Teddy bear tea tradition lives on

More than 25 children, accompanied by their favorite teddy bears, sipped on some “tea” and enjoyed tasty treats on Dec. 11 at the 26th annual Teddy Bear Tea Party at the Seaford Public Library.

The “beary” special event was open to all children ages 4-6 and was sponsored by the Friends of the Seaford Public Library.

“We’ve been doing the tea party for so many years and the kids really enjoy coming here,” children’s librarian Jackie Lopez said. “Some of the kids who are more shy have the opportunity to open up and bring along their best friends.”

With a special visit from Honey Bear, the event mascot, and a showing of “The Secret World of Benjamin Bear,” the children had fun playing with each other and sharing facts about their small stuffed toys.

“I brought them here because the programs they offer at the library are usually very good,” Seaford resident Jennifer Sampson said. “It gives them a chance to socialize with other children and learn different things.”

Many of the children started to become more comfortable as the event continued on. They were able to share why their teddy was important to them and interesting facts about their toys.

“I brought Nicolette here today because I wanted to get her more involved with the community,” Luciana Sinigaglia said of her 4-year-old daughter. “She’s very shy, but I figured a little at a time she will eventually come out of her shell.”
Sinigaglia said that her daughter enjoys the snacking the most and would love to bring her back next year for the celebration.

Brianna Bonagura, 17, a page at the library, also helps out with the children programs when she isn’t busy organizing the fiction and mystery sections.
“I think it’s really nice for everyone to gather here,” Bonagura said. “Although they are being drawn in by an event like this, hopefully they will venture out into other parts of the library as well."

“I was always a huge book worm,” she added. “I enjoy working with books and seeing the children interact with them too.”

The Seaford Public Library plans to continue the tea party festivities for many years to come and the staff hopes to draw in an even larger crowd for next year.

“It’s a tradition for us and I don’t want to break that,” Lopez said. “I’ve been at the library for 17 years and I love seeing the kids smile. I get such joy from the programs that we run here and I go home happy knowing that the children were happy too.”