Make-It Topic: Bears

Teddy(Tune: “B-I-N-G-O”)
There was a little tiny bear
And Teddy was his name-o.
T-E-D-D-Y,
T-E-D-D-Y,
T-E-D-D-Y,
And Teddy was his name-o.
Here is a Cave
Here is a cave.
(Bed fingers on one hand.)
Inside is a bear.
(Put thumb inside fingers.)
Now he comes out
To get some fresh air.
(Pop out thumb.)

He stays out all summer
In sunshine and heat.
He hunts in the forest
For berries to eat.
(Move thumb in a circle.)

When snow start to fall,
He hurries inside
His warm little cave
And there he will hide.
(Put thumb inside fingers.)

Snow covers the cave
Like a fluffy white rug.
Inside the bear sleeps
All cozy and snug.
(Place one hand over the other.)

Three Brown Bears
(Tune: “Three Blind Mice”)
Three brown bears, three brown bears,
See all their beds, see all their chairs,
The mommy cooked in a big brown pot.
The daddy’s porridge was much too hot.
The baby bear always cried a lot,
Three brown bears.

The Dancing Bear
(Tune: “B-I-N-G-O”; Take turns putting the name of the different children in the song. Act out the song together.)
There was a baby bear who loved to dance,
And ____________ was his name.
Left foot, tap, tap, tap.
Right food, tap tap tap.
Both paws clap, clap clap.
And __________ was his name.

There was a bear who loved to dance,
And __________ was his name.
Turn, turn, all around.
Bend and touch, touch the ground.
Jump, jump, up and down,
And ____________ was his name.

Five Little Bears
There was a little bear whose name was Sue.
Another came to see her, and that made two.
Two little bears quickly climbed a tree,
To find another, and then there were three.
Three little bears were fishing from the shore,
Where they met another, and that made four.
Four little bears found a busy beehive,
Another joined in, and then there were five.
Five little bears ate honey in the sun.
Out came the bees – Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
And then there were none.

Imaginative Play:

• Create a cave out of a large box. Place some books about bears inside for the children to look at.
• Act out the story of “The Three Bears”. Provide three sizes of bowls, spoons, and chairs, as well as three sizes of rugs for the beds.
• Have each child bring a teddy from home and then have a “Teddy Bear Tea Party or Picnic” together.
• Provide furry pieces of fabric, bear face masks, bear slippers, or similar materials for the children to use in pretend play.

Gross Motor: 

• Toss bear beanies into a basket.
• Move about on hands and feet, pretending to be bears. Take turns pretending to be tiny bears or big heavy bears.
• Take turns hiding a “honey pot” about the room or backyard. The other children pretend to be bears as they sniff about in their search for the honey.
• Play blanket volleyball, using a stuffed teddy as the ball.
• Place large bear footprints about the floor for the children to walk on.

Field Trip: 

• Visit the library to borrow books about bears.
• Walk to the grocery store to buy food for snack, that a bear might eat, i.e. berries or honey.

Water/Sand: 

• Add polar bears and chunks of ice to the water table.

Science: 

• Sort plastic or stuffed bears by size, color, or type.

Art:  

• Create bear masks with paper plates.
• Sprinkle coffee grounds or cornmeal mixed with brown powder tempera paint on bear shapes that have been painted with white glue.
• Create a collage of bear pictures, teddies and real.
• Make bear prints with sponges, stamps, or stencils.

Table Top/Conceptual: 

• Create puzzles from pictures of various bears.
• Create lacing cards with bear shapes cut out of cardboard and hole punched around the edge.

Blocks:  

• Add bear figurines, plastic trees, rocks, and materials to create caves to the block area.