This was a fun sewing project we did at the preschool last week. It was a bit of a process as I do work with kids three, four and five years old and needed to sit each child on my lap to assist with the sewing portion of these sweet little bunnies. There are dozens of tutorials on the web to guide you through making a simple sock bunny. I adopted some of the ideas I read about and made it our own to meet the needs of my preschoolers.
Whenever planning a project I like to consider what I hope the child will gain from the experience. Obviously, fine motor skills were tested here as they used needle and thread to stitch up the ears. But even walking the children through the very basics is a learning experience for them. They were first to turn the sock inside-out, lay it flat on a table, cut straight down the middle of the sock starting at the toe (to create the ears) and stopping just before the heel (which becomes the face, then stitch the ears (with help) then turn the sock so the stitching was on the inside and stuff. That is a lot for my young kids and after they finished they rightfully beamed at their creations! I was impressed that some of the older kids were quite skilled at the stitching portion.
While at the table turning their work, some of the kids used their bunnies as hand puppets giving me an idea for next year...
I love that they all looked so different after stuffing. Each one becoming it's own little character.
The children didn't stitch faces on their bunnies, they had pretty much exhausted themselves without the extra sewing. But a few stitches for the eyes, nose and mouth can be cute too.
And how sweet they look sitting in the cubbies, waiting to go home.
