Materials
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
air dry modeling dough in yellow, white, and brown
at least two small, plastic honey pots or plastic honey bottles (with a
regular top, not the spout type)
construction paper in white, yellow, and red
glue
liquid laundry starch
yellow food coloring or yellow tempera paint
bowl
Instructions
* January 18th is the birthday of A.A. Milne, the author of "Winnie
the Pooh".
1. A few days before January 18th, begin to read "Winnie the Pooh" to the
children. This chapter book might take several days to finish.
2. Explain that you have planned a "Winnie the Pooh Day" to help
celebrate the birthday of A.A. Milne, the author who wrote the story
you have been reading.
3. Ask everyone to wear a red shirt on January 18, as Pooh wears a red
shirt.
4. Begin the day on January 18 by doing Pooh's stoutness exercises
together. These can be any simple exercise such as touching toes and
reaching to the sky, bending side to side, or running in place.
5. When you go outside, have "Honey Relay Races." Line up the children in
two rows. Give the first child in each row a small plastic honey pot or
honey bottle. Have the children race to a designated spot and turn
around and race back. The children then hand off the pot to the next
children in line. Continue until all have had a turn.
6. During center time, let the children use yellow, white, and brown air-dry
modeling dough to make a beehive and some bees.
7. During group time, play "Pooh, Pooh, Where's Your Honey Pot?" (played
the same as Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone?) and "Pooh in the Dell"
(see original songs on the next page).
8. Make some "honey dough." Mix equal parts white school glue and
liquid laundry starch. Color it yellow with food coloring or liquid
tempera paint. Mix thoroughly until the mixture forms a slightly sticky
ball. Add more starch if it is too sticky. Store in an air-tight container.
9. Wind up your birthday celebration by making some birthday cards for
A.A. Milne. Use red, white, and yellow construction paper to create the
cards. Display them on a board titled "Happy Birthday, A.A. Milne."
10. Some interesting Pooh facts:
* Christopher Robin was modeled and named after Alan (A.A.) Milne's
own son.
* The real Winnie the Pooh was an orphaned American black bear. She
was named Winnie after Winnipeg, Canada. Winnie ended up in
England when she traveled there as the mascot of the 2nd Canadian
Infantry Brigade. Her caretaker, Lt. Harry Colebourn, thought it was too
risky to take Winnie into action and asked the zoo to care for her until
his return. The war lasted longer than Colebourn thought it would and
Winnie ended up living out her days at the zoo.
* The real Christopher Robin met Winnie at the London Zoological
Gardens in 1925.
More to do Science and Nature: Read stories about real bears and compare them to
Pooh. How are they different? How are they the same? Make a graph that
shows the differences. For example, Pooh lives in a home-like setting with
furniture, bears live in the woods or in caves; Pooh's favorite food is honey,
bears like honey but also like other foods such as berries and insects; Pooh
has friends from other species of animals, bears in the wild don't get along
with other animals.
