Before reading "We're Going on a Bear Hunt," discuss bear habits and facts. After you've read the book to the kids, pass out construction paper and ask the kids to make food they think will attract a bear. Provide cutouts shaped like fish, berries, grass and bees. Place the food cutouts around the room, pass out binoculars and go on an actual bear hunt. Put a small toy bear in the vicinity of the food for the bear hunters to locate.
Feed hungry bear hunters an interactive but edible bear snack. Bake cupcakes or muffins and let the kids frost them with a brown tinted frosting. Transform the plain topped baked goods into bear faces. Use sliced bananas or vanilla flavored wafer cookies as bear ears, raisins as eyes and miniature chocolate sandwich cookies for snouts. Another idea is to let each child make their own trail mix. Set bowls of gummy bears, pretzels, chocolate chips, teddy bear shaped graham crackers and dried berries. Put a small scoop or spoon in each bowl. Give each child a small plastic bag and tell her to add one scoop of each item she wants to her bag before the group goes on a bear hunt.
"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" follows a father and his children's journey into the woods. Give each child a large piece of paper and tell them to draw his favorite family trip. Explain the trip could be driving to see grandma, going to the swimming pool or traveling out of state. Afterward, call the kids, one-by-one, to the front of the class and ask them to explain their picture.
Invite children to become physically active by acting out the story. The children are going on a bear hunt, but they will need to march through mud, swim in a river and run away from the bear. Ask them how they want to act the story out. Let the kids take turns leading the group on a bear hunt. The leader gets to begin telling the story and her classmates take up the chorus. Incorporate kiddy tunnels and tents in the play acting to avoid becoming monotonous.