I Love Care Bears!!

I know that I am not alone when I say that I really loved the Care Bears growing up. My intentions here is to share my history with the Care Bears along with their own history. I know there are a lot of you out there that have a great love for these cute and cuddly little bears, this is going to be a place for all to share their love and memories they have of the Care Bears.

I really can remember just like it was yesterday sitting and playing with my little Care Bear figures and recreating them passing on their messages of love, caring, sharing, thankfulness and others. My highlight as a kid on Saturday morning was being able to watch The Care Bears. My favorite part was watching them leave Care-a-lot in their cloud cars to come down and help all the kids. Oh yes and the books who could forget the books. I loved reading the books. The messages that they passed along still stick with me today. I find it pretty amazing and somewhat funny that I still get all excited and giddy when it comes to Care Bears.

Now, I don't know about you, but I know that when The Care Bears were gone I couldn't quite understand why they would take something that was good away. But I have since found the answer to that question. For those of you who may not know what happened to them and why the sudden reappearance, I will share that with you.

As we all know 1987 marked the end of the "Original" Care Bear toy line and many collectors have wondered why it suddenly ended after only four years.

Kenner was owned by General Mills until 1985. Financially Kenner was doing great during those years with licenses to many of the most popular toys of the decade. Because of its successes the Tonka Corporation bought the company for an undisclosed amount. The Kenner Corp. then became a subsidiary of Tonka, which already owned many other toy companies such as Parker Brothers.
When the acquisition was complete on October 16th, many of the companies planned toy lines for that year halted production. The goals of the company changed and therefore many of their previous plans died in the buy out. This has been a bane among collectors because many of their favorite toys never made it into the market, creating a huge desire to acquire the unreleased prototypes of this year.
In 1991 Hasbro bought Tonka, making Kenner a division of the largest toy company in the world. The company was eventually shut down in 2000, ending 53 years of Kenner history.

The Brief Resurgence:

During the highly environmentally conscious nineties American Greetings decided to reform the Care Bear logo into a Earth-saving bunch now known as 'Environmental Care Bears'. Kenner was again granted the license for the toys and plush. They released a line of plush depicting each traditional bear with an added earth-rescuing mission. For example, Love-A-Lot Bear helped the animals, and Funshine Bear helped protect the air. This line died in infancy. Not only did they fail in aesthetics (the bears looked distinctly different than the originals with their pug noses, and troll hair), it also failed in parent appeal. Children just weren't interested in protecting the environment, and thus the test product rollout failed and the Care Bears went back into hibernation.

Back in Action and More Popular Than Ever!

In 2002 the news traveled first by an obscure news article, which many fans and collectors doubted, but was later confirmed by sightings of merchandise on toy shelves across America. Collectors, naive to the corporate history of Kenner, first assumed the new plush and toys would be handled by that company again. Much to everyone's surprise a new, lesser known company held the toy/plush license. Play Along Toys, previously made popular by the Britney Spears doll line was the new producer of toys.
By the end of 2003 Care Bears had already soared into the top five selling toys of the year. Play Along has many plans for the license, and fans are thrilled to see the toys they loved as a child back and better then ever. Overall fans were thrilled at the excellent quality of the toys being produced, though some frown upon the decisions to change certain characters, and add new ones.

A lot of young parents remember having their own Care Bear and how wonderful these treasures were. They weren't just toys, they were our friends. They offered lessons, values and a really cute play buddy. Well, Care Bears live again!

Thanks to one man, Jay Foreman, President of Play Along Toys in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Care Bears are alive and thriving again. They promise to be just as hot now as they were then. But what are Care Bear? "Well, everyone knows what a teddy bear is and what it is for," says Foreman. "It's a toy, a companion and a comfort to kids. Care Bears are a special type of teddy bear because each one has its own personality that reflects an emotion such as 'Tenderheart Bear,' 'Cheer Bear,' 'Bedtime Bear.' It is easy for children to relate to these emotions and understand them. Each bear also has its own unique color. A consumer would purchase these for a child because a Care Bear is a wonderfully simple toy that expresses tender emotion to a child and is soft and cuddly!"

