Bears Back Into Their Cave

Little bears walk around on all fours, and when winter comes they back into their cave (under a table). They practice crawling backward and judging space without looking.

How to play

1. We explain that bears back into the cave to keep an eye on the entrance; the teacher shows it under a table (2 min).
2. The bears stroll around on all fours looking for honey while the drum plays (2 min).
3. When the drum stops, "Winter's here!": every bear backs into a cave (3 min).
4. Each round we take away a table, so more bears share each cave (4 min).
5. Spring: the bears come out headfirst, stretch, and stroll again (2 min).
6. We all sleep together in one last big pretend cave (1 min).

Rules

• Bears move on all fours.
• We back into the cave slowly.
• There's always room in the cave: we squeeze in and nobody is left out.
• If I bump a table leg, I stop and adjust.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child's cave is a big hoop on the floor; they enter however they can, and other bears visit.
• Blind or low vision: a classmate claps softly from inside the cave as a guide.
• Autism: assign a fixed cave marked with a stuffed animal so they don't need to search.

Learning goals

• Crawl backward with control.
• Judge available space without looking.
• Share space so no one is left out.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Tables: 5
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Pull chairs out from under the tables and cover sharp corners. Kids often turn around to look; remind them, "The bear faces out, toward the door."

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