Hi! Nice to see you here. (Instructions on how to play are here and in the FREE printable PDF.)
I made up Polar Bear Over There in November 2017 as a game to play with my children during the Christmas holiday season. I was looking for a fun alternative to Elf on the Shelf that was less focused on the commercial aspects of the holiday season. I couldn’t find one that was right for us — so I invented it instead! Each night, I hid our Polar Bear ornament along with a handwritten note on how the kids could help save its habitat. Each morning, the kids enthusiastically found it, and we would read and act on the Polar Bear’s note together.
The next year, the kids began asking about the Polar Bear again right after Halloween, so I began preparing the Polar Bear notes ahead of time and designed the printable Polar Bears. I decided I should share Polar Bear Over There with a wider audience — including you!
I update Polar Bear Over There every year. This year, I plan to refresh the notes with new ideas and updated facts. A few years ago, I added a FREE printable PDF containing pre-formatted Polar Bear Notes and printable Polar Bears. You can also purchase this PDF on Etsy if you’d like, and a portion of the profits will be donated to a nonprofit working to combat climate change. Everything you need to play is free on this website and in the printable PDF, an easy-to-use-and-print format.
Here are some photos of our 2018 Polar Bear playtime. I share photos of our Polar Bears over the years with the #PolarBearOverThere hashtag on social media — and so should you!
About me: My name is Sheridan MacAuley. I’m a science writer and lifelong environmentalist with a masters degree in environmental biotech. I’m also a mom, novelist, maker of many things, and exclamation point enthusiast. This project combines so many of my interests!
I hope you enjoy this site! If you have any comments, questions, or ideas, please send me a kind note at smacauley at gmail dot com. Thank you!