Book activities for children make me just as happy as they make them. When children can interact with books and not just hear them being read, they enjoy them so much more because they become a part of the story.
The Mitten is the perfect book to pair with activities. Use our free mitten knitting pattern paired with printable animals to make an engaging storytime that children will love.
The Mitten children’s book activity
I created this activity for my preschool classroom. The children have loved it so much that I wanted to share it. Not only does it make a wonderful holiday or birthday gift, but it’s something that you and your child can do together.
What you need
- Jan Brett, The Mitten book
- Handmade mitten (free pattern below)
- Animals in The Mitten book (details below)
Before we delve into the knitting pattern below, let’s make the animals from the story.
I used Canva to download and print each of the animals on cardstock. I then cut them out and laminated them so they wouldn’t tear. Some of the animals I did pay for, but I wanted them to be as realistic and as close to those in the book as possible; I plan on using this activity in my classroom for a long time, so I want it to last.
The mitten knitting pattern below makes an oversized mitten. If you look at the end of the book, there’s a regular-sized mitten and an oversized one that stretched because all of the animals squeezed inside.
Mitten knitting pattern
- Yarn – I used three different yarns (bits and pieces left over from previous projects); one was Bernat Blanket Twist, and the other two were around the same weight, just less fluffy.
- Knitting needles – size 6
- Yarn sewing needle
- Scissors
Cast on 39 stitches.
Knit 1, Purl 1 … repeat to end. Continue with this pattern for 3 inches.
Knit to the center stitch, decrease one stitch, knit to end.
Stockinette stitch for 5 rows, ending on a purl row.
Knit 19 stitches, knit into the front and back (KF/B) of the next stitch twice, knit to end.
Purl.
Knit 19 stitches, KF/B, knit 2 stitches, KF/B, knit to end.
Purl.
Knit 19 stitches, KF/B, knit 4 stitches, KF/B, knit to end.
Purl.
Knit 19 stitches, KF/B, knit 6 stitches, KF/B, knit to end.
Purl.
Knit 19 stitches, KF/B, knit 8 stitches, KF/B, knit to end.
Purl.
Knit 19 stitches, KF/B, knit 10 stitches, KF/B, knit to end.
Purl.
Knit 33 stitches, turn, cast on two stitches.
Purl next row. Turn (don’t continue with remaining stitches; you are working the thumb only right now).
Continue stockinette stitch (ending on a purl row) on just those 16 stitches until thumb measures 3 inches.
Knit 2 stitches together, repeat until end of row and 8 stitches remain.
Cut a long strand of yarn and run it through those last 8 stitches, pulling it tight, and then sewing down the thumb seam.
Rejoin the yarn to the stitches still on the needle. Knit to the end of the row.
Continue working in stockinette stitch (ending on a purl row) until glove measures 11 inches from the very first row.
Knit 1, knit 2 together (continue knitting 2 together until 1 stitch remains). Knit 1.
Purl next row.
Repeat the previous 2 rows until you have 14 stitches remaining.
Knit 2 together all the way across last row. Cut yarn with a long tail, thread through remaining stitches and pull tight. Use the tail to sew the seam of your mitten.
More activities for children’s books
Here are more activities for children’s books, some include free printables too.
- Create a planet art project
- Honest Pretzels cooking gift idea
- The World’s Longest Sock coloring page
- Harold and the Purple Crayon printable
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom craft
- Flotsam salt dough creations
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