03 Dec Bear Fun & Games
On Wednesdays at 10 a.m., there’s a storytime for toddlers and preschoolers in the Children’s Room. The Events Calendar has details about each week. There is usually a story plus another activity: songs, a craft, science activities, art project, sensory stations, and/or free play around the theme of the book.
Bear Hunt Program
Recently, the story was We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, which is available as a picture book and as a board book. This version is by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. It’s a beautiful version of an old participation chant, and is still a very popular book.
Then the kids played a Going On a Bear Hunt game that combined aspects of bowling, croquet, and golf. Children rolled the balls through wickets, then through a tunnel and into the bear’s mouth. Each wicket was a place where the family in the story says, “Oh no! We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh no! We’ve got to go through it!” The tiny children interacted with the game differently than the big kids, but everyone found an interesting way to play with it. Some kids stayed to color a bear picture afterwards.
Other Classic Bear Books
Anyone in the Children’s Room will be happy to help you find a copy of these books.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle.
Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a mother looking at them.
Little Bear by Else Homelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak.
Little Bear’s four adventures include taking a trip to the moon and having a birthday party.
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.
Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost end up with the other’s mother.
The Bear Went Over the Mountain by Iza Trapini.
In this expanded version of the traditional song, a bear goes exploring near his home in the mountains, using all five senses throughout the four seasons.
