Piney Lakes Childcare Centre: Book Buddies Takes on “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”
At Piney Lakes Childcare Centre, we’re always on the lookout for creative ways to make learning fun and engaging for our little learners. This year, our Book Buddies program has taken an exciting twist as the children dive into one of their favourite stories—We’re Going on a Bear Hunt—using only actions and picture prompts! It’s a hands-on, interactive way for the kids to engage with the story while developing their language and literacy skills.
The Magic of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
If you’re familiar with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, you’ll know it’s a wonderfully rhythmic and repetitive story, perfect for young children. The story follows a family on an adventure to find a bear, encountering different obstacles along the way—like tall grass, a river, and a snowstorm. What makes this story so engaging for little ones is its repetitive structure and vivid imagery, making it easy for children to remember the key events.
In our Book Buddies program, we’ve taken this classic story and used it as a foundation for an exciting new challenge: can the children retell the story using only their actions and picture prompts?
Setting the Stage for Adventure
We kicked off the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt adventure by transforming the room into a “journey zone.” The children walked in to find visual prompts—illustrations of tall grass, a river, and a snowstorm—ready to be brought to life through movement and action. To make it even more fun, we set the stage with props that encouraged children to act out each scene.
For example, when it was time to “swish, swish, swish” through the tall grass, the kids used their arms to mimic the swishing motion. When they encountered the “mud,” they got to squelch their feet in a fun, exaggerated way. And of course, when the bear appeared at the end of the hunt, they had to act out their surprise and excitement.
How the Book Buddies Program Helps
Our goal with the Book Buddies program is to help the children build their confidence and language skills. By using actions and picture prompts to retell We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, they’re not just reading—they’re experiencing the story in a dynamic, interactive way. Here’s how the program benefits the kids:
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Developing Narrative Skills: By acting out the story, children practise recalling key plot points and narrative structures, which strengthens their storytelling abilities.
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Enhancing Vocabulary and Language: As they repeat phrases and use actions to reinforce the meaning of words, children grow their vocabulary in a natural, engaging way. For instance, saying “squelch, squelch, squelch” while acting out the mud helps them internalise the word’s meaning.
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Boosting Confidence: When children physically participate in the retelling of the story, they feel more confident and involved. The combination of movement, repetition, and visual prompts gives them a sense of accomplishment as they work through the story.
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Improving Listening and Focus: By following along with the picture prompts, children have to listen carefully to the narrative and focus on the sequence of events. This builds their listening comprehension skills and attention span.
Why Kids Love It
The We’re Going on a Bear Hunt activity is an instant hit with the kids because it’s all about movement and imagination. The children love mimicking the actions in the story—from swishing through grass to wading through the river—and getting to playfully act out their favourite moments. The picture prompts help them remember key scenes, while the movements make the story come alive in a way that reading alone can’t match.
We’ve noticed that the children feel more connected to the story because they’re physically involved in the retelling. This interactive approach helps them become more engaged with the material and reinforces the concepts in a way that’s memorable and fun.
What’s Next for Book Buddies?
As the Book Buddies program continues, we can’t wait to see how the children’s retelling of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt evolves. This hands-on approach to reading is helping the children not only improve their language skills but also develop creativity and confidence. As they become more comfortable with retelling the story through actions and picture prompts, they will be ready to tackle even more complex narratives.
We’re excited to keep integrating movement, props, and interactive activities into our Book Buddies sessions—giving the children opportunities to retell stories, explore new ideas, and grow as readers in a fun, dynamic environment.
What’s Next for Book Buddies?
As the Book Buddies program continues, we can’t wait to see how the children’s retelling of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt evolves. This hands-on approach to reading is helping the children not only improve their language skills but also develop creativity and confidence. As they become more comfortable with retelling the story through actions and picture prompts, they will be ready to tackle even more complex narratives.
We’re excited to keep integrating movement, props, and interactive activities into our Book Buddies sessions—giving the children opportunities to retell stories, explore new ideas, and grow as readers in a fun, dynamic environment.
