Being a mom I spend a lot of time singing to my daughter. I remember different Polish songs and games when I was little…

Here is one play which I remember I recommended to my friends asking me about Polish plays for children and for other people and they found it wonderful to use. It is also related to winter and Christmas season because it has to do with a bear who is deeply asleep, like usually bears are in winter. But of course you can play it any time…

The Old Bear (Stary niedźwiedź)

Children chose one person as a bear. The bear is sitting in the middle of the circle pretending that he is asleep and it is snoring loudly, while other children are walking in a circle and sing:

Old bear is sleeping deeply,
Stary niedźwiedź mocno śpi,

Old bear is sleeping deeply,
Stary niedźwiedź mocno śpi,

We are walking on our tiptoes because we’re afraid of him,
Na palcach chodzimy, bo się go boimy

When he’d wake up he would eat us!
Jak się zbudzi to nas zje,

When he’d wake up he would eat us.
Jak się zbudzi to nas zje.

Then, children stand round thogether and recite:

The first hour (passed) – the bear sleeps
Pierwsza godzina – niedźwiedź śpi,

The second hour (passed)- the bear snores
Druga godzina – niedźwiedź chrapie,

The third hour – the bear wakes up and he’s catching us!!!
Trzecia godzina – niedźwiedź budzi się i łapie!!!

Then the person in the middle pretending to be a bear stands up and tries to catch somebody while children break a circle and run away trying to escape. The caught person is a new bear and the play repeats!

Hope you enjoy it!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)