A bear Holly McCammack made is displayed in a window at her house. Photo provided by Holly McCammack.

WARSAW — Bear hunts for kids are taking place all across the country and instilling a sense of unity during this time of separation due to COVID-19.

Inspired by a 1989 book called “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen, teddy bears are being placed in windows, on porches and in yards where children can spot them.

The scavenger-type hunts are being held in an effort to keep kids entertained while adhering to social distancing. 

Holly McCammack, a Warsaw resident, initially heard about the idea on her social media news feed.

“There was something about it that grabbed my attention,” said McCammack. “I’ve also seen a lot of people posting about kids being bored, and this idea doesn’t cost a penny.”

Many locals are using the NextDoor app to post their window creations and to let community members know where their bears can be spotted.

“People are excited to do it,” said McCammack. “There’s people using the app who are posting their bears and saying, ‘Come by and see ours.’ Kids and their families can go out on a walk and see people’s work.”

McCammack encourages everyone in Kosciusko County to participate in this initiative and says that windows can feature objects that aren’t bears. Several participants are displaying encouraging messages through banners or posters.

“There are so many options, just be creative,” said McCammack. “People can write encouraging messages. This is so much more about the journey, and is really about going out there and seeing encouraging things.”

McCammack has a bear made out of a recycling bag displayed in her window. She said she would love to see this initiative morph during the social distancing period.

“It would be cool if people displayed eggs or bunnies in their windows during Easter,” said McCammack. “The smallest things really can make the biggest impact.”