BEARING UP

One woman’s small idea is bringing a little piece of joy to thousands of children.

A simple initiative to help promote mental wellness during the pandemic has quickly exploded into a nationwide movement. The New Zealand Bear Hunt asks people to put a teddy bear or toy in a window facing the street for others, particularly children, to spot while exploring the neighbourhood. People can pin their bear on an online map to help hunters find bears in their vicinity.

A huge number of Kiwis have come on board – there are more than 30,000 bears pinned on the map. Polling has shown one in three Kiwis have put a teddy in their window, while one in five have taken part in the bear hunt during their walks. Even Jacinda Ardern has placed a bear in her window.

It’s all come about thanks to Deb Hoffman, who first came up with idea after seeing a post on Facebook about the classic children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Hoffman says the huge take-up of the initiative by Kiwis is a “credit to New Zealand”. “We put something in place to initiate connection,” she says. “But New Zealand’s just lifted it and taken it to another level – it’s amazing.”

To accompany the Bear Hunt, online series Anthony’s Windows has been created, bringing the bears of the windows to life. The series has been made by friends of Hoffman at video production company, Motion and Light during lockdown. “They just love the concept of the Bear Hunt and are fully behind its value system and what we stand for,” says Hoffman.

Hoffman has been touched by the feedback she has received from members of the public who have taken part in the Bear Hunt.

“I think it’s achieved what we’ve set out to achieve, which was to promote and support mental health at this time, and just giving people a focus and reason to get outside and go for a walk with their family or on their own.”

While Hoffman has been amazed by how quickly the idea took off, she knew it would be a concept New Zealand could get behind. “I’m not surprised that something like this would happen in our nation, because of who we are as a nation and the spirit that we carry, but I’m very surprised that it’s become this big. I’m blown away by the whole thing.”