Psst.. Don’t tell anyone but a huge bear hunt is underway around the Lane Cove Council area to help distract kids (and some bigger kids) while we are required to STAY HOME.
Bears (and other stuffed toys) are being placed in windows to give kids a fun and safe activity while walking around their neighbourhood with parents.
The hunt is inspired by the children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, written by UK author Michael Rosen.
We may be under home isolation but exercise is still permitted. Families look at the bears from the footpath, don’t touch windows and make sure they are social distancing (yep made a verb out of distance).
You can also treat it like Spotto or a Counting Game. You may have walked around your local neighbourhood and seen the bears, but you can make it different every day. For example, each child has to secretly count how many brown bears they saw one day, the next day how many white bears. In some cases, homeowners and/or their kids put in a different bear each day and dress it up or have a funny sign with it.
If you’re going on a bear hunt you need to keep it local and do a different street or patch every day. This is not like the Christmas Lights where you are encouraged to drive up and down the streets with the most number of lights. If everyone did that we would have a gathering (and gathos are not allowed). In fact, under the new stay home rules, you are not permitted to drive unless you have a reasonable excuse. So driving to see the bears is not permitted. However, walking to see the bears is a wonderful exercise.
Warning
If you or your family are under mandatory self-isolation or someone in your family has a cough, fever, sore throat or feels unwell do not leave the house and go on a bear hunt. If you see other families don’t stop and chat. Just wave, smile and keep your social distance.
How Do I Get Involved?
Place a teddy (or any stuffed animal) in a window of your house, so people walking by on the street can see it.
If you don’t have a visible window from the street, think outside the box and secure it to a tree, place it in a bush or find another creative way to display it.
Once you have done that, fill out the form below with your street details. We have put together a map that shows the streets that are participating. We are not listing street numbers as the fun is knowing there is a bear in the street – but which house?
Please note your street will not appear immediately on the map as we have to do a bit of magic before it is uploaded.
Bear Hunt Map
Make Your Bear a Social Media Star – Bear of the Day
You all know about ITC’s Dog of the Day, well now we will also have Bear of the Day – imagine how excited your kids will be to see their bear featured as Bear of the Day.
To be featured as Bear of the Day you can:
- Post it on your Facebook page and use the #itcbearoftheday
- Post it on your Instagram page and use the #itcbearoftheday
- Email us your pictures at [email protected]
Please note that if your Facebook Page or Instagram Page is set to a private setting we will not be able to access the pictures. When you post your picture make sure you tell us the bear’s name and their back story. Your children can help you write the back story.
Other Bear Books
Have you read Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear? This was one of Miss ITC’s favourite books and we used to love reading it to her. ITC thought we would recommend the book for our followers to read to their kids while they are in home isolation. It’s a fun book for parents and has that really Aussie humour about it.
We tried to find a link to a book shop selling the book only to find it is sold out. Turns out that the book got some unfavourable reviews in the United States. This is what one USA review said
“Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear
Submitter: We had a lot of parents take this book out and abruptly bring it back the next day. I was curious, so I took a look. At first, the book is pretty cute. Dougal the bear ends up at the dump, he meets a friend and gets to ride in the garbage truck with the men. Then, well, there’s a picture of Dougal at the pool hall with the guys drinking a large mug of “ginger beer.” The book goes on to state that Dougal and his friend had too much ginger beer and had to “sleep it off” in the truck. Mind you, this is complete with a picture of Dougal the bear laying on his side drunk; his friend is flat out on his stomach. Now, I didn’t think ginger beer was alcoholic, but no one needs to sleep off a soda! So, we weeded it. In a small town that packs a lot of conservative parents, we can’t be giving out a book where stuffed animals get hammered. On a personal note, I thought it was hilarious and otherwise a cute book. I weeded it and brought it home because I couldn’t let such a priceless treasure slip from my fingers.
Holly: I’m surprised none of the parents complained. I can just see it: “My child has been playing at being drunk ever since I read him this book!” Amazon lists an unfavorable review by School Library Journal, but customer reviews seem quite positive! The author is from Australia.”
Ooops – another bad mum moment by ITC.
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