Free Polar Bear Activities and Ideas

Note: This blog post contains resources from our TpT store and our Amazon Associate store.

Polar Bear Classroom Activities Your Students Will Love

Are you diving into an Arctic animal unit this winter? Whether you're teaching about habitats, camouflage, hibernation, or just want to sprinkle some seasonal fun into your centers, these polar bear activities are kid-approved and classroom-ready!

Please note: I’ve gathered these activities over many years and may not have the original sources for all of them. If you recognize one that should be credited, please let me know so I can give proper attribution!

1. Polar Bear Plush in the Classroom

A polar bear stuffed animal can be more than a decoration—it can be your classroom mascot! Use it as:

• A behavior incentive (“Who will get to hold the polar bear today?”)
• A writing prompt (“What do you think the polar bear did last night?”)
• A literacy center buddy students read to

Want more ideas?

👉 Click HERE to see printable polar bear activities in my TPT store.

2. Free Printable Polar Bear Fun

Looking for some grab-and-go printables?

👉Click HERE for a FREE polar bear crossword puzzle and coloring page.

3. Polar Bear Song: To the Tune of “My Bonnie

The polar bear lives in the Arctic,
He never gets cold in a storm,
He swims in the icy cold water,
His heavy coat keeps him warm.

Chorus:
Warm, warm, warm, warm,
His heavy coat keeps him warm.
Warm, warm, warm, warm,
His heavy coat keeps him warm!

4. Camouflage Science Activity

This simple craft teaches visual camouflage and adaptation:

You’ll need:

• Two white polar bear cutouts per student
• Two white paper squares (5x5 inches)

Steps:

• Glue one polar bear onto a plain white square (Arctic environment).
• On the second square, students draw a non-Arctic habitat (jungle, city, farm, etc.).
• Glue the second bear on that scene. Compare the two. Which one blends in?

Discuss how camouflage protects animals in the wild.

5. Who Has the Ice Cube? (Movement Game)

How to Play:

• Sit in a circle.
• Put an ice cube in a small plastic bag.
• One student (Jack Frost) closes their eyes in the center.
• While music plays, pass the ice cube around the circle.
• When the music stops, everyone hides their hands.
• Jack Frost guesses who has it. That student becomes the next Jack Frost!

6. Brain Break: “Bear in Winter” Movement Activity

• Walk like a bear (bend knees, hands on floor).
• Curl up in your “cave” and pretend to sleep.
• Wake up slowly, stretch, and go on a pretend food hunt.

Let students suggest new bear movements, too!

7. Action Rhyme: Polar Bear Movement Poem

Have students act out this rhyme line-by-line. Bonus: Make polar bear puppets beforehand!

Polar bear, Polar bear, Turn around...
Polar bear, Polar bear, Make no sound...
(full poem included above)

8. Science: Blubber Mitten Experiment

Help students understand how polar bears stay warm!

You’ll need:

• 2 zipper sandwich bags
• Crisco or shortening
• Bowl of ice water

Steps:

• Fill one bag 1/3 full with Crisco.
• Turn the second bag inside out and place it into the first bag. Seal the edges.
• One student tries cold water with a bare hand, then again using the "blubber mitten."
• Discuss how fat insulates polar bears and other Arctic animals.

9. Polar Bear Math Center: Arctic Animal Graphing

1. Brainstorm a list of Arctic animals.
2. Survey the class for favorites.
3. Graph the results (paper or physical graphs).
4. In teams, students write true/false statements based on the data.
5. Play a trivia-style game using the class’s facts!

10. Polar Bear Favorites on Amazon

Need a plush or read-aloud book to bring your lesson to life? 

👉 Click HERE to browse my polar bear picks in my Amazon affiliate store.

Final Thought:

From hands-on science to playful movement and math connections, polar bears offer a fun and meaningful way to explore winter themes across your curriculum. Whether you're using a plush as your classroom mascot or diving into Arctic adaptations, these activities are sure to spark curiosity and smiles.

Happy teaching—and stay warm out there!

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Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find great resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!