Masks for toys help children return to class
A group of talented Bath pupils have swung into action to help young children who may feel anxious about returning to school as lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Four Royal High School Bath students have set up their own business designing handmade matching face masks for children and their teddy bears.
The Year 11 pupils – Eloise, Daisy, Pam and Eliza – have called their fledgling operation Teddy and Me Masks and hope they will give some comfort to children heading back to the classroom.
Daisy, who is handling marketing and PR for the group, said: “The aim of our products is to provide a feeling of comfort and security to try and encourage children to wear masks and feel less scared of teachers when going back to school.”
The four girls came up with the idea as part of the Design Thinking course, which is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), when they were challenged to find innovative solutions to the problems caused by the coronavirus crisis.
Eloise had already made masks for her young cousin and her favourite dolly, which made her feel more comfortable with the sight of lots of people wearing masks.
She said: “During the making of PPE for the NHS and a number of primary schools, I decided to make my three-year-old cousin a face mask with a matching one for her dolly as I thought it would be a nice idea to help her feel less scared of seeing people now wearing face masks.”
All the masks are handmade and available to purchase online with a choice of fun prints, including birds, llamas, toucans, ladybirds and dinosaurs.
As part of the project the girls designed a website – www.teddy andmemasks.com – and are donating 10 per cent of all profits to Bristol Children’s Hospital’s Grand Appeal.