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Barnaby Bear

Glove Puppet
2011 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Barnaby Bear is a character developed in the early 2000s by the Geographical Association and the Department for Education and Schools, and was cemented in the National Curriculum unit 'Where in the World is Barnaby Bear?'. He is a teddy bear who travels the world, meeting people and discovering more about the planet. He appears as a puppet for use in the classroom, in books and DVDs and in a BBC series.
A bear is suitable for accompanying children round the world, being both exotic and familiar, and a common travelling companion for young children. The shared use of a single character around the country has also enabled the development of networks and partnerships between schools, and global geocaching projects have also grown up arouund Barnaby Bear.
Barnaby is interesting as a character developed with a primarily educational function, and demonstrates a successful partnership between a national organisation, schools, and the media.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBarnaby Bear (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Plush and polyester, machine sewn.
Brief description
Barnaby Bear glove puppet, Geographical Association, made in China, 2011
Physical description
Plush teddy bear glove puppet, with brown body, cream muzzle, plastic eyes and hard brown nose. Red tartan bow-tie is stitched to front. White pads on the feet are embroidered with words 'Barnaby' and 'Bear'. There is a paper merchandising label on plastic tag through proper left ear. The inside of the puppet is lined with synthetic material.
Dimensions
  • Height: 23cm
  • Width: 17cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
Barnaby Bear Glove Puppet Geographical Association (Merchandising tag)
Credit line
Given by the Geographical Association
Summary
Barnaby Bear is a character developed in the early 2000s by the Geographical Association and the Department for Education and Schools, and was cemented in the National Curriculum unit 'Where in the World is Barnaby Bear?'. He is a teddy bear who travels the world, meeting people and discovering more about the planet. He appears as a puppet for use in the classroom, in books and DVDs and in a BBC series.
A bear is suitable for accompanying children round the world, being both exotic and familiar, and a common travelling companion for young children. The shared use of a single character around the country has also enabled the development of networks and partnerships between schools, and global geocaching projects have also grown up arouund Barnaby Bear.
Barnaby is interesting as a character developed with a primarily educational function, and demonstrates a successful partnership between a national organisation, schools, and the media.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
B.255-2012

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Record createdSeptember 14, 2012
Record URL
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