Scroll our downloadable and PDF printable teddy bear coloring pages below.
Soft, cute, and cuddly, teddy bears are go-to snuggle buddies. Whether they are five feet tall or two inches short, kids love having a plush, furry friend around. So why wouldn’t they love creating their own colorful versions on the pages of a coloring book?
The Origin of the Teddy Bear
Did you know the Teddy Bear earned its name in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt? In 1902, Roosevelt failed to hunt down a single bear on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi. After his assistants tracked down a black bear, cornered it with hounds, and tied it to a willow tree for him, he refused to shoot the bear.
Being a national figure known for hunting, Roosevelt was quickly scrutinized by journalists across the country. A political cartoonist soon satirized the President’s refusal to shoot the bear, which was then published in the Washington Post. This cartoon sparked the idea of a Brooklyn candy shop owner, who made stuffed animals with his wife, to make a stuffed toy bear and dedicate it to Roosevelt, calling it “Teddy’s Bear.”
When teaching children about past presidents, this is an interesting piece of history that they can learn while being engaged in coloring something that they’ve come to know as a fun, cute toy.
Teddy Bear Creations
Though teddy bears are often mass-produced, some toy makers stick to homemade teddies for personalized gifts or charitable causes.
The stuffed animal is famously known for having a slew of DIY chains, Build-A-Bear Workshop being one of the largest. The shop allows customers to go through an interactive process, where they can choose a stuffed animal (primarily teddy bears) and watch as it is assembled and tailored to their personal preferences. This means they can adorn it with various colors, outfits, jewels, decals, and more.
Similarly, children can create custom teddy bears in coloring pages. They can color their teddy bear a more traditional brown or black bear in a realistic scene or make a more psychedelic setting with a bunch of vibrant colors.
Teddy Bears in Pop Culture
Teddy bears are a part of nearly every area of entertainment. Books, such as Winnie the Pooh, Corduroy, and Paddington, all feature teddy bears as main characters. Both Winnie the Pooh and Paddington have been turned into on-screen adaptations. Care Bears is also a TV show full of teddy bears that are every color of the rainbow. The original popularity of the stuffed animal even spurred a song called “Teddy Bears’ Picnic,” composed by John Walter Bratton in 1907 and written with lyrics in 1932 by Jim Kennedy.
With the numerous forms of media and inspiration out in the world, children can easily picture a teddy bear and work their imagination onto a coloring page. Let them unleash their unique creativity, whether it be a recreation of Winnie the Pooh in his classic red t-shirt, a Paddington wearing a yellow raincoat, a Corduroy in his green overalls, or a new polka-dotted, striped, or multi-colored individual of their own creation.
Wholesome Pictures
Unlike some video games or cartoons, teddy bear coloring pages often depict more wholesome scenarios. For instance, teddy bears are often associated with picnics in the park, fun in the woods, playtime in the snow, family time at Christmas, reading with a family member, or star-filled backdrops. These topics are all great things for children to explore, especially when growing up and thinking creatively. The coloring pages can show them activities that take them away from the screen and outside of the house.
