in front of each of the bears, so they were the first thing within hand range, and I encouraged everyone to touch and play with the scraps. It gave kids and adults alike the opportunity to pick up and feel the different types of fur. Those little fur scraps got wallered like you wouldn’t believe, but they were a huge hit! It made me happy knowing the public was getting an education and having fun, and my bears were kept safe, but still accessible for people who wanted to buy.”

Parents, promoters, and artists are united in agreement that small children, in particular, should be kept occupied at a show to head off boredom. Daphne Blau of Back Road Bears, who also organizes two shows in New England, sees things from both sides of the sales table. She suggests a good way to keep kids happy is to have door prizes and small giveaways, and a reasonable amount of lower-priced “pocket-money items” that they can buy for themselves. “A few artists at my shows offer inexpensive, small, synthetic critters for the kids. When hourly door prizes are drawn, a child gets a special teddy bear of their own while an adult gets a separate prize,” she says. “This gives the kids something to look forward to, and one child each hour is usually smiling ear to ear while giving their new teddy a hug. And I always keep extra bears on hand for the tearful sibling who didn’t win!” she notes with a smile.

Daphne has also noticed that children are fascinated by the process of making things, so she makes a point of working on bears at her table, which is sure to draw a crowd. “As an artist, I’ve found that if I’m working on a bear, kids are typically very curious to see what I’m doing. It’s fun to keep them entertained with tales of the teddy making process while Mom browses the bears at my booth,” she explains. “I always make it a point to ask kids about their favorite stuffed animal, tell them how important it is to have a teddy bear to share secrets with, show them a picture of my childhood teddy — anything to share the wonder and excitement of having a teddy to love,” she says.

Keeping little hands safely busy at a show is a big hit with parents and artists alike. Ellen MacMaster is an enthusiastic promoter of this idea and provides an opportunity for children to make their own toy to take away. “I, for one, want children at shows!” she says. “I have a table for ‘Stuff Your Own Bear or Penguin,’ and if there are no children, there are no sales,” she adds, laughing.

“Parents need to be responsible and realistic when bringing kids to shows.”
­—Kirsten Evans of Bears and Bows

Parents agree that the artists’ attitudes toward children are a crucial element in their decision whether to make a purchase or not. Happily, most artists are very welcoming and love to share their passion with whoever is interested, whatever their age. Wisely, they understand that early encouragement may engender a love of artist bears and will help to produce a future generation of collectors. Christine Child, a parent, artist, and collector, sums up this ethos perfectly. “I think it is extremely important to respect our collectors of the future. My daughter is only 12 and her collection is very small, but she takes it very seriously and often tells me, ‘When I am grown up and have a job, Mum, I am going to buy lots and lots of bears at each show.’ Perhaps at that time she might buy me one!” TB

Editor’s Note: Not sure if children are welcome at a particular show? Contact the organizer and ask. They may request that you leave your stroller home to avoid bumping other customers in the aisles. You may find that it’s less crowded and artists are more patient with children during the afternoon hours, after the first collectors have finished their shopping. Finally, while some shows offer refreshments, it’s safest to leave snacks and sippy cups in the car.