Beatrix Potter
I am so in awe of Beatrix Potter. I love the little world she’s created and the loveable characters she has shared with us. There was always be a place in my heart for Jemima Puddleduck as my Mums’ childrens’ day nurseries are called Puddleducks but I think my favourite characters have to be Flopsy , Mopsy and Cottontail or Mrs Tiggywinkle.
Visit an allotment, just like Mr McGregors garden! Or pop in to your local garden centre to buy some vegetable seeds.
Go to the park or your garden and collect leaves, sticks and other things in nature to make a setting for your Peter Rabbit.
Planting and small world
Just like sand play, use buckets and spades with soil. Use little plastic animals and role play in the soil with them.
Who knew you could by special soil just for children?!!!
Child friendly soil (photo credit- amazon.co.uk)
You can get a kg of soil for Wilkos for a couple of pounds but you do have to be careful that it’s “child-friendly.”
On researching this, I also found out you can buy kinetic soil! It’s like kinetic sand which is awesome by the way- but soil- for indoors! For the weather we’ve been having in England, this might be the best option!
Counting and number play
To make it a learning activity, print and laminate Peter Rabbit characters as well as numbers and put in the soil. (I say print an laminate as it is a relatively cheap way- even better, draw them with your children on card and stick them in, then recycle them after the fun)
When they pull out a number, see if they can pull out that many characters to show they know the corresponding quantity. This can be up to 3, 5, 10 or 20.
Alphabet and phonics play
To make it a literacy activity, print and laminate the alphabet (and phonics sounds for older learners) and print out characters and things in a garden (or draw on card) that begin with that sound (eg P for Peter, R for Rabbit, G for garden) or have that phonics vowel in. (Eg aw in lawn)
You can even put words in such as Rabbit, flower with the corresponding picture for them to dig out and match.
Grow your own vegetable garden with this handy child friendly kit if you’d like more guidance.
Vegetable Garden kit (photo credit- Amazon.co.uk)Visit
The World Of Beatrix Potter (Photo credit- hop-skip-jump.com)If you are wondering where to visit in the holidays, plan a trip to Windermere to the World of Beatrix Potter. I’m a huge world traveller but I think there are some amazing places to visit close to home too. I dragged a (now ex) boyfriend here in return for watching a football match about 12 years ago. I think England lost!
https://www.hop-skip-jump.com/
Willows Activity Farm (Photo credit- Willowsactivityfarm.com)Or have a trip to Willows Activity Farm, not too far from St Albans.
https://www.willowsactivityfarm.com/peter-rabbit-at-willows/
Play and Watch it
The BBC has some free games and activities online such as quizzes and jigsaws as well as some episodes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/peter-rabbit
Peter Rabbit is a cartoon and also has a live action film which is actually airing on Sky Movies Family on Friday 14th June in the UK at 11.05am and 8pm.
Theatre
Catch Peter Rabbit at the theatre this summer in London. They recommend it for Four plus.
Collectible coin
It’s worth looking through your coins with your children. Separate them into different values which will help them with numbers and coin recognition, but also, there’s a fancy Peter Rabbit one in circulation, which may increase in value. So one to hold onto if you do find it- good luck!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-35684900/royal-mint-beatrix-potter-s-peter-rabbit-on-new-50p-coin
More to Books…
Emma Thompson has written three more books called the Further tales of Peter Rabbit.
And to show there really is more to books than reading, get a cd copy to listen in your car for the nursery run/school run, travelling to ballet, drama club, football etc
I love non-fiction as much as fiction books. I believe the best way to use them is to do it hand in hand. This is a library find- whatever animal the main character is of a book, use it as a learning opportunity to find facts about that animal.
Rabbits by Charlotte Guillain
My First Book of Garden Wildlife by Mike Unwin, illustrated by Tony Sanchez
I love crafting and this next book is the perfect link between collecting things in your garden and being creative with your child.
Fun with Nature by Annalees Lim
And don’t kill me for this idea!!!! But maybe for older learners, think about getting a Rabbit!
But make sure they read up about the responsibility before you do.
Share a pic of your child with their favourite Beatrix Potter Character:
Laiq, Rochdale (aged 3) dressing up as Peter Rabbit
Show me your planting pictures with your child:
Taylor, Waterfoot (aged 4) engaging in soil play
Emilia, Oswaldtwistle (aged 2 and a half) digging and planting
Thank you to the wonderful parents that have already shared pictures of their little ones.
To have your child feature in this blog or future blogs, email your pictures to moretobooks@gmail.com
Love Kat x
Lots of great ideas Kat! I once planted carrots and lettuce for Peter Rabbit with my charges. They thought that Peter would be safer if he didn’t need to go to Mr. McGregor’s garden.
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