Trail App
Find and collect 31 Big Bears, 51 Bear Cubs and 1 special book bench. All while unlocking rewards and milestone rewards along the way. Plus the chance to get discounts on our exclusive Bear Hunt merchandise.
Dartford Bear Hunt Auction
Bid for a Bear, Support Your Local Hospice
Join the Dartford Bear Hunt Auction on 1 October 2026.
Dartford Bear Hunt Raffle
For just £5 per ticket, you could take the adventure home and win a one-of-a-kind Bear Cub Sculpture from the Dartford Bear Hunt.
Memory bear
At the heart of this stunning art trail is ellenor’s Memory Bear, which offers individuals the chance to dedicate a name in memory of someone they love. Each name will become part of the sculpture itself creating a shared space for remembrance within the community.
Get Ready for a Bear-illiant Art Adventure!
This summer Dartford has been transformed by 31 stunning large Bear sculptures inspired by the beloved classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Designed by local and national artists, these Bears form an exciting, free public art trail through the town’s streets, parks, and open spaces.
Alongside them more than 50 Bear cubs, decorated by local schools and community groups, will be displayed in indoor locations such as museums, libraries, and storefronts, making this an event for the whole community!
Dartford bear hunt auction 1st October 2026
The Dartford Bear Hunt Auction, taking place on 1 October 2026, is your exclusive opportunity to give one of our stunning Bear Sculptures a forever home! Join us for an evening of celebration and bid on a beautifully and uniquely decorated sculpture to make your own — all while supporting your local hospice.
Register your interest today to be the first to hear when auction tickets go on sale, and to start choosing the lot you will be bidding on!
Working with Walker Books
We are delighted to be working with The Walker Books Group to bring We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to Life!
This beautiful, hand-drawn animation based on the classic book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury follows the intrepid adventures of a family of children as they venture through whirling snowstorms, oozing mud and dark forests in search of bears…
‘This is an exciting and unique opportunity for ellenor to partner with Walker Books and the beloved classic, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Based on our experience, this partnership is a perfect fit for Dartford, offering not only a high-profile, family-friendly theme but also the potential to create a truly engaging and successful art trail.
It’s a wonderful chance to bring people together, celebrate creativity, and raise valuable funds for ellenor’s work in the process’.
Charlie Langhorne MD and co-Founder Wild in Art
Join the conversation #dartfordbearhunt
Meet our Memory Bear 🐻🧡
At the heart of the Dartford Bear Hunt, this beautiful sculpture offers a special way to remember someone you love. Each name dedicated becomes part of the Bear itself, creating a shared space for remembrance within our community.
Designed by Dartford artist Becky Shepperson, the Memory Bear will be on display at Bluewater this summer before moving to its forever home at ellenor.
For a one off donation of £35, you can add your loved one’s name to the Bear while helping fund vital care for local families facing life limiting illness.
With limited spaces available, this is a truly meaningful way to honour a memory.
Dedicate here: https://www.ellenor.org/memorybearform/
#inmemoryof #dartfordbearhunt #arttrail #ellenor
A huge thank you to our incredible Dartford Bear Hunt sponsors! 🐻
This amazing art trail would not have been possible without the support, dedication and generosity of our wonderful sponsors.
From the hours spent planning and preparing before the trail launched, to the continued support throughout the event, your commitment has helped bring this experience to life for families across Dartford while raising awareness of ellenor and the vital care we provide for local families.
Thank you for helping us create something truly special for the community, bringing people together, encouraging exploration and shining a light on the work of ellenor.
We are so grateful for your support and everything you have done to make the Dartford Bear Hunt a reality.
Find out more about the trail and our amazing sponsors at dartfordbearhunt.co.uk
#DartfordBearHunt #Dartford #ellenor #CommunitySupport #ThankYou #KentEvents
Supporting this art trail is supporting hospice charity, ellenor.
For adults, they offer a range of essential services including an Inpatient Ward and Community Services, made up of Hospice at Home and Care Home Support.
For children and young adults, they provide specialised hospice care, including clinical nursing and oncology support in their own homes, as well as respite.
Want to learn more? visit ellenor.org
#ellenor #charityhospice #hospicecharity #arttrail #wildinart
🎨🐻 Pour. Swirl. Create.
