Postman Bear by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Postman Bear tells the story of Bear, who is writing letters to his friends. He becomes a postman and goes out to post the letters. But what could his letters be about? Join Frog, Squirrel and Mole for Bear's special surprise!
Watch Phil read the story
- As you are reading the story together, encourage your child to think about what could be behind each flap. Ask questions such as “Who do you think the letters are for?” or “What might the letters say?”
- Join in and count the letters together.
- Discuss the different homes in the story: the tree, the pond and underground. Ask your child to guess who might live in each of the homes before the flap is opened. Talk about what other animals also live in those types of homes.
After you have finished the story, try these post-themed activities together:
- Look closely at letters and stamps: talk about whether your child has received a letter in the post before and what it was. Look closely at a letter that has been posted to you. Point out the address and the stamp. Talk about your address and look at the number on your front door.
- Write your own letter or postcard: decide who you would like to write a letter to. It could be a friend or family member who lives in a different area to you or even another country. You might like to send a postcard. Draw a picture to send them and help your child to write their name.
- Post your letter: find out the correct postage for you letter and head out to post it. Look at the front of the post-box carefully to see what time the letter will be collected.
- Role-play being a postman/woman: watch this Let’s Play video to find out more about what postmen and women do and have a go at pretending to post letters and parcels. Your child could deliver letters to different rooms in your home or to different members of your family.
- More Postman Bear activities: try out this Acorn Woods Activity Pack from World Book Day, where you can colour in a picture of Bear, play games such as spot the difference and create your own birthday card for Bear.
Join in with Jess
Chant some songs linked to the story and write your very own invitation with Jess.
For older children
Design your own stamp. It should include a picture and include how much the stamp costs.
