Enabling Environments: Let's explore ... Bears

Teddy bears come in so many different forms and sizes and are so popular with children that they deserve to be part of continuous provision in a setting. Putting together collections of bears in different sizes and presenting them to children around the nursery will instigate opportunities for exciting and satisfying play. Practitioners can draw on the abundance of books and rhymes about bears to extend the play possibilities.

USING THE COLLECTIONS

A bears corner

Either include a basket of bears in the Home Area, or, if space allows, create a special corner. Provide floor cushions, boxes, baskets and fabric pieces. A selection of baby clothes and toys can be added, along with a basket of bear storybooks. Children who are exploring an enveloping schema will enjoy fitting bears into 'beds', tucking them up and reading a bedtime story. Display photographs of children and adults with their own special bears, and provide a tape recorder and tape of specially recorded bear songs and rhymes. A bear corner may become a favourite space for retreating and relaxing in a busy nursery day.

Small teddy bear collection

Place the collection in the construction area and observe children as they incorporate them into their play. Children may build enclosures for the bears, calling them beds, houses, trains and so on. They may line them up, position them on top of and inside constructions, and sort and order them in many different ways.

Provide a box of fabric pieces for covering and wrapping bears, and introduce the bear counting book, Ten in the Bed by David Ellwand (Handprint Books). Build a bed big enough to accommodate three/five/ten bears. Help the children to build a wall for 'Five brown teddies sitting on the wall' and teach the song to the tune of 'Five Green Bottles.' The children will enjoy knocking the bears off one by one before setting up again.

Outside collection

Place a collection of teddy bears next to a pile of boxes or crates to develop ideas about transporting. Include a basket of ropes and string for connecting, a selection of bags, a wheelbarrow and buggy and see how the children combine the resources.

Set up vertical and horizontal pulleys for investigations into moving bears. Add a variety of containers to attach to the pulleys, along with a selection of bears. How many bears will fit into the large bucket? How many small bears will fit? Experiment with large sand timers to see if a basket of bears can reach the other side before the sand runs out. Try it again with one bear.

Place some of the bears next to a collection of picnic cases and bags to instigate impromptu teddy bears' picnics. Share Mr Bear's Picnic and Teddy Bears' Picnic (see Book Box) to encourage picnic journeys to, for example, the seaside or the country.

Small-world bears

Use a collection of small-world bears to find out about real bears in the wild. A good finding-out book such as Really Wild Bears, which includes beautiful photographs, will help children to think about natural habitats.

Have the book available in the sand area, along with the bear collection, and encourage the children to create wild bear environments with natural materials. Talk about the different kinds of bears, which countries they live in and what they do in winter.

Set up an Arctic environment for the polar bears in a tray alongside the water area. Freeze water in a variety of containers and add the 'icebergs' to the tray, along with the bears. Introduce the picture book 'Snow Bear' to help set the scene and instigate storying.

Learning opportunities

PSED Continue to be excited, interested and motivated to learn
PSED Co-operating and collaborating
C&L Using language for a variety of purposes
UW Questioning why things happen and giving explanations
L Using books to find out more
M Using the language of size and position
M Problem solving
M Sorting and classifying
M Counting
PD Handling objects with increasing control
EAD Constructing in a purposeful way
EAD Expressing creativity through imaginative play
EAD Inventing imaginary worlds

USING STORIES

Some stories in particular, including the following examples, lend themselves to dramatic and imaginative play. Bringing books to life in this way supports children in becoming readers.

Playing with a story builds confidence as children become familiar with the language and characters, as well as offering opportunities for learning across the curriculum. Many stories will have schema content, which will draw in children who may not otherwise show an interest in books. The familiar old favourites never lose their appeal, and can be offered to children in different ways. For example, musical instruments can be added to create sound effects.

Whatever Next!

by Jill Murphy (Macmillan Children's Books)

This popular story of Baby Bear's quest to go to the moon explores ideas of containment and trajectories as preparations are made and the 'rocket' sets off on its journey.

Once children are familiar with the story, introduce a few simple props to the outside area to allow them to act out the adventure. Inside, set up the story on a table in miniature, but be prepared for the 'rocket' to move around as it travels to the moon!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

This traditional tale is an obvious choice, and practitioners shouldn't be afraid of it being repeated throughout the year. Young children don't tire of stories as adults do, and familiarity with a book starts children on the reading journey.

Having the resources readily available enables children to dip into the story whenever they choose. Put together a 'Three Bears Box' that can be used outside with construction materials. Include the three bowls and spoons, a container for 'porridge', pans, a version of the story, and some means of identifying roles - for example, masks, picture labels, a wig for Goldilocks, or bear head-dresses. The children can build the bear's house and then act out or adapt the story as they wish. Fill the porridge container with sand and provide water for children to make their own mixtures.

Inside, have a story box available for children to use on a table or carpet area. This could include small-world figures and bears or puppets and doll house furniture, along with the story book. Or put a doll house on a table with the small-world props and book.

