Canberra kids, for the moment, no longer have the pleasure of looking out for the teddy bears positioned in trees along the Kings Highway, on the way to the South Coast.
But the bear hunts underway in the suburbs across the national capital maybe making up for it a little during the coronavirus pandemic.
In what has become an international phenomenon, spurred by the classic children's book We're Going on a Bear Hunt, written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, people have been placing teddy bears in their front windows and front yards so families can go on a hunt and create a little magic in these dark times.
And, yes, a family is still allowed to go out for a walk to get some exercise.
The terrible irony is that Rosen, 73, has been hospitalised in England, suffering with suspected Covid 19.
Facebook groups have sprung up, showing the maps to find the bears. There are ones for Kambah and Wanniassa, Queanbeyan, Gungahlin and NSW/ACT.
Kambah mum Jacinta Housler was happy for her children, Dan, 6; Thomas, 4; and Mary, 1; to show off their teddies from the front window and go on the hunt while not going to school.
"I don't want them on technology all the time, so any excuse to get outside," she said.
Kambah sisters Lucy and Hannah Smit, 12, (they are triplets with brother Oscar) were going to sell their stuffed toys but decided to display them to give some joy to passing children.
Their mum Ali Mountifield said the bear hunt was helping neighbours engage with each other. There had even been a mini-working bee with four mowers going to cut down the grass on the communal street corner so people could see the bears.
"It was a nice community moment," Ali said.
.jpg?w=600)
