Teddy Bear Activities – Lesson Plans

July 10 is apparently Teddy Bear’s Picnic Day, but we love teddy bears all year long. Whether the bears are having lunch or we’re going on a bear hunt, there are lots of fun bear activities to do with kids in a classroom or at home.

If you’re planning a teddy bear day with a group, you can send invitations to the bears (aka remind parents to send the bears to school). Pencils to Pigtails has invites that include a teddy bear sleepover at school if that’s something you’d like to do). Her post also includes an about the bear worksheet, activity ideas, snacks and ideas for the “sleepover.”

Mrs. Plemon’s Kindergarten has a whole week of bear activities for you to choose from (mostly using Eric Carle books). These daily planners include a book to read, an art project, a snack, gross motor activity and a sensory bin. So fun!

Ms. Stephanie’s Preschool has another rundown of a full teddy bear day done at school, which could also be done with kiddos at home. It includes measuring the bears, drawing, a lacing activity and book ideas for your special day.

Make your bear day a day of messy fun with these sensory boxes and other ideas from Fun a Day. Or use supplies you already have at home or in the classroom to make teddy bear races. This idea is from Best Toys 4 Toddlers.

Here are some teddy bear activity printables and other ideas to make your own teddy bear day or week at school or at home:

Tea Time Monkeys: Teddy Bear Ears Craft
3 Boys and a Dog: Teddy Bear Cutting Practice Sheets
Mama’s Learning Corner: 8-page printable packet including a maze, dot to dot, writing activities, a puzzle and more
Simply Kinder: Teddy Bear STEAM Projects
Crystal and Comp: Bear Hunt Tracing Printables
Homeschool Share: teddy bear printables including find the letter, alphabet cut and paste, repeating patterns and more

Pretend Play: Teddy Bear Picnic

Printable Bear Counter Pattern Strips

20 Going on Bear Hunt Crafts & Activities

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Polar Bear Learning Activites

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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