We're Going on a Bear Hunt {Before FI♥AR}


"We're Going On A Bear Hunt," by Michael Rosen is a fun, interactive story of a family on a journey. The family will travel through the deep grass of a meadow, across a river, wade through oozy mud, journey through a dark forest, experience a snowstorm and explore a cave."

This video of the story, as told by the author, is great!



We watched it several times.

Story Sequencing Cards:


Motions to act out the story:
  • Grass in the meadow - rub hands together to create a swishing sound
  • Crossing the river - do the breast stroke with your arms
  • Going through mud - slowly pull feet (or arms) up as if stuck in mud
  • Going through the forest - climb a tree
  • While in the snowstorm - pretend to shiver (we used the sign for cold)
  • While in the cave - pretend to feel carefully in front of your face with your hands
  • When you find the bear - feel the fur on the bear's face
(I must have gotten these from the FIAR archives).

Animal Classification Cards:


I pulled these from all the B4 titles that have bears in them.

Bear Hunt Sensory Tub:


Contents:

  • grass - green foam cut to look like grass and rolled to look wavy
  • water - blue paint bag
  • mud - brown paint bag
  • forest - pipe cleaner trees stuck in styrofoam
  • snowstorm - cotton balls and curled pipe cleaners (for the swirling, whirling)
  • cave - brown foam rolled up with black ends
  • bear in the cave

Much to my delight, they added the house (with stairs) and Elli's "Go Anywhere Girls" and acted out the story.

Thick Oozy Chocolate {Mud} Pudding



Bear {Cookie} Hunt



I had them each count out 20 bears and tied them in a sack. I turned the dog house from Angus Lost into a bear cave and hid them in the cave, then left clues to find them.  Then we ate the cookies with the pudding.

Real Bear Hunt?!

I asked them if they wanted "go on a real bear hunt" and make a trip to Zoo Montana to see Bruno or Ozzy ~ the resident grizzly bears, but they both said no! until I told them that we would be safe because the bears can't get out. We always have so much to do when we go to the "city" that we would have only had 30 minutes at the zoo, so we didn't go. Soon, 3 grizzly cubs will be available for viewing, so we hope to make it up again when we have more time. Zoo Montana is unique in that it only inhabits animals that normally live in our cold climate. 

Of course, after this, we discussed the concept of being “brave,” and why we should be careful but never afraid ~ "We're not scared!" because YHVH is always with us.

Lap Journal

We discussed the concepts of “over,” “under,” and “through” and did a few lapbook activities.


I love little hands and feet. . . 
. . . hard at work. 
More Sensory Play
Squelch Squerch

Splash Splosh
The chunks after soaking over night! 


These are a couple of the free samples of "Yuck" that I requested from Buckets-O-Fun after seeing several Crew reviews on it. I thought it would be a great sensory tie in for the "icky sticky mud," "deep cold river," and "swirling whirling snowstorm!"

I had several other sensory ideas that would have tied in nicely, but I think I will save those for when baby is born for some ooey gooey messy play. 

Delightful Links:

10 comments

  1. Great stuff! My tot loves this book. I'll have to show her that video.

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  2. Such fun! I think I am going to have to come back to this post when my boys are older and we do the book again. We did a lot of similar things, but not things (like counting or cooking) geared to slightly older kids. I love getting inspired! :) Sometimes I worry that when I go to do this book with Joe "for real" it will be too young for Mike (if he was 4 or 5) but then I realize that is crazy! The great thing about B4FIAR books is that they can be enjoyed on many different levels.

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  3. Thank you so much for posting all of your wonderful ideas! I am going to be teaching B4FIAR next semester for our co-op and we will be using so many of your ideas. We love all that you do!

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  4. I want to come to your house for school!! :-)

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  5. We LOVE this story. Thanks so much for providing links too. =0)

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  6. I love this! The icky and the literacy activities are awesome. Thanks for linking to Read.Explore.Learn.

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  7. This book is one of my absolute favorites to read to the kids. The level of interaction is huge and the kids quickly find themselves talking about it as we do chores. I even read it to the kids at the Y and after reading it the second time the daycare kids were heavily involved and were grinning ear to ear.
    Chel, you did a great job reviewing this and I am glad we were able to read it to our kids.

    Love,

    Luke

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  8. What fun you had with this book! Love all the sensory ideas too. I need to do more of this with my Eliana. Thanks for sharing all that you do!

    Blessings
    Leslie

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  9. We just finished the Letter B last week and did the Going on a Bear Hunt story as well with a story board. ~~Love your blog!!

    <3 Rockabye Butterfly

    http://rockabyebutterfly.blogspot.com/

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  10. You did a great job on this project! My girls loved watching the video and want to do the activities. I have 5 little girls. Come visit us sometime. www.onthewingsofmorning.blogspot.com
    When we do these activities I will certainly link back to you. Very creative.

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