The story The Mitten by Jan Brett is a lovely folk tale about a little boy who loses his mitten. In the way of these tales, a number of animals take shelter in the mitten, and as each one enters the mitten, it expands. The mitten grows so large that even a bear hides inside, until a tiny mouse tries to squeeze in on the tip of the bear’s nose. Then with a sneeze, the bear sneezes the mouse, the mitten, and the rest of the animals up into the air. The mitten falls to the ground, a little larger than when it first began its journey, and the little boy finds it and is mystified by its size.
This story is perfect for preschoolers. We all know that they are constantly losing their mittens, as well as anything else that is not strapped on. In fact, this craft calls for both a stray mitten and a stray glove. If you are lucky enough to have only pairs, you may need to visit the thrift store for one.
You will need a single mitten that is adult or child size, a child’s glove, a pair of scissors, and some glue. All of the other decorations are up to you and could include glitter, sequins, feathers, eyes, and whatever your child’s heart desires! If the mitten is fleece, this is ideal. If not, then a little bit of adult sewing may or may not be required.
Place the glove on your child’s hand. Ask your child to put his hand into the mitten until his fingers reach the center. Mark the location of his fingers. Cut a hole across the center of the mitten from the side of the mitten towards the thumb. Now, ask your child to place his hand inside the mitten and wiggle four fingers through the hole.
The fingers will become some of the characters in The Mitten, or your child can make up his own characters. Decorate each finger as an animal or a person. Let the glove dry. Then, write down your child’s mitten story. You child can tell the story by placing his gloved hand into the mitten and bringing out each finger and each character one by one until the mitten is full.