Sheffield boy, 2, goes on bear hunt thanks to neighbours' help

Kirsty Thompson, 34, from High Green was at home watching the news on Friday (28 March) when she spotted an idea to keep her son Eddie occupied while they were out on their daily walk during the coronavirus lockdown.

Inspired by one of his favourite stories – Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Kirsty had the idea of taking Eddie on his own bear hunt around the suburb of Sheffield where they live.

To do it, she enlisted the help of her neighbours and put a call out on Facebook for people to display bears and bear drawings in their windows, similar to the rainbows which have been popping up around the city.

“I thought it was a cute idea. Eddie was saying ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’,” Kirsty said.

“He’s obsessed with that story, like most kids.”

In just a few hours, word got round and people let Kirsty know where Eddie could find the animals. And, when they went out for their daily walk on Saturday with dad Johnathan, they spotted no fewer than 50 bears.

“It was lovely, every house we saw one I took a picture,” she said.

“I was quite shocked to see so many because I didn’t think in that space of time so many people would do it. My husband was like ‘Oh my God’.”

Kirsty has set up a Facebook page – High Green Bear Hunt – to document Eddie’s daily adventures and share photos of the bears he’s spotted.

She added: “Eddie loved it, every time he saw one he was pointing them out and saying ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’. That was pretty cute.”

The mother-of-one, who works in dentistry, is currently on furlough due to the coronavirus outbreak.

She said: “It’s been fun and to be honest it’s been lovely because I’m usually a working mum. It’s been really enjoyable.”

Eddie’s bear hunt will continue tomorrow.