The Winnie the Pooh bear character was inspired by actual real-life toys and a Canadian black bear at the London Zoo. Pooh Bear is not only a favourite amongst children of the present generation, but it has also been cherished over the years. It is one of those toy characters that children can relate to. Even some of the adult reminiscence about their childhood days with Winnie the Pooh with his Jar of honey in the Woods. yet, few of us know that this kids' toy character has its historical roots!
Winnie the Pooh bear is a sweet toy character that makes kids to be attracted instantly and bond with it. This character was first introduced into classic literature by A. A Milne while E.H Shepard illustrated it. It had the power of captivating children's interest, engaging them in active reading, and taking them to an entirely different world of adventures. It was then that the Winnie the Pooh characters from the timeless tales were made into real-life toys on a large scale.
But, did you know that even before the classic, timeless Winnie the Pooh books, this character was inspired by a real bear at a zoo!
Way back in 1914, there lived and actual real bear at the London zoo who was frequently visited by the spirited and nature-loving Christopher Robin Milne. The beautiful moments that his son Christopher Robin Milne spent with the Canadian bear inspired him and brought out a whole new view to life. Another inspiration that led to the creation of Winnie the Pooh bear toys was Milne's son's favourite stuffed bear toy, which he named Winnie.
It was from here on that other important friend characters of the Winnie the Pooh bear, like Robin were introduced. This bear friend in the Woods, Robin got its name after Christopher Robin.
The timeless tales of Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the hundred-acre wood were inspired by an actual existing Ashdown forest which was a while away from where this family lived. The introduction of Winnie the Pooh toys worldwide was inspired by other stuffed toys like teddy bears and other forest characters. The original Winnie the Pooh was the favourite not only by Milne but by his son Robin and even the family dog as well! It explains the worn-out appearance of the original Pooh bear toy. Well, the worn-out look tells its tale of being a favourite toy of the family!
Winnie the Pooh bear toy then saw the creation of other wood friends like Eeyore, Tigger, piglet and more. Today, countless Winnie the Pooh toys are being manufactured by toy Companies around the world. What makes Winnie the Pooh bear toys even more special is the smile that you can see instantly lighting up children's faces.
The original Winnie the Pooh toy and that of his friends from the Woods are still on display at the New York public library.