MSU Teddy Bear Picnic Saturday with MSU College of Human Medicine

On Saturday September 13 MSU’s College of Human Medicine will sponsor a Teddy Bear Picnic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in MSU’s 4-H Children’s Garden on Bogue Street just south of Wilson Road. Admission to the event is free for everyone, and free parking will be available in both the parking lot across from the MSU Clinical Center and in the Wharton Center parking structure.

The event includes a mock clinic where a favorite teddy bear or other stuffed animal can get a “checkup” from a medical student. According to Barbara Ball-McClure, MSU College of Human Medicine’s Coordinator of Outreach and Engagement for the Greater Lansing Area, the checkups offer children an opportunity to engage with health care professionals away from the anxiety of a doctor’s office. They also give medical students experience with children in a non-clinical setting.

Mc Clure further explains that the event is all about health, and “demonstrates to the community that we have excellent health care in the area, and also allows the community to see some of the sub-specialties that are available locally for children.” These subspecialties include neo-natology and hematology-oncology, who collaborate with the Lansing Neurosurgery and Michigan Spine Center to distribute and fit free bike helmets at this event. 400 helmets were distributed last year.

Representatives of The Great Start Collaborative will also be on hand talk about Head Start and other early learning programs. United Dairy Industry of Michigan has provided grant funding to provide healthy dairy snacks, and MSU Pediatrics will focus on the importance of reading to children. The free picnic lunch will feature only healthy foods, including string cheese and apples.

Representatives of MSU’s Osteopathic School will provide information about flu shots to parents, and the East Lansing Fire Department will have an ambulance on site and available for exploration.

In keeping with the theme of good health, there will also be opportunities to exercise. The MSU Women’s’ Basketball Team will be on hand to lead children in stretches and drills and shooting baskets, the MSU Women’s’ Soccer team will also work on healthy movement, and the MSU Department of Kinesiology give out jump ropes and supervise relay races.

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