Join us for easy and fun Going on a Bear Hunt Activities! This post contains a full hands-on unit study complete with companion books, activities, and ideas to pair with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt!

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Activities!

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is one of my all time favorite books to inspire creative play, movement and activity, and spark a child’s imagination.

We are incorporating this book into our around the world studies for kindergarten. However this unit is appropriate for young children from age two to about second grade. My toddler loves creeping through the tall wavy grass, and I have lovely memories of taking my 2nd graders on a bear hunt through the playground.

I hope your children enjoy the activities here as much as my children and students have!

Let’s Read! We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

This familiar tale lends itself to a variety of engaging learning activities. See below for gross motor practice, art, media resources and more!

---

Go on an Imaginary Bear Hunt

Take the spirit of this book outdoors and make your own bear hunt. Your bear hunt might be at a local park or in your own backyard.

Use the lyrical pattern of the story to describe what you see and hear in your surroundings. Walk to your destination, singing along the way. Then quickly run back, just like in the story. Don’t get caught by the bear!

---

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Sensory Bin Activity

Fine motor and sensory exploration, role playing, retelling and reenacting a story.

Create your own small-scale forest with your child!

• Practice fine motor skills when you rip or cut and crunch up paper for the wavy grass and pull apart cotton to make a snowstorm.
• Describe different textures as you and your child set the scene in the correct order.
• Retell what the family goes through first, second, and third
• Reenact the story with your own “finger people” or figurines.

A list of materials for an indoor sensory bin:

• wood chips for the forest floor
• shredded green paper for the tall wavy grass
• a foam or paper blue shape puddle
• large cotton balls for the snowstorm
• trees and woodland animals

Or create your own outdoor sensory bin with found materials.
Don’t be afraid to get dirty!

---

Going on a Bear Hunt? Make it an Animal Parade!

Gross Motor and Vocabulary Activity

You’ve been on the bear hunt, now it’s time to be the bear! Have your kids (and Dad, too!) form a line for an Animal Parade.

The book takes you through a bear’s natural habitat. What other animals might the family encounter as they travel through different parts of the forest? Brainstorm animals with your child. Then describe their movements. Move like the animal would across the room. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Long, Wavy Grass: slither like a snake, jump like a grasshopper
• Deep, Cold River: swim like a fish, float like an otter
• Thick, Oozy Mud: crawl like a salamander, slither like a snail
• Big, Dark Forest: prance like a deer, stand perfectly still and watch like an owl
• Swirly, Whirly Snowstorm: hop like a rabbit, pounce like a wolf
• Narrow, Gloomy Cave: swoop down like a bat, skitter like a mouse, creep like a spider

---

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Art Activity

Art, Fine Motor Practice, and Introduction to Maps

Create a map of the family’s adventure through the forest.

We used very simple materials for this one: construction paper, brown and white tempura paint, popsicle sticks, brown marker, safety scissors and glue.

Use a marker to make a trail of dashes through your forest. Cut out shapes in order and talk about the story with your child as you paste the images on your map one at a time.

One of our very first kindergarten activities and an all-time fridge favorite.

---

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Companion Reading List with Activities

Math Literature:

Equal Smequal by by Virginia Kroll and Philomena O’Neill
Math literature is my son’s favorite part of our unit studies! This joyful book introduces the idea of equal groups as a mouse and his forest friends make teams for a game of tug-of-war.

Expand on this title by

• balancing items on a scale
• reenacting the tug-of-war with stuffed animals, toys, or dolls
• demonstrate equal parts with Lego – build the same size blocks or towers with different bricks
  

For more ideas for math literature see this list of 101 Math Literature Read Alouds

Poetry:

Jamberry by Bruce Degan
A classic story about a boy, a bear and their love of berries!

Expand your love of berries with

• seasonal berry picking
• making your own jam
• a field trip to your local farmers market for your own taste-test jamboree!

Fiction Readers:

Little Bear by by Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak
We loved learning to read with the Little Bear series. The stories are sweet, playful, and engaging for emerging readers. Check out all six books in this classic series.

Use this series as a support to your reading or phonics program

• sounding out words
• reading simple sentences
• pointing out punctuation
• modeling fluency with a read aloud

Non-Fiction:

Grizzly Bears by Gail Gibbons
Gail Gibbons has such a wonderful collection of non-fiction books for children. Her beautifully illustrated book, Grizzly Bears, shows grizzlies in their natural habitat, describes their life cycle, habits and features of these amazing animals.

Some ideas for this title:

• build a bear cave fort and hibernate
• write a list of interesting facts about bears
• have a bear meal for dinner – salmon!

---

All About Grizzley Bears Playlist

Learn all about grizzly bears with our Grizzly Bear YouTube Playlist.
Runtime approx 20 min. Stream below or click here to view on YouTube.

---

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt on YouTube

Book Sing-Aloud with book illustrations: 5 min

Song with Movement Directions: 5 min

Animated Feature based on the book: 24 min

---

Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear

Stream seasons 1 & 2 here.

Be sure to check out the Little Bear series of books. My son and daughter both loved Little Bear’s adventures with his family and forest friends.

First read; then watch the show. You’ll have plenty to talk about!

• Compare and contrast the characters and their adventures
• Recognize events from the show that you remember from the books
• Continue the story by making up Little Bear adventures of your own!

---

Related posts from the Resource Room:

• Jan Brett Author Study +8 Page FREE Printable Pack!
• North America Unit  Streaming Resources
• Grizzly Bear Facts for Kids! Elementary Unit Study Resources