Bear Hunt Round the House

What you need

• a blanket
• a few cushions
• a soft toy bear

How to do it

1. Hide the soft toy bear in a far room, then set out a route: a blanket to crawl under, cushions to climb over.
2. Set off together chanting 'we're going on a bear hunt'.
3. At each obstacle, say what it is (long wavy grass, thick squelchy mud) and go under it or over it.
4. Find the bear, shout 'a bear!' and run back the whole way, fast.

Why it matters

Acting out a chant with their whole body turns a story into somewhere they go.

What they're learning

Acting out a story

Each obstacle is part of the story and part of the route.

Crawling and climbing

Under the blanket, over the cushions: different ways to get through.

New words

Swishy, squelchy and splash are words they get to say with their whole body.

What to look for

Notice them saying the next part of the chant before you do.

A tip

Keep the route on the floor. Cushions to clamber over, not furniture to climb.

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