The hunt is on. Put a bear in your window and pin it on the map.

The activity archive

Everything we made, kept ready to print again.

The 2020 sheets are preserved and will be refreshed as downloads if the hunt returns.

  • HuntingHunting Lists 1 and 2Tick off bears, rainbows and chalk drawings on your walk.
  • Big DriveActivity sheet and car posterA points game for the road and a bear for your car window.
  • Anthony's WindowsEpisode worksheets 1 to 3Colouring and learning pages to go with each episode.
  • EasterBunny ears and egg craftThumbprint templates to dress up your bear.
  • Anzac DayPoppy colouring pagesLest we forget, from your window.
  • WellbeingMy Lockdown DiaryA place for kids to write down the days.

Everything from 2020

The full contents of the old site.

Audited page by page from the site backup, so nothing quietly disappears in the rebuild.

  • 14 pagesHome, Bear Gallery, Most Recent Bears, Sign Up, Anthony's Windows, Competitions, Free Stuff, Media, Need Support, FAQ's, Donate, Contact, and two blog posts.
  • 8 activity PDFsHunting List 1 and 2, Big Drive activity sheet and car poster, Anthony's Windows worksheets 1 to 3, and the Anzac poppy window activity.
  • Craft sheetsEaster bunny ear thumbprint template, Easter egg craft, and the AllRight colouring pages in English and te reo.
  • 11 videosFour Anthony's Windows episodes, four media clips, the founder's video about the charity plans, and two wellbeing videos from Richard Black of Strength to Strength.
  • About 2,000 imagesWindow photos, event graphics, partner logos and press mastheads, including every original before WordPress resized it.
  • 35 press linksTwenty from Aotearoa and fifteen international, all carried onto the Press page.
  • The Big DriveFacebook event, car window poster and the points based activity sheet, 16 and 17 May 2020.
  • NZ Bear Hunt ClubThe sign up and the New World Wigram prize draw that ran with it.

Free stuff, 2020

The lockdown link list we handed out.

Kept as it was, under the four headings we used. Some of these will have moved on since.

  • Move itGo Noodle, PE With Joe, Les MillsBorn to Move and Les Mills On Demand, both on TVNZ.
  • Read itLibby, David Walliams, GogglesFree library app, free audio stories and the bear who dreamed of flying.
  • Do itMy Lockdown Diary and colouringGoggles colouring pages plus the AllRight sheets in English and te reo.
  • Make itThe Make Company, MoreFM, HPThe MoreFM Activity Hub and HP Print and Play.

The charity that was planned

Where the hunt was heading next.

In 2020 we started work on turning the NZ Bear Hunt into a charity, with a Givealittle page and a video from Deb about the plans. The movement went quiet before that was finished. It is part of the record, and it is one of the doors that reopens if the bears wake up.

Questions people asked

The 2020 FAQ, kept as it was answered then.

Are we allowed to leave our homes?

As per police and the Prime Minister's instruction, we are permitted to continue to exercise and get fresh air. A two metre distance is to be enforced and please do not interact with any bears. Stay in your bubble and stay safe. Please wave to those you see along the way.

I'm feeling overwhelmed with the isolation, what can I do?

Please reach out to the organisations that can help. Look on our support page for the current numbers.

Can I place something other than a teddy?

We love seeing all the creative ideas people come up with. Rainbows, artwork, special notes. Stay safe, don't encourage interaction, and put up whatever is going to bring smiles along the way.

Can I change my bear's name?

Yes. On the old map you clicked your pinned paw print to update your teddy's name, how it was feeling, and to load photos to the gallery.

What if I live down a long driveway?

You could draw a chalk bear on your fence, decorate your pathway with a chalk drawing, or pop your wee friend on your letterbox.

What is kept

The record, and what has retired.

Kept

The full 2020 website, around two thousand photos and graphics, 28 videos, and every activity sheet as a PDF.

Retired

The live bear map and its photo gallery ran as a separate service. The pins people dropped, the Club sign ups and the contact form entries retired with it.

Held elsewhere

The Facebook and Instagram communities, and the press coverage, which lives on the news sites that published it.

Status: sleeping, ready to wake

How the hunt gets switched back on.

Four things have to happen, in this order, and none of them take long.

  • 1. Turn the map back onA new pin your bear map, built for phones, live within days.
  • 2. Reopen sign upSo schools, councils and hunters can be counted from day one.
  • 3. Refresh the packsActivity sheets updated for the season we are actually in.
  • 4. Tell the countryThrough the community, the old media contacts and the partners who carried it last time.

Need support?

It's okay to not be okay.

"It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine." Eeyore. Reach out to someone today.

  • 111If you or someone you know is in danger
  • 1737Need to talk? Free call or text, any time
  • 0800 543 354Lifeline, or text 4357
  • 0508 828 865Suicide Crisis Helpline
  • 0800 376 633Youthline, or text 234
  • 0800 733 843Women's Refuge crisis line
  • 0800 456 450Are You OK family violence information line