Bears at Summer Camp


Once there was a family of bears. There was Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and little Barry Bear. They had a big dream. They wanted to go to a summer camp for humans!
To fit in, they put on human clothes. Papa and Mama wore matching shirts. Barry put a small baseball cap on his furry head. They called themselves the Benson family.
They went to Camp Wannasnooze. It was so exciting! But acting like humans was not easy for bears.
During arts and crafts, Barry saw bright glitter. It looked yummy, so he tried to eat it! Mama Bear stopped him. "No, Barry," she whispered. "Humans glue glitter on paper. They do not eat it!"
Later, they went to the lake. Papa Bear wanted to row a canoe. He was very strong. He paddled so hard that the boat went in fast circles! The other kids giggled. Papa Bear thought they were cheering for him.
At the camp talent show, Barry went on stage. He forgot his human disguise! He did a wild bear dance. He growled loudly and scratched his back against a tree. The crowd was very quiet.
Mama Bear saved the day. She ran on stage and sang "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Papa Bear clapped his big paws. The crowd clapped too!
- disguise:
- Clothes or masks you wear so people do not know who you really are.
- glitter:
- Tiny, shiny pieces of plastic used to make art projects sparkle.
- canoe:
- A light, narrow boat that you move through the water using a paddle.
- talent show:
- An event where people go on stage to show others what they can do, like singing or dancing.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.

Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Who are the three characters in the Bear family?
- 2Why did the bears wear human clothes?
You Might Also Like
About this fiction passage for Lower Elementary
“Bears at Summer Camp” is a fiction reading passage about Summer Camp, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (260 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.


