Peter Rabbit activities are a fantastic way to spark joy and learning in young students through storytelling, art, literacy, and STEM. Inspired by Beatrix Potter’s classic tale, these hands-on ideas help students explore nature, build fine motor skills, and connect reading to real-world learning.
Whether it’s springtime, Easter, or simply a week focused on animals and gardens, these activities are sure to energize your classroom with creativity and curiosity.
15+ Peter Rabbit Activities
Below is a list of Peter Rabbit classroom ideas that blend learning with seasonal fun:
1. Peter Rabbit Story Retelling Sticks
This is among classic storytelling activities that lets students bring Peter Rabbit’s adventure to life. By creating retelling sticks, learners strengthen comprehension, sequencing, and speaking skills.
Students can use their puppets for dramatic play, small-group storytelling, or partner retelling. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to assess their understanding of plot and character development in a playful, non-intimidating way.
Materials Needed:
- Craft sticks
- Peter Rabbit character printouts
- Glue, scissors
- Markers
How to Do:
- Print and cut out images of Peter Rabbit and other characters.
- Attach each one to a craft stick.
- Use puppets to retell the story’s beginning, middle, and end.
- Encourage expressive voices and roleplay with classmates.
2. Garden Sensory Bin
Immerse students in Peter’s world by creating a garden sensory bin inspired by Mr. McGregor’s patch. This activity stimulates the senses, builds fine motor skills, and encourages imaginative storytelling.
It’s also great for practicing vocabulary related to gardening and vegetables. Kids will love digging through the “dirt,” harvesting crops, and reenacting scenes from the book.
Materials Needed:
- Dried black beans or brown rice
- Plastic carrots and radishes
- Scoops or tongs
- Peter Rabbit figurines
How to Do:
- Fill a bin with dried beans to represent soil.
- Add vegetables and rabbit toys.
- Let kids dig, “plant,” or harvest crops.
- Ask questions like “What might Peter be looking for?”
3. Vegetable Sorting Game
This simple game combines early science and math as students sort vegetables by type, color, or shape. It’s ideal for preschool or kindergarten and pairs perfectly with Peter Rabbit’s garden adventures.
Use the opportunity to discuss healthy eating, food groups, and how different veggies grow. Sorting supports classification skills, which are foundational to scientific thinking.
Materials Needed:
- Plastic or paper vegetables
- Sorting trays or baskets
- Labels for categories
How to Do:
- Lay out all vegetables on a table or sensory bin.
- Instruct students to sort by color, type (leafy vs. root), or size
- Discuss which vegetables Peter Rabbit might prefer.
- Extend by counting or graphing the results.
4. Peter Rabbit Craft with Paper Plates
Let students create their own Peter Rabbit face by incorporating craft activities using simple supplies. This artistic project encourages creativity, strengthens fine motor skills, and offers a keepsake for home or a class bulletin board.
While crafting, teachers can reinforce parts of the story and discuss how Peter might be feeling in different scenes.
Materials Needed:
- Paper plates
- Construction paper
- Cotton balls
- Glue, scissors, crayons
How to Do:
- Cut ears, whiskers, and facial features from construction paper.
- Attach them to paper plates to form rabbit faces.
- Use cotton balls for cheeks or tails.
- Display around the room for a themed decoration.
5. Cabbage Letter Matching
This fun literacy activity reinforces uppercase and lowercase letter recognition. Shaped like cabbage leaves, the game fits beautifully with the garden theme of Peter Rabbit and provides visual and tactile engagement.
It can be used independently or in pairs and is especially effective in literacy centers or guided reading groups.
Materials Needed:
- Green paper cut into cabbage shapes
- Uppercase/lowercase letter pairs
- Velcro dots or magnets
How to Do:
- Write uppercase letters on one side, lowercase on another.
- Scatter cabbages or hide them in a sensory bin.
- Students match uppercase with the correct lowercase.
- Practice sounds and trace letters with fingers.
6. Peter Rabbit Writing Prompts
Tap into your students’ imaginations with writing prompts inspired by Peter Rabbit’s escapades. Writing responses help with narrative skills, sentence formation, and personal expression.
Use them during writing workshop time or as a literacy center option. Younger students can pair drawings with sentences, while older students can create full stories.
Materials Needed:
- Peter Rabbit writing prompts
- Writing paper or journals
- Pencils, markers
How to Do:
- Provide prompts like “What if Peter had a friend helping him?”
- Allow time for planning, drawing, and writing.
- Share finished work aloud or post on a class wall.
- Offer sentence starters for early writers.
7. Bunny Hop Gross Motor Game
Help students burn off energy while building gross motor skills with a bunny-themed obstacle course.
Inspired by Peter Rabbit’s mad dash through the garden, this activity adds movement and laughter to your day. It’s perfect for PE, brain breaks, or outdoor learning days and can be easily modified for different ages.
Materials Needed:
- Floor tape or cones
- Beanbags (carrots)
- Hula hoops, tunnels
How to Do:
- Set up an obstacle course with jumping, crawling, and carrot collecting.
- Instruct students to hop through each station like bunnies.
- Time them or form relay teams.
- Tie in the story by pretending Mr. McGregor is chasing them.
