This activity was inspired by The Valentine Bears. To learn more about the book and to see all of Off the Shelf's Valentine Bears activities, click here. 

Learn About Hibernation

Mr. and Mrs. Bear always miss Valentine's Day because they are hibernating. If your reader isn’t familiar with hibernation, this book opens up a wonderful opportunity to introduce the behavior in a simple way. 

On the National Geographic Kids Brown Bear Creature Feature, one can read about how bears prepare for winter and hibernation, see pictures of cubs and adult brown bears, and watch a video of a bear trying to catch a fish!

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Build a Bear Den

Add to the enjoyment of the book by building a “bear den” for your reader to curl up in and enjoy books and pretend play (maybe even a winter nap?). There are many ways to build a den – cover a table with blankets, place chairs with backs facing and drape blankets over them, even a large box would be fun! Young readers will pick up on the idea quickly and will have many ideas on how to construct your bear den.