Interesting Facts and Fun Activities for a Preschool Polar Bear Theme
Facts about This Protected Bear
- The polar bear is the largest member of the bear family.
- Large paws can be as big as a dinner plate.
- A polar bears favorite food is seal blubber.
- Baby bears learn to hunt by watching their mothers.
- Mother polar bears usually give birth to two cubs that live with her for the first three years of life.
- Polar bears love to swim and play in the snow.
- Polar bears are big: males stand over 9-feet tall and weigh about 1100 pounds. Females stand over 7-feet tall and weigh about 450 pounds.
- Polar bears live to be 15 to 18 years old.
- Since the discovery of gas and oil in the Arctic region, this once preserved wilderness has begun to be developed. With that, polar bears were being killed for their fur, thus their population has dwindled. In 1973, a law to protect the polar bears has been passed.
Going On a Polar Bear Hunt (Creative Dramatics)
This is a variation of the famous “Going on a Bear Hunt” chant. Ask the children to join you in each appropriate action.
Ready to go on a polar bear hunt?
First, is everyone dresses warmly?
Zip up your snowsuit.
Put on your boots.
Pull on your hat.
Wrap your scarf around your neck.
Tuck your hands in your mittens.
Now – let’s go on a polar bear hike.
Oh look! We’re going through the tundra. In the summer, this would be easy since it is flat and has no trees. But it’s winter now and covered in very deep snow.
Can’t go around it. Can’t go under it. Have to hike through it. All right, let’s go!
Whew! We made it.
Oh look! I see the Arctic Sea. It’s covered with ice and so cold. Brrrr!
Well, can’t go around it. Can’t go under it. We’ll have to skate over it. All right – let’s go!
Look ahead. I see an iceberg.
Can’t go around it. Can’t go under it. Have to climb over it. All right – let’s go!
We’re officially at the top. Do you see any polar bears?
Wow! We made it to the top of the iceberg.
Can’t walk down. It’s much too steep. I know – let’s slide down. All right—let’s go!
Oh look! I think I see something over there. I see a den in the snow.
Can’t go around it. Can’t go over it. We’ll have to crawl in. All right – let’s go!
Oh, it’s warmer in here.
You know, I feel something furry.
Oh, no! I think it’s a polar bear.
Shhhh! Don’t wake it.
We’re a little too close.
We better get out of here fast!
Let’s run.
Back over the iceberg and slide down the other side.
Skate over the Arctic Sea.
Hike through the snowy tundra.
Oh, my! Look!
Do you see what I see?
It’s a mother polar bear and her two little cubs coming out of their den for the very first time.
Wow! Now that was worth the hike.
Time to go home. (wave good-bye)
Polar Bear Song (Music)
Sing these verses to the tune of “The Bear Went over the Mountain.”
A polar bear climbed an iceberg. A polar bear climbed an iceberg. A polar bear climbed an iceberg. To see what he could see.
And what do you think he saw? And what do you think he saw?
He saw more snow and icebergs. He saw more snow and icebergs. He saw more snow and icebergs. As far as he could see!
The bear slid down the iceberg. The bear slid down the iceberg. The bear slid down the iceberg. It was so slippery!
Polar Bear Crafts: Puppet
Find a polar bear face template on the Internet or coloring book. Copy and paste this to a sheet of cardstock. Invite the children to cut out the face (or the teacher can do this task). Give the children white cotton to paste onto the face as fur and accentuate facial features with Googly eyes (optional) and a black marker. Glue or tape on a wooden craft stick as the puppet holder.
Polar Bears in the Snow
Invite the children to use polar bear stickers or color small clip art that can be found online for this project. On a sheet of construction paper, draw lines with a marker/crayon to look like icebergs in the sea. Adhere polar bear stickers or clip art along the icy bank. For snow, have the children dip a finger into white poster paint and dab it on the paper to look like falling snow. Did you know that every snowflake is different (no two are alike), just like our fingerprints, which are unique to each person?
Polar Bear Track Walking (Game & Math)
Cut bear paws from construction paper. Make half the paw tracks red and the other half blue. Tape these onto the floor alternating colors. To play, tie a length of red yarn to one leg of the child and a blue piece to the other leg. Invite the children to walk on the bear paws matching the color on their leg to the color of the bear tracks.
As a variation: place numbers or letters on the bear paws. Walk through the tracks following consecutive numbers or letters. Have the children name the symbol on the paw prints.
References
- KidZone Animal Facts: The Polar Bear
- “Going on a Polar Bear Hunt,” Copycat Magazine – Polar Bear Country, Jan/Feb 1999, page 7
This post is part of the series: Pre-K Polar Bear Theme
This two-part series is perfect for preschool teachers looking for lessons, books, activities and more on the topic of polar bears.
