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Ages 5 & Under

Beatrix Potter Party
Beatrix Potter Party

In honor of Beatrix Potter's 150th birthday on July 28, 2016, we threw a party! These activities, crafts, and snacks can be used for springtime parties, Easter parties, garden programs, and, of course, Peter Rabbit programs. Our party began by gathering participants for an introduction followed by a reading of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, two movement activities, and a variety of craft, game, and snack stations to be enjoyed at their leisure. 

The promotional blurb for this program was: "Join us for a story, games, crafts, and tasty treats as we celebrate The Tale of Peter Rabbit author's 150th birthday! For ages 2 through 5 from 10AM-11AM."

Participants received a cardstock character to wear around their neck upon entering the room. These were later used to get kids moving and acting like their characters. 

Children were seated on the floor and given a brief introduction to the life of the very talented Beatrix Potter..."As a child, Beatrix would frequently bring home birds, mice, frogs, and even snakes to keep as pets. Would your parents be happy if you brought home a snake?! She loved to draw pictures of these and other creatures wearing clothes and acting like humans."

This was followed by a reading of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. A powerpoint with the illustrations was used to enhance the reading as most print editions are too small for a crowd. Then we got moving with a bunny movement song:

One little, two, little, three little bunnies

Four little, five little, six little bunnies

Seven little, eight little, nine little bunnies

Ten bunnies hopping all around

Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop little bunnies

Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop little bunnies

Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop little bunnies

Bunnies hopping all around!

(Feel free to count down from ten too.)

Next, I asked which characters the children were wearing around their necks and we practiced acting like each one. These included waddling like Jemma Puddle-Duck, meowing and scratching our claws like Tom Kitten, hopping and twitching our noses like Benjamin Bunny, and shaking our bushy tails like Squirrel Nutkin. Then we sat and children with the appropriate characters were asked to stand in accordance with my Potter version of If You Are Wearing Red Today:

If you are a Puddle-Duck, a Puddle-Duck, a Puddle-Duck

If you are a Puddle-Duck, stand up and waddle around!

If you are Tom Kitten, Tom Kitten, Tom Kitten

If you are Tom Kitten, stand up to meow and scratch!

If you are Benjamin Bunny, Benjamin Bunny, Benjamin Bunny

If you are Benjamin Bunny, stand up and hop around!

If you are Squirrel Nutkin, Squirrel Nutkin, Squirrel Nutkin

If you are Squirrel Nutkin, stand up and shake your tail!

Finally, the participants were let loose to enjoy the craft and activity stations pictured below. Snacks are not pictured, but included carrots, blackberries (like Peter Rabbit's siblings had for supper) and DIY garden cupcakes (chocolate cupcakes, green frosting, and oreo crumb "soil" sprinkled on top). 

Get Moving!

Get Moving!

Shake your bushy tail like Squirrel Nutkin and hop around like Peter Rabbit! Don't forget your rabbit ears.

Character Scavenger Hunt

Character Scavenger Hunt

Nine characters were printed, laminated, taped to tent stakes, and hidden throughout the library's garden.

Garden Dig

Garden Dig

Soil, plastic bugs, plastic trowls, and a few onion and carrot sprouts.

Flip a Flower Pot to Find Peter

Flip a Flower Pot to Find Peter

Ellison dye cut pots taped to a board with Peter and a few other characters hiding underneath.

Rabbit Party Hats

Rabbit Party Hats

Color, cut, and glue to white strips.

Paper Peter Rabbits

Paper Peter Rabbits

Color and cut rabbits, plus felt jackets.

Mr. Jeremy Fisher's Lily Pad Hop

Mr. Jeremy Fisher's Lily Pad Hop

Laminated lily pads duct taped to the ground.

Vegetable Toss

Vegetable Toss

Plastic vegetable tossed into the basket before Mr. McGregor sees you!

Flopsy Bunnies in the Garden

Flopsy Bunnies in the Garden

One of the laminated pictures hidden in the library's garden.

Templates & Additional Resources

Garden Scavenger Hunt Sheet PDF

Rabbit Party Hat Template PDF

Paper Peter Rabbit Template PDF - The original is from 504Main.com, but I resized it to fit two per page. 

Peter Rabbit's Jacket Template - I simply cut the pattern out and stitched the arms together with the body of the jacket left open to fit around the paper doll. Pattern from FoodinLiterature.com

Lily Pad Template - from ToddlerApproved.com

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