A great product and brand is one that has potential to be multigenerational, one that kids, parents and grandparents are all familiar with and can embrace. Care Bears are surely that. "There is also a real market for toys that parents and kids can both identify with and have had shared experiences with," says Foreman.

I remember as a kid my mom making put my Care Bears up on a shelf after I was done playing with them. Now as a kid I didn't really like this very much, but now I am thankful that she did. I had actually kept them all these years, I am now 32. Because of this they were kept in really great shape and I was able to pass them on to my daughter. She now is falling in love with The Care Bears as I had. I had also kept the books that I had as a kid and she love sitting and reading them together (I do to). And Saturday mornings are back! My daughter and I sit and watch Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake (another favorite) together.

When we watch Care Bears together she will gather up all of her Care Bears (ones that I have passed down to her and what she has added to the collection) and she will sit them all around her so that they can watch themselves. It is really cute!

Bears with feelings and that share emotions? Can a child's toy really do that? If you ever have to ask that question, then you've never owned a Care Bear. "The Care Bears message is one of caring, sharing, and feeling," says Foreman. "Those are always positive emotions and sentiments. Of course without positive reinforcement from the parent, the toy is only a cute piece of plush. However, each one comes with an explanation of the emotion, which the parent can share with the child."

"I would say the effects of the lessons taught by the Care Bears are up to the parent and the child," says Foreman. " The message is timeless as long as it is learned and lived. I have to assume that a lot of old Care Bears are coming out of boxes and attics now that we have relaunched this line. As every one reemerges, the lessons are recalled."

Tenderheart Bear
Color: Brown ~ Tummy Symbol: Heart
Tenderheart is the organizer, arbitrator and unofficial leader of the Care Bears. He has the power to inspire others to follow his lead, whether it is the other bears, hearts, flowers, bees or trees.

Wish Bear
Color: Turquoise ~ Tummy Symbol: Shooting Star
Wish Bear is the somewhat naive dreamer of the group, feeling that things will always be what you wish to be. At times she is annoyingly optimistic. However, her power to make things change by just wishing often back fires making matters worse.

Bedtime Bear
Color: Blue ~ Tummy Symbol: Moon with a hanging star
With Bedtime Bear's sleepy eyes, he ensures everybody gets enough sleep. It's his job to bring sweet dreams to all his friends. Whenever you see him, he is always sleepy.

Cheer Bear
Color: Pink ~ Tummy Symbol: Rainbow
Cheer Bear is the Care Bear cheerleader. She is spunky and totally optimistic. Bubbly and happy Cheer is quick with a nice remark and always willing to help her friends. Her name and tummy symbol say it best, she's full of bright, colorful cheer!

Good Luck Bear
Color: Green ~ Tummy Symbol: Clover
Good Luck Bear is a happy go lucky sort of guy, trusting, and believes beyond a shadow of a doubt that luck will turn everybody rosy.

Harmony Bear
Color: Purple ~ Tummy Symbol: Rainbow Flower
Harmony Bear is the musical bear, she loves keeping everything and everyone in harmony.

Funshine Bear
Color: Yellow ~ Tummy Symbol: Sunshine
Funshine Bear knows how to have fun and can turn anything into a game! He loves kidding around and treats everyone like a close friend. His favorite things are his sunny belly badge and trusty red baseball cap!

Share Bear
Color: Purple ~ Tummy Symbol: Two lollipops crossed (Used to be Milkshake w/2 straws)
Nobody shares like Share Bear! She's a little sweetie with a great big heart and plenty of love to give. You'll know her by her curly hair and the little satchel that's full of lollipops, perfect for sharing.

Grumpy Bear
Color: Blue ~ Tummy Symbol: Cloud with raining hearts
Grumpy Bear likes to make up grumbly nonsense words to express himself. He's mostly grouchy and often complaining, but everybody knows beneath his frown and rain cloud belly badge is a heart of gold!

Oopsy Bear
Color: Green ~ Tummy Symbol: Doesn't have one
Oopsy Bear is very eager to help, but he's a bit clumsy. So he's always saying "Oopsie!". But his friends love him just the way he is. He's also special, he can draw in his own belly badge to show how he is feeling!

