Grab one or more of these 8 Peter Rabbit garden ideas to add some fun hands-on learning to your unit but don’t forget to hop on down to my DIY for how to make a preschool garden box. Also, look at The Tale of Peter Rabbit Printables for a Fun Spring Unit Study.
I don’t need to tell you how wonderful it is to get your children outside in the fresh air.
Digging in the dirt, and getting healthy microbes to help build immunity, absorbing sunshine, and enjoying nature is fun this time of year.
Nature walks, pond studies, and of course, starting a garden are wonderful spring activities.
But sometimes you just have to get stuff done inside or the weather is not participating in your plans.
Peter Rabbit to the rescue indoors!
You have a wonderful variety of choices from the list below from sensory bins to science and art projects.
And then I have a wonderful activity that will keep everyone from toddlers to preschoolers busy for a while with their dramatic play in a felt preschool garden box.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit Book
First, add some of these living books to your library.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Other Books by Beatrix Potter
Your kids will love the whole series of books by Beatrix Potter to add to a unit study or fun learning for the day.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit is the original classic by Beatrix Potter. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first published by Frederick Warne in 1902 and endures as Beatrix Potter's most popular and well-loved tale. It tells the story of a very mischievous rabbit and the trouble he encounters in Mr McGregor's vegetable garden! Re-originated in 2002 to mark the centenary of publication bringing it closer to the original edition, six illustrations were restored, four that were removed in 1903 to make room for endpapers and two that have never been used before, Beatrix having initially prepared more illustrations than could be accommodated in the original format. Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten. Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood. With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm - Hill Top - in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder.
"In the time of swords and periwigs and full-skirted coats with flowered lappets—when gentlemen wore ruffles, and gold-laced waistcoats of paduasoy and taffeta—there lived a tailor in Gloucester..."Potter described 'The Tailor of Gloucester' as her own favorite among her books. It was based on the true story of a tailor who left the unsewn pieces of a coat in his shop and found that the garment had been mysteriously finished for him in the night. It turned out that the real tailor's assistants were his apprentices, but in Beatrix Potter's version of the story the secret helpers are skillful little brown mice.(1866–1943) loved the countryside and spent much of her childhood drawing and studying animals. The landscape that Peter Rabbit first introduced to us in 1902 is still today one of most popular and well-loved worlds. What started as an endearing story about a bunny rabbit would soon become the first ember for the illustrious series that is , & a story which has endured retelling after retelling at bedtimes all over the world.
The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-winkle is an original classic by Beatrix Potter. The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-winkle was first published in 1905, and is as charming today as it was then. It tells the tale of a hidden home high in the hills. It is discovered one day by a little girl called Lucie, who is in search of her missing pocket handkerchiefs. She knocks on the tiny door, and meets Mrs Tiggy-winkle who does all the washing and ironing for the neighbouring animals. Lucie spends a lovely day helping her, and it's only right at the end of the day that she realises Mrs Tiggy-winkle is a hedgehog! Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten. Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood. With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm - Hill Top - in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder.
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher endures as one of Beatrix Potter's most popular and well-loved tales. It tells of an optimistic and slightly accident-prone frog, who sets off on a fishing expedition across the pond, only to find himself bitten on the toe by a water-beetle, fighting with a stickleback, and eventually nearly eaten by a trout! The Tale of Jeremy Fisher is number seven in Beatrix Potter's series of 23 little books, the titles of which are as follows: 1 The Tale of Peter Rabbit 2 The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin 3 The Tailor of Gloucester 4 The Tale of Benjamin Bunny 5 The Tale of Two Bad Mice 6 The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle 7 The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher 8 The Tale of Tom Kitten 9 The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck 10 The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies 11 The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse 12 The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes 13 The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse 14 The Tale of Mr. Tod 15 The Tale of Pigling Bland 16 The Tale of Samuel Whiskers 17 The Tale of The Pie and the Patty-Pan 18 The Tale of Ginger and Pickles 19 The Tale of Little Pig Robinson 20 The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit 21 The Story of Miss Moppet 22 Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes 23 Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck is an original classic by Beatrix Potter. Poor Jemima. All she wants to do is lay her eggs in peace, and be allowed to hatch them herself. At last she flies off and finds the perfect place. Little does the silly duck realise that the charming gentleman who has lent her his woodshed is busily planning a delicious meal of . . . roast duck! Jemima was a real duck belonging to Beatrix Potter, who lived at her farm, Hill Top. The story also features Beatrix's own sheepdog, Kep, who thankfully manages to save Jemima from a nasty fate! Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten
SOFT & HUGGABLE: This Easter stuffed animal is made from soft, huggable materials and features surface-washable construction for easy cleaning. Each Peter Rabbit stuffed animal is appropriate for ages 1 and up and ships in a protective poly bag.
