Jan Brett The Mitten Activities: Sew a Mitten

Introduce kids to the winter wonder of The Mitten with engaging activities that bring Jan Brett’s beloved story to life through crafts, fine motor practice and imaginative play that deepen understanding of the book’s charming woodland adventure.

Be sure to check out our other fun family-friendly kids crafts!

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Jan Brett’s beloved children’s book, “The Mitten,” is a timeless tale of winter adventures and the magic that can be found in the snow-covered woods.

Step into the pages of this classic story sewing your very own mitten as a terrific fine motor skills activity! You’ll not only craft a cozy winter accessory but also embark on a journey of imagination inspired by Jan Brett’s whimsical world.

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love The Mitten Activities
• What is Jan Brett The Mitten About
• How Many Jan Brett Books Are There
• Hands-On Activities to Extend The Mitten Story
  • Literacy & Learning Games
  • Movement & Play
  • Math Extensions
• Children’s Books About Winter
• Sew A Mitten: A Jan Brett Activity
• More Sewing Activities for Kids

Why You’ll Love The Mitten Activities

• Story‑based learning: These activities connect directly to the beloved winter tale The Mitten, helping kids revisit the story and deepen understanding through hands‑on fun.
• Fine motor development: Crafts like sewing a mitten outline strengthen hand‑eye coordination and dexterity — important skills for young learners.
• Literacy and sequencing: Retelling the order of animals entering the mitten reinforces comprehension and storytelling skills in an interactive way.
• Creativity and imagination: Kids can decorate their own mitten craft and imagine woodland animals snuggling inside, making the story come alive.
• Low‑prep fun: Many activities are simple to set up with basic materials like paper, yarn, and crayons, giving parents an easy, engaging option for winter days.
• Perfect for winter themes: These activities make great additions to winter literacy units or family reading time, adding seasonal charm to learning.

The Mitten

 

Use this cozy, story‑inspired set of activities to bring The Mitten to life in ways both kids and parents will enjoy.

What is Jan Brett The Mitten About

The Mitten is a classic children’s book written and illustrated by Jan Brett. The story is a retelling of a Ukrainian folktale and is known for its beautifully detailed illustrations.

The plot of The Mitten centers around a young boy named Nicki, his grandmother, and a variety of forest animals.

Nicki’s grandmother knits him a pair of pristine white mittens, but Nicki is worried about losing one in the snow. His grandmother assures him that if he drops a mitten in the snow, she will make him a new pair.

As Nicki goes outside to play, he drops one of his mittens in the snow, and it becomes a cozy shelter for a series of woodland animals seeking warmth. The animals, including a mole, a rabbit, a hedgehog and others, all manage to fit inside the mitten and enjoy its comfort.

The story continues with a humorous and heartwarming tone as the mitten stretches to accommodate each new animal that seeks refuge.

Eventually, a big brown bear tries to squeeze into the mitten, causing it to burst open.

Nicki is surprised to find his mitten in pieces, but his grandmother knits him a new one, and he returns home.

The Mitten is not only a delightful tale of a lost mitten but also a lesson in sharing, kindness, and the magic of winter.

Jan Brett’s intricate illustrations are a hallmark of the book, providing a visually engaging experience for young readers.

How Many Jan Brett Books Are There

Jan Brett, a renowned American author and illustrator of children’s books, has published numerous works throughout her career. She had authored and illustrated more than 40 books.

Some of her well-known books include The Mitten, The Hat, Gingerbread Baby, and The Trouble with Trolls.

Some of our personal favorite books by Jan Brett include:

• The Mitten
• The Animals’ Santa
• Mossy
• Honey… Honey… Lion!
• Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella

Hands-On Activities to Extend The Mitten Story

Here are fun activities that go well with Jan Brett The Mitten and our mitten craft — perfect for extending the story, building literacy skills, and getting kids creating and moving:

📖 Story‑Related Activities

• Story Sequencing: Create cut‑out animal cards from the book and have kids order the animals as they entered the mitten in the story. This reinforces recall and sequencing.
• Retell with Puppets or Masks: Make animal masks or mitten puppets and act out the story. Kids can take turns being different animals and retelling what happens next.
• Mitten Matching: Cut out pairs of mitten shapes (with colors, shapes, numbers, or words) and have kids match the pairs, building vocabulary or early math skills.

