Coronavirus: Bay Area neighbors put teddy bears in home windows to entertain kids amid COVID-19 pandemic

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Kids, how many teddy bears can you find? Bay Area neighbors are coming together to entertain kids, stuck at home and practicing social distancing, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many families are placing teddy bears in the windows of their homes to cheer up children who are walking the neighborhood without their friends.The idea was inspired by a children's book "We're going on a bear hunt" by Michael Rosen.

A South Bay man even started a Nextdoor group in San Jose, near Milpitas, calling on other neighbors to do the same and help create a teddy bear scavenger hunt for kids.

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"Just happy to see the kids smiling...they need the distraction," he told ABC7 News. "Thought it would put a smile on kids' faces in the midst of what is going on. The smiles I got today while looking out my kitchen window when the kids saw the stuffed toy in my window not only put a smile on their faces but parents too."

In Oakland, a neighborhood is also coming together while apart and placing stuffed animals in windows.

"We just walked around the neighborhood for about twenty minutes and we saw about 15, 20, 25 bears," said Will Huntington. "It was really cool."

Some children even placed their most prized stuffed animals for other children to see. Four-year-old Amaia had a bevy of animals to share.

"A princess bear, a baby bear, and a grown-up bear," said Amaia.

The bear hunt comes as a welcomed distraction for children and adults.

"I only had one bear so I put a llama in there too," said Sharon Cohen. "It gives me pleasure to see the kids outside."

"It really warms my heart that everyone is rallying together for the kids and even me," said Will Huntington. "I want to walk around and see the bears too."

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