You just need two items from Dollar Tree and some felt to recreate this adorable little traveling garden to keep small hands occupied and little imaginations growing big.
You can use the garden box and the little felt veggies in lots of ways like finding out about different veggies.
Use Farm Anatomy as a great reference along with it.
Next, look at these Peter Rabbit garden ideas.
8 Peter Rabbit Garden Ideas
- Here is another activity I created for the theme with felt to practice some basic math skills, Fun Mr. McGregor’s Vegetable Garden Simple Frugal Math Activity.
- Let your little one’s imagination take over with Peter Rabbit Small World Sensory Play, a sweet little mini garden at their fingertips.
- Take some of your harvest (even if it’s from the grocery store) and learn How to Make DIY Fruit & Veggie Stamped Tea Towels for a precious garden-themed art project.
- Cooking with littles is always a great idea, it teaches them so much, stay on theme with this Rabbit Food Lettuce Wrap- Cooking with Kids.
- I created these 7 Science Garden Ideas and Make a Pizza Container Garden with older kids in mind but most activities are very easily adapted to preschoolers as well. Preschoolers love pizza too!
- Learn about growing Your own Vegetable Soup Unit Study as you talk about gardens and what grows in them.
- Need a little bit more for your garden theme? Check out my Easy Seeds and Gardening Unit Study for Kids with plenty of ideas to create a unique and fun unit.
- Playdough and a precious, precocious preschooler go perfectly together for this Peter Rabbit Invitation to Play.
Before you begin your garden box find a container.
They have several small boxes and bins at Dollar Tree, but I wanted something a little larger.
After searching up and down the aisle for a while I found this cat litter box in the pet aisle that worked perfectly and was the most generous in size, but you can use whatever you like.
How To Make A Preschool Garden Box
Supplies Needed:
- Shallow plastic box
- Pool noodle(s)
- Brown Felt
- Colored felt
- Hot glue
- Scissors
- Stuffing or scraps of felt.
First, use a kitchen knife to cut down the pool noodle to the width of the litter box.
Because the litter box has angled sides you will also need to cut the ends at a slight angle, you want it to fit tightly down into the box.
Repeat until you fill up the box, leaving a little space between each noodle.
Cut brown felt for each piece the exact length and either just big enough to wrap around or not quite touch.
Cover in hot glue making sure to get the edges.
Wrap around the noodle and smooth it down.
Put hot glue on each end of the cut noodle and press quickly into place, hold until the glue cools and hardens.
Repeat until each one is in place and the box is filled.
Now, the fun part, creating the little stuffed felt veggies to put in your garden.
Cut simple shapes out of the felt, you want to choose things that grow out of or under the ground so that you are also teaching your child correctly at the same time.
How To Make A Preschool Garden Box
Some ideas are carrots, parsnips, lettuce, radishes, and potatoes.
Cut two pieces out at the same time for each vegetable.
Remember to also cut out greenery at the same time for your tops of items like the carrots.
Run a bead of glue all the way around one piece of your felt veggies leaving just enough open to add stuffing.
Quickly press the matching opposite side into the hot glue and allow to cool.
Once glue is set and cooled, stuff the inside, using a pencil to get it all the way in.
Add the greenery to the top between the two layers and glue the rest of the way closed.
For lettuce/cabbage cut wavy strips and/or small leafy pieces
Roll the strips, bunching and gluing randomly as you go until your head of lettuce is as big as you’d like it.
Push your vegetables into the spaces between each “row”.
Add a basket for gathering and enjoy their imagination taking over.
