Since 1902, the sweet and cuddly teddy bear has been a favorite nighttime companion of many a child. These stuffed bears have been providing comfort for more than a century now. But even more than just potentially soothing a child’s fear of the dark, science has also shown that teddy bears help children manage stress and handle their emotions. These stuffed treasures have a way of getting us attached to them. So much so that chances are 1 in 4 that if you had a teddy bear as a kiddo, you still have it now. Or at least. had a very hard time finally parting with it. Here’s some more cool facts about wondrous teddy bears.

How It Started

Two toy-makers are thought to have come up with the teddy bear as we know it today, pretty much simultaneously. Richard Steiff in Germany began to produce jointed teddy bears. At the same time, Morris Michtom in the USA began to create stuffed toys meant to resemble bear cubs. The Steiff version was known simply as 55PB. But, Michtom wanted to call his toys “teddy bears”. At the time, the current US president, Theodore Roosevelt was in the news for events that transpired on a hunting trip. When Roosevelt refused to shoot a defenseless bear cub, the story got around and appeared in several political cartoons. Michtom wanted to name his stuffed bears “Teddy’s Bears” due to the hunting story, but he had to get the president’s permission first. He obviously got it.

How It’s Going

Obviously teddy bears would gain massive popularity over the years. Millions are sold each and every year. They’re also just not for kids, it’s estimated that 40 percent of teddy bears are actually owned by adults. The largest collection of them belongs to Istavanne Arnoczki from Hungary. As of 2019, her collection was comprised of 20,367 items. She has explained that she was too poor to own one as a child, and her dream was always to cuddle one at night. Dream achieved and then some!

It’s Science

Ever wonder why people find teddy bears so irresistible? Well, it’s science! Apparently there are certain features that when we humans see, we naturally have an urge to nurture triggered. These features includes things like protruding cheeks, a short face, poor limb movements, and a big forehead. Several studies prove this. With these findings, toy makers have looked to design teddy bears to engender this feeling even more in recent years. Furthermore, cuddling teddy bears has been scientifically proven to evoke “a sense of peace, security, and comfort”, according to psychologist Corrine Sweet.