A Bear-y Special Picnic: Our Teddy Bear Preschool Adventure
Let's be honest – is there anything cuter than a gaggle of preschoolers and their teddy bear besties? I think not! Recently, I hosted a teddy bear picnic for a group of my son’s friends, and it was pure, unadulterated joy. Picture this: tiny humans, their furry companions, "B" foods galore, and enough giggles to power a small city. It was a morning of delightful chaos (the good kind!).
This was the first monthly event I hosted for our little preschool group. Our curriculum, Playing Preschool by Susie Allison, actually suggested hosting a Teddy Bear Picnic at the end of the “Teddy Bear” unit, so we did! That event has started what has become regular monthly meetups with this preschool group. They are some of my favorite days each month!
Picnic Prep: The Bear Necessities
If you are interested in hosting an event like this, know that planning is key. First, you want to plan out an order of events for the morning. I provided a rough structure to parents so they’d know what to expect. We have since followed this structure for subsequent meet-ups.
Next, we needed some literary inspiration for our bear-themed bash. I already owned an absolute favorite of mine: We're Going on a Bear Hunt, so I made sure to incorporate that into our story time.If you haven’t read this one, it’s a crows pleaser. Anticipation builds with every page and it is a full sensory experience as you tap out the rhythm and act out the “swishy swashy” grass, the “Whoo-whoo-ing” snow storm, and the “Tumble-trip” forest. I tried to find Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but could not find it at the library. I had to pivot at the last minute and turn this one into a dramatic play experience. I quickly assigned roles with some minimal props and we acted it out as I read the old tale.
A Real Bear Hunt!
For the interactive activity, we went on our very own Bear Hunt. I gathered each child’s bear and sent them out of the room. I then hid each bear and invited the kids back in to see if they could find their bear before taking them to the picnic. When I did this activity with just my son, we hid different bears around and actually acted out the scenes from the book. We also played the “hot/cold” game to help him get closer to finding each one. At our picnic bear hunt, every child was able to successfully find their bear. It was such a sweet success!
The Picnic: Bear-y Good Times
Next up was the actual picnic! We went with a "B" theme since that was our corresponding letter with our bear unit. We had all sorts of berries – strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. We also had bananas, bread (bagels with butter! Two “B”s!) Finally, we had some cookies that included ingredients bears love: jam and oats.
The Verdict: A Roaring Success
Our teddy bear picnic was a triumph! The kids had a blast, the moms got some adorable photos and laughs, and I got to witness the magic of play-based learning in action. If you're looking for a fun, engaging, and utterly adorable event or party for your preschooler, a teddy bear picnic is a must-do. It was easy to plan and we had such a great time.
