All About Bears for Kindergarteners!

It’s that time of year again! It's time to jump into hibernation and explore all the wonderful things about animals in winter! The bear unit is one of my favorites to teach. I love how it lends itself to so many cross-curricular opportunities. From science to art, storytelling to engineering.

Why Do I Love the Bear Unit?

Honestly....this is my chance to combine two of my favorite projects: building a bear cave and exploring the magical world of Eric Carle! After learning about Eric Carle’s artistic style, my students set on to create their own collage paper. There is a beautiful video available on the Eric Carle's website where he shows students how he makes his illustrations. It's so fabulous and the kids get to see how the magic happens! I then have my students choose their favorite animal from the story Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?. That leads us into a week long research journey! We wrap up this learning by having students use the collage paper we made to create their own artwork representing the animal they researched.

But the bear-fun doesn’t stop there. After a week of reading both fictional and non-fictional bear stories, we bring that learning to life by building a bear den in the dramatic play area. This is a beloved tradition in my classroom. Former students still fondly talk about their experiences building the cave. It truly is one of the highlights every year.

Bear Cave Project:

Here’s how I went about building the bear cave with my kindergarteners. If you have never built a cave in your classroom, I hope this will inspire you! It is a messy BUT super fun project!

1. Brainstorming: We started by discussing what bears need for their cozy hibernation period. I made a list on the board as they shared their ideas. Here are some of the things they came up with:
   • Warm and safe: The cave must be strong and camouflaged so that other animals (and humans!) won’t disturb the bears.
   • Companions: We added bats to keep the bears company.
   • Entertainment: Bears need activities to do when they wakeup for a short stretch. We added books to read quietly to the bears. We also added flashlights to spot the animals without waking them.
   • Food: A basket of pretend food for the bears to snack on during their long rest.
3. Decorating the Cave: Students decorated the outside of the cave to look like a wooded area. We used construction paper, paint, and other craft materials to create trees, rocks, and shrubs. We talked about how camouflage was super important to ensure the bears’ peace isn’t disrupted.
5. Creating the Rules: Just as we do for other centers in the classroom, we brainstormed possible rules. These rules will help us keep the bear den fun. My favorite rule was "Don't wake up the bears!"

Once the cave is ready, students take turns role-play being bears. They use pillows and blankets to prepare for hibernation! Also... we all wear PJ's on the opening day!

Here are some of the books we read and the games we added to the centers to extend our bear learning.

Ready to Elevate Your Bear Unit?

If you’re interested in adding more creativity to your hibernation unit, I’ve got you covered. I’ve created printable resources and games to make this unit even more engaging. Take a look!

Happy hibernating and.... happy teaching!

TP@SparkingCreativity

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