The Bear Went Over the Mountain (and variations)

I usually sing The Bear with finger puppets climbing over my head, but I’ve just made some felt images to accompany me on the ukulele so I can tell the story another way. I’m working to accommodate different learning styles and interests at storytime by featuring visuals and music together, and a lot of storytime songs (The Farmer in the Dell, Down By the Bay, Slippery Fish, etc.) are fantastic for this.

Adding new locations, animals, or actions to the song is also a great way to include less common words like tundra and prairie, or to reference local animals and landscapes.

A couple of my favourite variations are better without a ukulele since they involve wiggling or props like shakers and scarves, but if you’re particularly coordinated give them a try anyway.  I’m looking forward to trying the Hatching song* with another simple felt story, or with props in plastic eggs. I’m sure my kids will be completely mesmerized.

If you prefer to play or sing in C, try this song with C/F/G7 instead of G/C/D.



The Bear Went Over the Mountain
     G                  C
The bear went over the mountain,
     D                  G
The bear went over the mountain,
                        C
The bear went over the mountain,
   D                 G
To see what he could see.

G             
And all that he could see,

And all that he could see,

         G                 C
Was the other side of the mountain,
     D                 G
The other side of the mountain.
                       C             D                G
The other side of the mountain, was all that he could see.

Verses - Different Locations
The bear swam over the river...
The bear tromped over the ice floe...

Verses - Different Animals
The owl flew over the forest...
The whale swam under the ocean...
The fox hopped over the tundra...



I Think that Something is Hatching
   G                       C
I think that something is hatching
   D                       G
I think that something is hatching
                           C
I think that something is hatching
   D             G
I wonder what it is.

G
I wonder what it is, I wonder what it is
                           C
I think that something is hatching
   D             G
I wonder what it is.


Other Variations Include:
I’m Going to Wear a Sweater
My Eyes are Made for Seeing
My Right Foot Has the Wiggles


*Thanks again to the King County Library System for their searchable rhyme index, leading me to great song variations like this one.

Edit: And hello Flannel Friday! Here’s a link to this week’s roundup. An extra note if you’re using the felt for Hatching at storytime: with smaller kids, I would only sing the first verse since they’re really itching to see under the egg at that point.