We're Going on a Bear Hunt

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Rainy days and young kids are often a combination that leads to pent up energy, frustration, and acting out. It can be a challenge keeping little bodies moving and minds active when they are contained to a smaller space. This is one of the tools in my bag of tricks for exactly this occasion.

Begin by reading We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. This is a cute story about a family embarking on an adventure - they are looking for a bear and they insist they are not scared. The author describes the family traveling through various landscapes (such as mud piles and snow storms) and the sounds that accompany them as they keep moving forward. Upon finding a cave and the bear inside, the family turns around and retreats back the way they came in a hurry - with all the same sounds to describe the path.

After reading the book, pick one or two or a few of the below options to keep the bear fun going.

1. Act out the story. As you read the book, encourage your child to imagine the landscape and move their body as they would if they were really going through the tall grass or the forest.

2. Make binoculars out of toilet paper rolls, stickers, markers, and construction paper. Encourage your child to use these to spy the bear (or really anything).

We're Going on a Bear Hunt on Hello Rascal Kids.

3. Watch the actual story being read out loud on YouTube.

4. Make a map of the story. Use construction paper, markers, crayons, tape and glue. Allow your child to have maximum imagination and control over this map. Accuracy is not as important as creativity and ownership. If you prefer a coloring page, use this link to access a printable map that can be colored.

5. Hide a teddy bear (or paper bear) in your house and make a map that your child can use to find the bear. Encourage climbing over the sofa (like a mountain), swimming on the floor (like going through a river), spinning in a circle (like going through a wind tunnel), and so on. Be creative.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt on Hello Rascal Kids.

6. Watch and act out this variation of the story. Keep the body moving.

7. Consider doing all the above with the story We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger. Not as scary as looking for and finding a bear, but just as creative. On a non-rainy day, take the leaf hunt outside.

Happy Hunting!

Written by Brandi Stanton, mom of two rascals ages 3 and 4.

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