It’s a teddy takeover!
If you went down to the Taranaki Pioneer Village on Sunday, March 10, you were in for a big surprise. Stratford teddies and their owners were enjoying a day out at the Taranaki Pioneer Village Thomas’ Teddy Bear Picnic.
Brae, 5, and her sister Ruby, 7, Scott were two of the children who took their teddies to the event. Brae’s teddy “Piggy” is her best friend, she says.
“I love her. She is zero months old and thinks today is cool.”
Ruby says she and her teddy, “BunBun”, were most excited about the train ride.
“Me and Bun-Bun love the train. It’s so much fun.”
The train was painted to look like Thomas the Tank Engine, much to the delight of their kids. There was also a Thomas the Tank Engine bouncy castle. Harvey Cronin, 4, says the train looked “pretty cool”.
“It looks just like Thomas, I love Thomas.”
He and his twin brother Patrick were completing the scavenger hunt, looking inside all of the buildings at Pioneer Village to find hidden teddies.
There was plenty to do on the day, says Taranaki Pioneer board member Jon Palmer.
“As well as the scavenger hunt, we had face-painting, the bouncy castle, train rides, tractor and trailer rides and old-school games set up like the stilts.”
He says people were lining up at the door to get in.
“They were so excited. It was such a beautiful sunny day which makes it all so much better.”
He says the teddy bear picnic is a great way to introduce kids to the Taranaki Pioneer Village.
“It’s a way we can raise the profile of the village and introduce it to young people. We want to put it on the map and ensure everyone in our community enjoys coming here.”