Bearable isolation
Leader photos by T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT
Stuffed animals can be found in the preschool window on the south side of Cook Baptist Church.
This teddy bear looks out of a front window of a home in the Cresthaven subdivision.
Stars Wars characters Baby Yoda (above) and BB-8 peer out windows of a house in the La Mesa subdivision.
In these days of staying at home and social distancing, finding ways to brighten spirits and finding a way to escape reality, if only for a little while, has become a “bear” necessity for children and adults alike.
One new trend occurring worldwide during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak are “Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunts” for children, and it's uniting neighborhoods and giving children an exciting, social-distancing-safe activity during COVID-19 lockdowns.
The idea is to place teddy bears and other stuffed animals/dolls in the windows of homes and businesses so that while taking walks or drives around neighborhoods with their parents, children in participating communities can have some fun by keeping an eye out for any number of stuffed animals that have been put on display at other houses.
It’s a trend that can already be found in Ruston neighborhoods like The French Quarters, Cresthaven and La Mesa.
And that trend is especially important in light of what people worldwide are facing right now.
Teddy bears are symbols of child-like innocence and care free moments of childhood, reminding children and adults alike that they are being nurtured and cared for by others. Teddy bears represent love and a feeling of security, a feeling children of all ages are in need of these days.
A similar growing trend is sidewalk chalk art, allowing children and adults to showcase their creative sides through simple or elaborate drawings or even thank you messages to first responders or message of support for each other as social distancing continues.
