Have You Been on a Bear Hunt Yet?

If you’ve walked around your neighbourhood recently (at the correct social distance and having followed all the government guidelines obviously), you may have spotted various things in the windows of the houses you walked past. You might have seen bears, books or rainbows to name a few.

The idea was inspired by the Michael Rosen book ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’ which is one of our favourites and creating our own bear hunts is something we can all get involved with to brighten up the day for people when they are out on a walk.

Jonathan from Warwick Library, along with some very special friends, has some tips for you to make sure you have all the important information you need to participate while we’re all #StayingAtHome.

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The Bear Necessities

If you go out on your walk today you’re sure of a big surprise. Many bears will be waiting for you and they will not be in disguise. Today is a day the bears hope for a wave, because today is a day the teddies cannot have their picnic.

Feel like helping? Here are some tips from the well-known bears Rupert, Yogi, Paddington and Pooh. Every wave you give a bear makes them happy. Just remember to wash your hands and keep your bear hunt to no more than an hour!

Rainbows

Rupert The Bear tells us to look where a rainbow lies, for there as well a bear may hide. The rainbows can be many colours – red and yellow and pink and green and purple and orange and blue. If you see a rainbow you may see a happy bear too.

Windows

Yogi tells us to look out for bears in windows. He says with windows you can’t go over them, you can’t go under them, oh no! And you definitely must not go through them! What can you do then? Yogi simply says you can keep looking at them and looking at them while out on your walk.

Bears can be shy

From his time in Peru, Paddington knows a thing or two. Paddington says when doing bear hunting with your family keep the number of hunters to no more than a few. This way the bears are more likely to show themselves to you.

Wave from afar

Whilst eating his honey and playing poohsticks in his tilted bath Winnie The Pooh shares some sweet advice. When you see a bear, please wave at it from afar. Get too close and the bear will run away. Bears want to wave and say ‘hello’, but get too close they cannot go.

Please

Do a great thing today and give a bear a wave! Each wave you give brings joy to a bear who has to stay inside. Remember also that your own bear will not want to hide. Put them in the window too and it will fill their heart with pride

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There are some local bears who also must feature here too – the Warwickshire Museum Brown Bear, while a scary looking beast, has been greeting people on their visits to the museum for many years. You can out more about the history of this giant stuffed creature on the ‘Our Warwickshire’ website or listen to a story inspired by the beast here. You might also like to meet ‘Teddy and Fifi’ – a teddy who is over 100 years old and his little dog.

You can find out about teddy bears who have made their home in Warwickshire on the web pages of our colleagues in Heritage and Culture. You’ll see a photo of some teddy bears from the early twentieth century here, along with a whole host of other historical toys and games.

You can also read about the adventures our very own Warwickshire Library Book Bear got up to a few years ago in their three part blog: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Happy (and safe) bear hunting!