The Mitten by Jan Brett is a beloved winter picture book that naturally invites hands-on learning and meaningful conversations with your children. In this post, you’ll find simple The Mitten activities that enhance learning, along with discussion questions and activity ideas that work beautifully for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary homeschool. If you enjoy pairing great children’s books with gentle academic and creative activities, these The Mitten book activities will be a joy to you!
I have read hundreds and hundreds (no exaggeration) of books with my children over the past 16+ years of mothering. With all of that reading, I simply cannot understand how The Mitten never made its way to our book stack until my 5th child!
The Mitten by Jan Brett is such a delightful book and my almost 5-year-old and I have enjoyed reading it over and over this week during his school time.
This book lends itself to such lovely rabbit trails, so take some time to explore one or two in your own homeschool!
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➡ Looking for more children’s books with activity ideas? I have tons! Browse through this category: Children’s Books with Learning Ideas.
You’ll find a variety of books for various ages and stages.
❄️Browse through all of the Winter Worksheets and Printable Activities here at Mama’s Learning Corner. You’ll find color by code, writing activities, coloring pages, and more!
About the Book – The Mitten by Jan Brett
Book: The Mitten
Author: Jan Brett
Illustrator: Jan Brett
If you’re not already familiar, the Ukrainian story of The Mitten revolves around a group of animals who just happen upon a white mitten that is lost in the snow. One by one, the animals squeeze into this knitted mitten in the hopes of staying in a cuddly, warm spot.
It does get crowded with all of the animals in there! Suddenly, the bear lets out a big sneeze and sends the animals flying. The boy then finds his lost mitten and returns home to his grandmother.
My first impression of The Mitten centered on the lovely illustrations! While the animals are obviously drawn and not photos of real animals, they are incredibly realistic. Ms. Brett created the faces and emotions in such a clever way.
My son and I laughed and laughed over the way the author drew the hedgehog’s quills poking out of the mitten. This was such a creative touch!
Learning Activities for The Mitten by Jan Brett
Use a few of these ideas and questions to extend the learning of The Mitten. Adding the “extras” can often be what makes the book memorable for years later!
Hands-On Activities Inspired by The Mitten
— You and your young ones have to make these Marvelous Mittens! These aren’t for wearing but are for eating. Perfect!
— Watch a beginning video on how to knit. Does it look easy or hard?
— Learn how to finger knit! This is a simple and neat activity to learn and doesn’t require anything but fingers and yarn.
— Help your preschoolers practice letters and numbers with these fun mitten-themed printables! There are three different sets:
❄️Mitten Find the Letter Worksheets – uppercase and lowercase
❄️Mitten Find the Number Worksheets – numbers 0 to 20
❄️Mitten Number Wall Cards – 2 sizes; from 0 to 20
Art & Illustration Details in The Mitten
— After you read the book the first time, go back and read the book again taking special note of the pictures in the borders of each page. The author made the side pictures seem as if you’re looking through a keyhole, only it’s a mitten. Clever!
Geography Activity Ideas
— The author tells us this folktale is Ukrainian in origin. Find Ukraine on a map or globe. What countries does it border? How would you get there if you were to visit?
— Take a few moments to do an internet search on the Ukraine. What foods do they eat there? What types of clothes do they wear? What language do they speak?
Animal Study Ideas from The Mitten
— Make a list of the various woodland animals that are featured throughout the book. Does your young one find one interesting? Look up the animal in your Animal Encyclopedia and do a bit of research.
— Choose a favorite animal from the list you created. See if you can find that animal on each page. Make sure you also look in the side margins!
Discussion Questions for The Mitten
Talking about the book is where the good stuff takes place! Oh the many wonderful conversations my children and I have had over books.
Here are some questions you can ask your child as you read:
— There are beautiful embroidery pieces on each page. Why would the artist add those?
— Nicki calls his grandmother ‘Baba.’ What do you call your grandmother? Why do other families have different names for grandmother? (Grandma, Nana, Mawmaw, etc.)
— Would you choose a set of white mittens like Nicki? If not, look in Baba’s basket of yarn and choose the color you like best. (My boy chose green and I chose blue!)
— Look at Baba’s house and compare it to your own. What is similar? What is different?
More Children’s Books with Learning Activities
This post is part of my long-running Children’s Books with Learning Activities series, where I share simple homeschool and classroom ideas to pair with favorite picture books. You can browse all of the book-based learning posts in this series. Here are a few to get you started!
My goal is to choose one new-to-us book per week and do just a smattering of activities with my children.
Some weeks when life is full of other things, we only discuss the book, and that’s okay!
- A New Coat for Anna Activities and Learning Ideas
- Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening Activities and Learning Ideas
- Snowflake Bentley Activities and Learning Ideas
- The Cool Story Behind Snow Activities and Learning Ideas
Sometimes the best homeschool moments come from a good book and a few simple ideas. The Mitten is a perfect example of how one story can lead to conversations, creativity, and learning that feels natural and enjoyable. I hope these ideas help you make the most of this winter favorite in your homeschool—and that it becomes a book your children ask to read again and again. ❤️
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