Teddies, rainbows and smiles found around town

TEDDY bears, rainbows and messages of hope are springing up around the city once again to keep kids and parents entertained throughout stage three lockdown.

First launched in March, the bear hunt is a fun take on the much-loved children’s book which saw people placing teddy bears and messages of hope in their front windows for participants to find.

The We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Ballarat Facebook page attracted more than 3000 likes and a custom Google map was created showcasing all the spots where the displays could be found.

Early childhood educator and page admin Katie Miller said once the community started getting involved, the initiative quickly grew beyond a bear hunt.

“I don’t know if it was just something that people needed to feel like they were doing good or be a distraction, but the group grew so quickly,” she said.

“We ended up having some really interesting things happening like huge teddy bears, people dancing out the front of their houses in costumes and people setting up tea parties and playground equipment.

“I found that a lot of the older generation who were perhaps missing their grandchildren really took the idea on.”

This time around, organisers are hoping to offer more activities for participants and welcome more community involvement.

Ms Miller said the Rainbow Trail Australia Facebook group is another project the Ballarat community have taken on during this time.

“We’ve got a rainbow up on our front window along with our teddies,” she said. “People have been putting these rainbows in their windows and all around the city as well to spread some much-needed happiness.”

The bear hunt organisers are hoping to use the project to ensure the community is keeping updated with the latest government recommendations.

Ms Miller said people have even begun putting masks on their teddies this time around in the hopes of normalising them for young children.

“Things like that are really good for young kids because play can be a really good way for young kids to absorb an idea,” she said.

“This time around, we don’t want any hunters being fined as we want to keep our community happy and healthy.

“For those who hunt for bears in their local neighbourhoods, please make sure you adhere to the safe-distancing measures of 1.5 metres and keep practicing good hygiene.”

For the future, the group and its members are hoping to add new elements to the scavenger hunt and even take the idea outside of lockdown.

Ms Miller said that it’s not just a great way for those involved to give back, but it also reminds people of the strength of their community.

“Everyone deals with things in their own way, I know my way was to give back and create this group and the map,” she said.

“I’m also hoping extra elements will be added in the future and once things have settled down that it could be something that we do yearly.

“It could be a reminder of how community can get you through anything, have the bear hunt once a year on the day that it started.”

To keep updated with the hunt’s whereabouts and activities, visit the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Ballarat Facebook page.