🎨 Craft & Art Projects

• Decorate Paper Mittens: Provide cut‑out mitten shapes and let kids decorate with stickers, buttons, cotton balls, or yarn to make their own mittens inspired by the story.
• Story Animal Drawings: After reading, let kids draw their favorite animal from the mitten and write a sentence about why they chose it.
• Mitten Garland or Mobile: String decorated paper mittens together to make a winter hanging display in your classroom or home.

Literacy & Learning Games

• Vocabulary Search/Sight Words: Use story‑specific words (like mitten, cuddle, burrow, snuggle) for a word hunt or sight‑word matching activity.
• Animal Facts: Pick animals from the book and have kids research one fact about each (habitat, diet), then share with the group.

Movement & Play

• Mitten Pass Game: Pass a mitten around a circle while music plays; when the music stops, the child with the mitten says their favorite part of the story.
• Inside–Outside Direction Game: Use a mitten prop and give kids directions like put it inside your lap, over your head, under your chair — great for listening skills and spatial language.

Math Extensions

• Count How Many Fit: Give kids small counters or animal figures and a mitten outline. Have them predict and count how many objects fit inside — then compare results.
• Size Sequencing: Have kids sort the animals by size (smallest to largest), reflecting how they appear in the story.

These activities build on the story’s characters and winter theme, and they work great either at home or in the classroom with young learners.

Sew A Mitten: A Jan Brett Activity

With two kids, one in Kindergarten and the other in 2nd grade, I’m always looking for ways to sneak in fine motor activities.

Whether you have toddlers or elementary-aged kiddos, fine motor skills are extremely important in learning how to write and becoming more proficient at it.

Jan Brett is a long-time favorite author in our family. Her story telling is superb, but her incredibly complex, subtlety humorous and very textured illustrations transport you to another place. 

So, gather your crafting materials and prepare to create a mitten that’s not just warm but also filled with the spirit of “The Mitten” itself.

There are three ways I had the boys practice their fine motor skills and hand strength.

Step 1: I drew an outline of a mitten and encouraged them to follow the trace, using scissors to cut out their mittens.

Step 2: We used a hole puncher to create the holes we would use to “sew” the mitten together.

Some hole punchers are tougher to operate than others.

If you have toddlers, you will want to help them before they get too frustrated.

Step 3:  We sewed together our mittens, which are currently “drying” in our craft room and waiting for the next wave of inspiration to get colored, drawn on or whatever creative outlet the boys are looking for.

I have pre-cut squares of construction paper in the wings in case they feel like working on patterns and gluing paper to their mittens.

While we were busy with our activity, we talked about the book, recounting our favorite parts and thinking about the local animals that could crawl into our own mittens.

Tip: To make a good tip in order to sew the yarn, just use a small piece of masking tape and wrap it around the end.

It will help stiffen the end and make it a bit easier to saw the yarn through the holes.

Fun Printable Winter Activities

This collection of printable winter activities for kids is here to make this season even more magical!

• Penguin Coloring Pages
• Antartic Animals Yoga Cards
• Winter Bingo Set
• Winter Mystery Puzzles
• Snowman Do a Dot Printables
• Artic Animals Yoga Cards
• Winter Bucket List Coloring Page
• Winter Science Activities Packet
• Fine Motor Mats for Winter
• Hibernating Animals Yoga Cards
• Winter I Spy ‘Flip’ Board Game
• Winter Yoga Cards

These Winter printable activities are the perfect way to create cherished winter memories with your child.

More Sewing Activities for Kids

Discover more sewing activities for kids that build creativity, fine motor skills, and a love for crafting!

• Sew an Apple Fall Craft
• Sew a Softie
• Simple to Sew Monster Softies
• Sew Pretty Pouches

Join in on these Jan Brett Crafts and Activities!