We’re going on a bear hunt,” my daughter Lucy repeats, wide-eyed, peering out the car windows. “There’s another bear, mom!” I look toward her gaze to see an oversized, plush panda bear, posing in our neighbor’s bay window.

This scavenger hunt we are playing isn’t one we are playing alone. Inspired by the 1989 children’s book, We’re going on a Bear Hunt, written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, the tale is based upon two children who “claim” they are not scared as they brave through some precarious encounters, all while making it home safe in the end. Our community has united in the effort to bring delight to families, and bears can be found in windows throughout neighborhoods.  

As the Covid-19 pandemic has kept us practicing social distancing, our search for stuffed animals in our neighbors’ windows not only helps banish boredom, but also gives comfort to our children and unites our communities. We hope you play along, too—by putting a bear in your window, and, perhaps, by taking your kids or grandkids on a walk or a drive to “hunt” for them.