If you want to have a little fun just click on this picture. ENJOY!!

Much has been said of the Care Bears and their adventures, but what about their Cousins? These dedicated animals of caring are no less important, their hearts just as big, their mission an inspiration to all ~~ To help us put our feelings into action.

"Although they're not very tall, inside, they're anything but small. They're big as a sunny morning, big as the sky above, big as the biggest dream you have, big as love."
~~From: Let's Get To Know The Care Bear Cousins" (Kid Stuff Records)

Braveheart Lion
Color: Golden Brown ~ Tummy Symbol: Heart With A Crown
This proud and boastful feline laughs at danger and jeers at fears. But he never belittles you when you're afraid. He knows that your fears are real (and he still has a few of his own!). He's learned a few tricks to help ou master what you're afraid of, and the crowned heart he wears proves it. His mission is to teach us all how to stand up to our fears.

Lotsa Heart Elephant
Color: Pink ~ Tummy Symbol: Weight with 2 Hearts
A mighty pachyderm with a big strong heart, but a poor, weak memory. Thus, he sports a heart decorated weight to remind himself (and all of us) that you don't need superior skill or intellect to win the day. You just need "Lotsa Heart," and that's the truth.

Gentle Heart Lamb
Color: Sea Green ~ Tummy Symbol: Pillow Heart
This quiet, timid soul holds a heart-shaped pillow close to her heart for inspiration. She's so gentle she barely bends a blade of grass when she walks by. But never let her hear or see you treat yourself harshly -- then she becomes as bold as a mountain ram! Her lesson is to be gentle with yourself and everyone around you. "Have mercy on you!"

Treat Heart Pig
Color: Golden Yellow ~ Tummy Symbol: Ice Cream Cone
A lover of good food & good friends, she's never without her heart-shaped ice cream on a cone. She considers her mission to be a special treat: to show everyone they deserve the very best in life.

Bright Heart Raccoon
Color: Purple & Pink ~ Tummy Symbol: Heart Light Bulb
The great thinker (and tinker) of the Forest of Feelings. He's intelligent, not just book smart, and always carries with him a bright light to help others find their way out of any dilemma. His motto: There's always a way, if you care enough.

Playful Heart Monkey
Color: Brown ~ Tummy Symbol: Heart With A Party Hat & Candy
He is the master of practical jokes, but he means no harm. Life is a celebration to him, and his heart shows he's always ready to party and play. His mission is to eradicate all drudgery & darkness from the world. His weapon: Laughter!

Swift Heart Rabbit
Color: Light Blue ~ Tummy Symbol: Heart With Wings
The only thing faster than she is her winged heart. She's a hard one to catch because she doesn't want to miss a moment of her chosen calling: to help others share their love & caring in loving ways right now!

Cozy Heart Penguin
Color: Purple ~ Tummy Symbol: Heart With A Knit Cap
Being a cold water (and warm feelings) fowl, she knows how to bundle herself against bitter winds and frozen feelings. Even her heart is protected by a knitted cap. Never one to keep her warmth to herself, she shows others how to keep their own hearts warm & cozy, and spread that warmth to others.

Loyal Heart Dog
Color: Blue ~ Tummy Symbol: Heart Shaped Medal
This canine is more than just "Man's best friend." He proudly wears a heart medal of honor for his steadfast support of everyone who needs a friend in their corner. His vow is to support anyone in need, no matter what.

Proud Heart Cat
Color: Light Brown ~ Tummy Symbol: Pink Star With A Red Heart
This cat knows she's a star (as all cats do), and she wears one, too -- with her heart in the right place. As proud as a cat can be, she wants us to know that we're all stars. Her message and motto: Be proud of you, no matter what you do."

Noble Heart Horse
Color: Purple ~ Tummy Symbol: Multicolored Heart With A Star Inside
One of the founders of the Kingdom of Caring, and a special mentor and protector of all the Care Bear Cousins. He also calls to everyone's higher feelings, reminding us that compassion, kindness & mercy will carry the day in any situation.