We all know the song “If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise” and a big surprise is exactly what we got when we were stopped recently in The MAC by Brenda The Bear Detective and asked to help her find an escaped bear from Belfast Zoo! Luckily for us, Brenda was working for ‘Place to wonder’ a local children’s event company that specialises in interactive, immersive theatre, and luckily for us, and the full house of kids on Sunday, Brenda knew exactly where to take us to find this bear!
After explaining the situation to the children, Brenda escorted us with a flurry of rhymes, some clever detective work and following some paw prints, to Bouy Park. What followed next was a Bear hunt of epic proportions (well, as epic as is allowed in the confines of Bouy Park). We all followed a series of clues, and Brenda around some colourful exhibits, fairy houses, wishing trees, scarecrows and all manner of places all accompanied by our expert Guide. I had taken my nearly 3-year-old on the trail and I have to say I was cautious how much he would get out of it, as he was just on the cusp of the recommended age for the show, but the minute that Brenda started reading her first rhyme to us and we had to put our paws…sorry, our hands on our hearts and repeat it back, he was all on board. Interacting and watching when Brenda was addressing the group, following everyone around and excitedly touching and getting involved with making wishes, touching trees and everything else that was involved. As a side note, he does all this walking like he’s a dinosaur, but apparently, even dinosaurs can find a bear no problem. After about 35 mins, one slight sun shower and over 10 clues we finally came to the end of our journey with Brenda. Did we find the bear, well that would be spoiling the surprise I’m afraid! But we did finish it up with every child getting a memento of the day to keep and as we drove home and Max drifted off to sleep he was still clutching his keepsake in his hand.
‘Place To Wonder’ put on a brilliant show for the kids and showed the sort of patience and understanding needed to really make it work, especially for a large group of kids of all varying ages and attention spans. Everyone looked to be having a great time, and we happened to help out a big old bear from Belfast Zoo in the process well then that’s just the icing on the cake – I think Chris Caldwell Bear Detective has a nice ring to it actually!
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