It’s a Terrific Day for a Teddy Bear Picnic!
Children love stuffed animals, especially teddy bears, and they love to go on picnics, so let’s put those loves together and have some fun! When I was teaching kindergarten we always did a “bear” unit that was a favorite of the students and it always included a teddy bear picnic. I have taken some of those ideas and adjusted them to be just right for the perfect teddy bear picnic with your little ones or for a small group of children. These are simple and easy ideas but you can make your teddy bear picnic as elaborate as you would like by adding additional activities or details.
The Simplest and Easiest Teddy Bear Picnic
You can have a spur of the moment, simple teddy bear picnic by simply laying down a blanket, beach towel, tablecloth, etc. on the floor or outside on the ground. Have your little ones grab a few teddy bears or other stuffies they love and place them around the cloth. Then just lay everything out for your normal afternoon snack time right there with no extra frills. Have a seat and enjoy the time with the little ones. It’s a quick and easy way to add a little extra love and laughter to everyone’s day!
Teddy Bear Picnic Extras
Now if you want to plan ahead and put on a picnic with some extra details this is for you!
Picnic Items and Equipment
If you are doing more than just keeping it simple, you will need items for a teddy bear picnic that you need for a regular picnic. We have a great post that covers this well. Click this link to check it out: Everything you need to plan the ultimate picnic. You will find options for the perfect picnic basket, plates, cups, utensils, and the picnic blanket. In addition, you can sign up below if you would like to receive our Perfect Picnic Plan that will also be helpful in planning a picnic! Again, you can make your teddy bear picnic as simple as you wish or add more touches to make it more elaborate.
Teddy Bear Picnic Food
Enlist the kids to help make some sugar cookies and cut some out with a bear cookie cutter. Click here for a sugar cookie recipe link or to make it even easier buy some dough from the grocery store. For extra fun let the kids decorate using icing or by covering the cookie in chocolate frosting for brown bears or vanilla frosting for polar bears and add some decorations to make the bear using M & M’s for eyes and nose, chocolate chips for the mouth, etc.
For a very easy and quick bear cookie, make these cute cookies by using a graham cracker, peanut butter, M & M’s, and a banana slice! You can also add cute marshmallow ears. Or make an open faced bear sandwich!
Other snacks you might like to include:
Teddy Grahams snack crackers, and bring a little honey to dip them in!
Gummy Bears
Bear Claws
Honey Buns
Teddy Bear Trail Mix: Include Teddy Grahams in your usual trail mix favorites for a healthy snack.
Assorted berries since bears love berries!
Teddy Bear Games to Play
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear: Have kids act out the Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear chant. Click here for a printable version.
Going on a Bear Hunt: The Going a Bear Hunt chant is a fun one to do while sitting on your picnic blanket. To take the activity further, have someone hide all the bears and stuffed animals in different places around the house or yard and walk around to find them while chanting parts of the Going on a Bear Hunt rhyme. Click here for a printable version.
The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Draw a mountain shape on the sidewalk or driveway. Sing the song “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” and have the kids try to keep their feet on the line as they go over the mountain while holding their special bear in their arms, on top of their head, on their shoulders, or between their knees. There are additional verses about a river, forest, and tree that you or the kiddos could also draw on the sidewalk. Click here for the song and lyrics.
Pass the Bear: This is like passing a beanbag but use a bear. Play music and when the music stops the child holding the bear gets a gummy bear, Teddy Graham, or other treat. Pass the bear until everyone gets a treat.
Teddy Bear Toss: Put an empty laundry basket out and have the kids stand a distance away that is appropriate for their age. Have them try to toss their bear into the basket.
Mama Bear, May I: Like Mother, May I, have the children stand a distance away from you, at least 10-12 feet. On each turn you tell the child how many and what kind of steps to take coming toward you. You can have them take Papa Bear big steps, Mama Bear middle sized steps, Baby bear baby steps. After you tell them what to do the child must ask, Mama Bear, May I? You will respond, “Yes, you may.” Keep going until every child reaches you.
Teddy Bear Magic Carpet: Get a blanket and have the children hold the edges. Put all the bears/animals into the middle and pretend the bears are flying on a magic carpet. Have the children pull the blanket gently like soaring over water, make it high and bumpy over the mountains, up and down over the hills, up high in the sky, down low through a cave, etc.
Teddy Bear Crafts & Activities
Order wooden bear cutouts and have markers or paint and brushes handy for kids to decorate their bear. Pre-drill holes in the cutouts and add some jute cord once they are dry so that it can be hung or use some adhesive magnetic tape to make a refrigerator magnet. Click here for wooden bear cutouts.
Print out and color a teddy bear coloring page. Click here for coloring pages.
Make these bear paper bag puppets from coffeecupsandcrayons.com. Click here for paper bag puppet pattern.
Make these cute paper plate bears from craftymorning.com. Click here for the paper plate bear how to.
Learn how to draw a bear. Have the kids finish the picture by drawing a background as well. Click here for instructions for drawing a simple bear.
Books about bears!
Brown Bear, Brown Bear: What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Corduroy by Don Freeman
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Winnie the Pooh book or a video
The Three Bears by Paul Galdone
Want More Family Fun?
I hope that you are inspired to have a simple, or even not so simple, Teddy Bear Picnic with your favorite little ones. They are sure to have a ball and so will you!
Have a “beary” good day!
Karen
PS. If you are looking for other fun family activities check out these post for more ideas!
This is Movie Magic: Raya and the Last Dragon
The Best Board Games for Big Family Fun
Easy and Fun Ways to Grow Your Child’s Creativity
Ten Storytelling Ideas to Grow Your Child’s Imagination
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My 2 year old granddaughter would enjoy this so much. These are such creative ideas that children will love!! It doesn’t hurt that she loves teddy bears!!
She will have a ball! It is so much fun even if all you do is have stuffies, a beach towel, and a simple snack! It doesn’t take much to get my grand kids excited! : )