Book Review: We're going on a bear search / hunt and learning activity ideas.
 

Book review for preschool, early years and nursery. Outdoor & indoor planning ideas for free flow play activities.

We're going on a bear search or hunt.....

Over under bear printables



The Book !!
We're going on a bear search Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury



Lesson planning ideas for FS Reception & KS1

Weekly plan using the Book
Source: Literacy Matters
Teachers TV - excellent video showing how to take gross motor play outside ... learning through Play

Love the chocolate activity featured in this video - swap it for cooked porridge & oats to fit the theme :D lol !!


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Creative Learning

Take a day or more as necessary to build each part of the story.
As each section is completed pin it up as a wall display that the children can reach & interactive with.

Descriptives :-
Long wavy grass
A deep cold river
Thick oozy mud
A big dark forest
A swirling whirling snowstorm
A narrow gloomy cave

Long wavy grass

Green paper - shreds of light & dark green / yellow tissue paper
:bell: Music - pan pipes
:cupcake: Cookery - chives & grated cheese sandwiches
Wash the wavy grass/chives well & let the children snip them into tiny pieces.Use brown & white bread or tortilla wraps, add mayonnaise & tomato slices.
:spin: Role play - Hula hula skirt dancing & dress up.


The River
Blue paper - Blue paint and silver glitter
mix a little PVA glue into the paint to stop the glitter separating. Paint onto clear shiny plastic & cellophane for the water ripple/reflections.
:bell: Music - record the children splashing in a bowl of water.
:cupcake: Cookery - Water based Drinks making. Crushed ice & fruit juice.
If you have access to a liquidiser National Smoothie week ideas :cheerful:
:spin: Role play - lay out a large Blue sheet as the river, add pebbles -plastic fish - boats - large strips of irredescent foil (flap and move to watch the reflections)


The Swamp
Brown Photoframe with the glass removed - brown playdough. Roll out and lay on the photoframes backing card. Cover with 2 or 3 layers of clear plastic food wrap. Use fingers to squish and move the dough around 'like a muddy swamp !!
:bell: Music - :wide-eyed silly putty in a pot !! :D
:cupcake: Cookery - umm .. googled & our own non-edible recipe - silly putty
:spin: Role Play - Mud & water tray .. bears & hippos ??


The Forest
Green tree tops & Brown Tree Trunks
Use real leaves to collage the tree tops
Take paper rubbings from real tree bark for the tree trunks.

:bell: Music ~ rustling of leaves - Sandpaper blocks
:cupcake: Cookery ~ Crunchy Biscuit Cheesecake !

• Crush plain biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin !
• put in a bowl & add melted butter - mix.
• Press into small cupcake papers.
• Use a pre bought cheesecake mix & follow the instructions.
• Spoon the topping mix onto the biscuit base.
• Sprinkle on a few chocolate drops. :yummy:

:spin: Role play - Branches, small world forest animals and larger role play dress up resources ..

Bear paws ..



Snowstorm
White paper, coathanger & hook
Make cut out snowflakes from folded white paper.
Tie them to a coat hanger and hang from a hook on your display area.
Alternatively, shred strips of paper and glue sprinkles, snowflakes on and hang as a curtain.
:bell: Music - small windchimes
:cupcake: Cookery - Fairy cake decorations that can be 'Sprinkled onto wet icing.
:spin: Role Play ~ Glitter & snow globes shop


The Cave
A bear puppet/picture - A open out type card.
Glue the bear inside the card.
Create the cave on the outside with mosiac grey & brown materials.
:bell: Music - echos - booms of a drum or tamborine if creeping up on & running away from the bear !!
:cupcake: Cookery - Bear cave Bricks & Dips
Dip holders - use a sharp knife to separate plastic ice cube trays into segments.






Fill with sweet or savoury dips.
Jam, lemon curd, syrup :wide-eyed , chocolate spread.
Cream cheese, Creamed potato & chive salad, Coleslaw,
Other dip recipes
Use sweet & savoury square biscuits, popcorn and crackers to dip.

If you've time before hand .. serve on a plate that has a cave & bear picture on !

:spin: Role play - Table Cave, cover a table with a large sheet .. if possible have play tunnels in & out of the 'cave'.
Warn about keeping heads down to avoid them being bumped !
Can use a pop up tent instead of a table.

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:paperbag: a little tongue in cheek sorry ...

The aim of this activity isn't to truly terrify the children when they find the bear .. enjoy the build up of anticipation whilst trekking around & highlight the surprise when they do find him .. granted he's big & darn grizzly .. so you don't want to be hanging around for too long .... :wink: :cheerful: but don't use the game as an exercise in fear !!!

Have fun ..... xx

Perfect timing Ruth! We're doing bears next month cos it's Paddington's birthday.... Thank you Sarahx:jump:

our bear cave is dark and has lots of potential for sensory activities. we always have a bear and when he wakes.............(staff in fur coat hiding)...so much learning and imagination..is he real. he doesn't move... no he's not real..its just a coat....
to
get out quick here he comes...screams, laughs, running chasing and turns in fur coat....

omg .. I've just come across Michael Rosen performing the story .. :wide-eyed Heck .. I love the internet at times :D

YouTube ~ Michael Rosen - We're going on a Bear hunt



His official Website :cheerful:

oh my gosh.. been doing the story that way for the last 15 years now...now I know what it looks like!

Love this story. Have played this story out as a physical activity with children many times. The love it. We set the home corner up as the bear cave using dark material to make a kind of tent & put a couple of teddy bears in there. We moved all tables & chairs out of the way so the room could become they physical play area & made a 'path' using cotton wool balls on the floor for the snow, long strips of green crepe paper for the grass etc etc. (The items used were either side of an imaginary path so there were no trip hazards for the children). I read the story & the childen moved through each area acting out each scene & moving appropriately, ending up in the cave.

The childern really enjoyed this. After the story we removed the items from the floor & set the room back up normally but left the cave for the children to play in. We also left a copy of the book in the cave for the children to look at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qSA3...eature=related

Alternative bear hunt song.