We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Sensory Bin

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We’re Going on a Bear Hunt has been one of my favorite songs to sing with my kids for a while and when I first discovered the book, when my daughter was a baby, I was so excited to read it to her! Create this fun icy exploration of the different places they go to in the book for your child to melt, discover and explore! 

 Set Up Time

A few days.

READ MORE… 40+ WAYS TO PLAY WITH ICE

What You’ll Need 

  • Plastic Table Cloth or Shower Curtain Liner
  • A Deep Tupperware Container
  • Green Grass (Real or Artificial)
  • Blue Food Coloring
  • Rocks
  • Dirt or Pudding or Brown Food Coloring
  • Green Leaves (Real or Artificial)
  • White and Blue Pom Poms or Cotton Balls
  • Little Bears Figurines or Brown Pom Poms
  • Bowls
  • Tweezers or Tongs
  • Scissors
  • Turkey Baster
  • Watering Can
  • Eye Droppers
  • Toy Hammer
  • Play Dough Scraper
  • Salt

Set Up

  1. Fill your container with an inch of water add your grass clippings. Freeze overnight. 
  2. Take it out of the freezer, add another inch of cold water with blue food coloring and rocks. Put it back in freezer overnight.
  3. Remove from freezer, add another inch of cold water and add dirt. Put it back in freezer overnight.
  4. Remove from freezer, add another inch of cold water and add green leaves. Put it back in freezer overnight.
  5. Remove from freezer, add another inch of cold water and add blue and white pom poms. Put it back in freezer overnight.
  6. Remove from freezer, add another inch of cold water and add bears. Put it back in freezer overnight.
  7. Remove from freezer, run warm water over the bottom of the container to remove the ice block. 
  8. If doing this activity indoors place a plastic table cloth or shower curtain liner under the sensory bin.
  9. Place the ice block into the sensory bin with the bears side on the bottom. 
  10. Add 2 bowls of warm water and another with salt. 
  11. Add fine motor tools spoons, turkey baster, watering can and eye dropper. 

How To Play 

Invite your child to use the fine motor tools with the warm water and salt to melt the ice down to find the bears. They can also use the hammer and scraper to chip away at the ice as it melts.

What To Talk About

There is so much to talk about with this sensory bin! Read the book before playing. You can ask what is happening as they pour warm water or salt on the ice.  Ask what part of the book they are ‘hunting’ through. Ask what they are discovering as they melt through the ice. Sing the lyrics of the book as they play.

Useful Tips

This is a great activity to do outside on a hot summer day. If doing this outside lay an old towel under the sensory bin. Don’t finish this activity in one sitting? Put the rest back in the freezer to complete on another day!

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