Looking for something fun to do with the family this summer?
Join us at the Dartford Bear Hunt Merchandise Hub at Bluewater for a unique Paint Pouring Workshop with Colour Me Bear and create your very own colourful Bear masterpiece!
✨ Suitable for ages 3+
🎨 No painting experience needed
🧤 All paints, aprons, gloves and materials provided
🐻 Every Bear is completely unique
Simply choose your colours, pour, swirl and tilt the paint to create a one-of-a-kind design you’ll be proud of.
Please note: Your Bear will need 7–10 days to dry, so you’ll collect it after your workshop.
🎟️ Spaces are limited, so book your place today via the link in our bio.
🧡 Tag or share with someone you`d love to create a colourful bear with! 🐻🎨
#dartfordbearhunt #bluewater #kentdaysout #thingstodoinkent #ellenor
Join us at our Bluewater hub for free Bear Hunt-themed activities!
Our sessions are free to attend, although donations to ellenor are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Activities will take place throughout the trail and will be led by ellenor`s Children`s Services team.
We`d love for you to join us! Simply book the date and time that works best for you, and come along for a fun-filled Bear Hunt adventure
Location
Bear Hunt Merchandise Hub, Upper Guildhall, Bluewater Shopping Centre, DA9 9ST
Book for FREE here
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ellenor/2304734
#thingstodoinkent #summerthingstodo #kentfamilyevents #summerfamilyevents
If you have been on the Dartford Bear Hunt Art Trail this summer do not forget to visit one of our shops in Bluewater and Dartford
📍 upper guildhall, bluewater ( next to Starbucks)
& 📍 we have another in Dartford in the priory centre
@dartfordbc
@wildinart
#dartford #dartfordbearhunt #thingstodothissummer #kentevents #thingstodoinkent
🐻 The Wander Bear is officially the most collected bear on the Dartford Bear Hunt trail so far!
A huge well done to everyone who`s tracked it down and added it to their collection. Have you found it yet?
Download the Dartford Bear Hunt app to discover all the bears, collect them as you go, and keep up with the latest trail stats.
Every app download helps support ellenor, your local hospice charity.
📍 Find out more at dartfordbearhunt.co.uk
By supporting this art trail, you`re supporting ellenor and the care we can give to adults and children
find out more by visiting dartfordbearhunt.co.uk
read ellenor stories via ellenor.org
#donations #arttrail #dartfordbearhunt #ellenor
We’re going on an Art Hunt—are you coming?
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Our Sponsors & Partners
YOUR DONATIONS CREATE REAL CHANGE
ellenor needs £9.6 million each year to continue caring and supporting thousands of patients and families facing life limiting and life-threatening illness in Kent. We are a charity that relies on the generosity of our local community. Your donation however big or small makes a real difference to patients and their families.
Walker books
Walker Books UK is part of the vibrant international The Walker Books Group that includes Walker Books Australia, Candlewick Press, Holiday House and Peachtree Press in the USA.
Walker Books UK is an award-winning publisher making magical new stories for children of all ages. For generations, they have been the home of stories that feel both classic and fresh. From beautiful picture books to curl up with at bedtime to rib-tickling middle grade adventures, and from epic fantasy thrillers to fascinating, expansive non-fiction, there is something in their range of bestselling books for everyone.
The major bestselling brands for the group are We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Guess How Much I Love You, Maisy, the widely acclaimed Judy Moody, and the phenomenal Where’s Wally? /Where’s Waldo?
Lupus Films
Multi award-winning London-based studio Lupus Films was set up by Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding in 2002 and has since grown to become one of the world’s leading film and television production companies.
The company specialises in high quality family entertainment and adaptations of much-loved works of children’s literature, such as BAFTA nominated half-hour specials THE SNOWMAN AND THE SNOWDOG, WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, MOG’S CHRISTMAS and THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA, which won an International Kids Emmy® Award.
Lupus Films has produced a number of animated feature films including the award-winning ETHEL & ERNEST, based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Raymond Briggs; KENSUKE’S KINGDOM, an adaptation of the bestselling children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo, and THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN WONDERLAND, based on the popular picture-book by Carys Bexington and Kate Hindley.