Bears in the Night and The Spooky Old Tree

by Stan and Jan Berenstain (Picture Lions)

These two books both present a simple story and basic concepts humorously with rhythm and rhyme. Once children are familiar with the books, acting out the stories reinforces the connection between meaning and words. Initially, miming the actions works well with young children.

In 'Bears in the Night', the 'bears' progress from their bed, out of the window, down the tree, over the wall, etc, to find out who made the strange noise. Children will also enjoy setting up the scene as an obstacle course. Outside is the obvious place for this dramatic play, offering much more scope for movement.

For 'The Spooky Old Tree,' provide the basic props of a torch, rope and stick to help children get into role for the journey into the spooky old tree.

Other rhyming stories that act out well are We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Where's My Teddy and It's the Bear (see Book Box).

Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?

by Martin Waddell (Walker Books)

This story tackles in a warm and sensitive way a fear of the dark. A tent makes a good bear 'cave'. Pop a big and little bear inside, along with three lanterns and the book, and let children crawl inside to share the story. A soft toy Little Bear is available to buy, along with the book, in good bookstores.

Yellow Hat, Red Hat

by Basia Bogdanowicz (David & Charles Children's Books)

Interactive tables are a good way of 'catching' children as they move around the setting. This book explores ideas of size, shape and colour as Bear tries to find a hat to fit. Offer a basket of hats in different sizes and colours to fit in with the book. A selection of boxes could also be included, along with a bear to fit the hats on. Include a safe mirror for Bear to look at his reflection. The table could be positioned next to the Creative Area with an invitation to 'Make a hat for a bear.'

Book area

Match bears to stories and display alongside the book in the area.

Bears, Bears Everywhere by Mara Bergman & Helen Craig (Orchard Books) is a lovely rhyming book about a little girl who wishes for 'bears, bears everywhere!' and gets her wish with chaotic results. A big basket of assorted bears helps to bring the story to life.

When Will It Be Spring? by Catherine Walters (Little Tiger Press) explores the changing seasons through the eyes of Alfie Bear. Add a brown teddy bear and fabric in autumn shades to cover him as he snuggles down for a long sleep. The children will enjoy uncovering him each time he wakes up to see if it is spring yet.

Snow Bear by Piers Harper (Macmillan). Accompany this enchanting soft-to-touch book with a little polar bear and his mother to follow his adventures in the snow. Little Snow Bear plays in the snow, gets lost, makes a new friend and is finally returned safely back home.

Songs and rhymes and games

Have a collection of teddy bear rhymes and songs laminated and ready to use. Some favourites include:

'When Goldilocks Went to the House of the Bears'
'Round and Round the Garden'
'Teddy Bears' Picnic'
'The Bear Walked Over the Mountain'

Rhymes from Stories of Winnie the Pooh, such as 'Isn't it funny how a bear likes honey,' 'If bears were bees,' 'Lines and squares' and 'If I were a bear and a big bear too.'

Learning opportunities

PSED Working as part of a group
PSED Displaying high levels of involvement
C&L Enjoying listening to stories, songs and rhymes
C&L Using language to recreate roles and experiences
C&L Retelling and creating own stories using props
M Using the language of size, shape and position
PD Moving with confidence and control
PD Developing motor skills
UW Talking about what is seen and what is happening
EAD Using imagination in role play and stories

Adult role

• Introduce stories, story tables and props initially.
• Support children as they explore the resources.
• Share favourite stories, songs and rhymes often.
• Observe and extend children's ideas if appropriate.
• Ask open-ended questions that encourage the use of imaginative and descriptive language.
• Document experiences to share with parents and use it to revisit the interest often and to demonstrate learning in individual profiles.

RESOURCE BOX

There will be times when children may be invited to bring their own special bears into the setting, but for ongoing play it is a good idea to build up a collection that can stay at the nursery.

• Car boot sales and charity shops are excellent sources for a wide range of teddy bears. Have in mind particular stories when hunting, and find bears that fit that image - for example, large and small polar bears to accompany Snow Bear by Piers Harper (Macmillan Children's Books).
•  Collect a selection of baskets in different shapes and sizes for presenting bears in different areas.
•  Gather together a wide selection of books about bears and store them in a basket or box.
•  Source rhymes, action songs and games about bears, typed up and laminated for use inside and out.
•  Put together props for story boxes for specific books such as 'The Three Bears' and Whatever Next!.
•  Collect small-world bears that show the diversity of the animal in the wild, such as brown bears, polar bears, black bears and pandas. Include adults and their babies.

Good buys

• A variety of puppets and Story Bags and Baskets, as well as small world bears and cubs are available from Early Excellence at www.earlyexcellence.com
• Bear puppets for acting out stories are available from www.puppetsbypost.com

BOOK BOX

Other books featuring bears include:

Mr Bear's Picnic by Debi Gliori (Orchard Books)

Teddy Bears' Picnic by Mark Burgess (Picture Puffins)

Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by Penelope Lively (Macdonald Young Books)

Where's My Teddy? and It's the Bear! by Jez Alborough (Walker Books)

Really Wild Bears by Claire Robinson (Heinemann)

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books)

Stories of Winnie-The-Pooh by AA Milne together with favourite rhymes