8. Vegetable Painting
Transform vegetables into stamps for a Peter Rabbit-themed art session. Kids will enjoy exploring texture and shape while painting with celery, carrots, or broccoli.
This messy, sensory-rich activity supports creativity and pattern recognition and can also lead to discussions about the parts of a plant.
Materials Needed:
- Cut vegetables (celery, broccoli, etc.)
- Washable paints
- Paper or canvas
How to Do:
- Cut vegetables into easy-to-hold sizes.
- Dip in paint and press onto paper.
- Explore different shapes and patterns.
- Label each veggie used and display the art.
9. Bunny Ears Headbands
Get crafty with DIY bunny headbands that students can wear during Peter Rabbit activities or while listening to the story.
It adds a playful touch to your lesson and allows students to roleplay or participate in drama-based reading. Students can personalize their bunny ears with color and glitter.
Materials Needed:
- Cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors, glue
- Crayons or stickers
How to Do:
- Cut strips for headbands and large bunny ears.
- Let students decorate before attaching.
- Staple or tape to fit around their heads.
- Use for drama or class photos.
10. Peter Rabbit STEM: Build a Garden Fence
This STEM challenge invites students to design a fence strong enough to keep Peter Rabbit out of Mr. McGregor’s garden.
It develops planning, engineering, and problem-solving skills. Students will brainstorm, build, and test their mini structures using everyday materials. It’s a great introduction to the design process.
Materials Needed:
- Popsicle sticks
- String, playdough, tape
- Construction paper
How to Do:
- Pose the challenge: Can you build a fence Peter can’t jump over?
- Let teams plan and sketch designs.
- Provide materials for building.
- Test fences with small toy rabbits or balls.
11. Peter Rabbit Snack Sorting
Bring snack time into the lesson with a fun, edible sorting activity inspired by Peter Rabbit’s love for veggies.
This task builds early math skills like sorting and categorizing, while also reinforcing healthy food choices. Students will enjoy interacting with their food in a purposeful way before (or while) they eat.
Materials Needed:
- Small bowls of baby carrots, celery, snap peas, and crackers
- Sorting trays or plates
- Labels or visuals of food types
How to Do:
- Give each student a mixed snack set.
- Instruct them to sort items by type, color, or texture.
- Count and compare quantities.
- Discuss which snacks Peter would love the most.
12. Peter Rabbit Maze Activity
Challenge students to help Peter find his way out of Mr. McGregor’s garden with printable mazes. This is one of the most engaging activities inspired by Peter Rabbit that sharpens visual-motor skills, problem-solving, and patience
It’s ideal for morning work, centers, or early finishers—and can be differentiated with varying levels of difficulty.
Materials Needed:
- Printable rabbit-themed mazes
- Pencils or crayons
- Timer (optional)
How to Do:
- Provide a maze worksheet.
- Ask students to trace a path from start to finish.
- Add challenges like no turning back or working against a timer.
- Let them color the maze once they finish.
13. Peter Rabbit’s Garden Collage
Invite students to design their own version of Mr. McGregor’s garden using collage techniques. This open-ended art activity supports creativity, scissor skills, and fine motor development while reinforcing elements of the story like setting and detail recognition.
Materials Needed:
- Old magazines or vegetable printouts
- Glue sticks, scissors
- Large sheets of paper
How to Do:
- Cut out pictures of vegetables, animals, and garden items.
- Arrange and glue onto a paper to make a garden scene.
- Label parts of the garden.
- Present collages to the class with short explanations.
14. Bunny Finger Knit
Introduce your students to the basics of finger knitting by creating a soft bunny craft inspired by Peter Rabbit.
This activity is great for building fine motor coordination, patience, and creativity. Kids will love the tactile experience of working with yarn, and the finished bunnies make adorable take-home keepsakes.
Materials Needed:
- Chunky yarn in soft colors (white, gray, brown)
- Scissors
- Googly eyes, pom-poms (optional for decorating)
How to Do:
- Show students how to finger knit a long chain using their index and middle fingers.
- Roll the chain into a bunny body and secure with yarn.
- Add a smaller rolled piece for the head and attach.
- Decorate with googly eyes and a pom-pom tail if desired.
15. Bunny Footprint Measuring
Practice nonstandard measurement by comparing “bunny footprints” around the classroom.
This math activity helps students understand length and counting using fun, thematic visuals. It’s great for reinforcing measurement vocabulary and making abstract math more tangible.
Materials Needed:
- Bunny footprint cutouts
- Rulers or cubes (for extension)
- Recording sheets
How to Do:
- Tape bunny footprints on the floor or tables.
- Ask students to measure how many cubes long each footprint is.
- Record and compare results.
- Introduce standard units for older students.
Final thoughts
These Peter Rabbit activities blend hands-on learning with classic storytelling to keep young learners engaged across subjects. From literacy and math to motor skills and art, there’s something here for every teaching style. Try a few in your next spring or Easter unit—and watch your students hop into learning with joy. Don’t forget to bookmark this list or share it with fellow teachers who love bringing books to life!
Want to explore more spring reading and storytelling ideas? Check out our Spring Literacy Activities for Preschoolers to keep the learning fun and seasonal!
