I don’t know where it started, one of those urban trends that goes across countries, but during lockdown the call went out to put bears on your fence or front window. Somewhere that could be seen from the street.
It’d help parents get their littlies go out for a walk – “let’s go on a bear hunt!” They couldn’t go to a park. They couldn’t use the playground equipment. And a plain walk isn’t always that enticing for young ones.
But a bear hunt!!!
It you don’t know the book and song, here’s the story told by the author, Michael Rosen. Or a classic Australian version from Play School.
It gave me a smile when I spied a bear. In a parked caravan, spying out the window. Sitting on a verandah railing. Tied to a fence post. (Ouch!)
Here’s some from my neighbourhood. Some had added decorations for Anzac Day in April, when I took the photos.
They are so cute! The phots will be a great reminder of the varied ways we came together during this weird time.
Yes, very true, Anne. I read about a collection of photos inspired by the Mass Observation diaries in the UK. People were invited to send in photos of the mass isolation.
Bear hunt, dog walk, wild animal lookout . . . there are so many ways this could be tweaked to keep kids interested and having fun. I know my daughters would have loved doing this when they were young (and one adult girl would still love spotting stuffed animals on a walk!).
Spotting the bears is strangely satisfying – and brings a smile. People have been inventive in putting the bears in interesting spots.
Great idea – not so good here as we have had a lot of rain so it would have been a ‘soggy’ bear hunt! My granddaughter has been painting rocks and leaving them around the village – people then paint their own and add to them. The rocks are often moved and relocated for people to find them again – a bit like a hide and seek for rocks…it has kept them quite occupied each day.
Painting rocks and moving them around sounds like great fun.
It has kept them occupied during lockdown!