Little New-Yorkers @ Home: Knuffle Bunny Pal

Join us online every Tuesday and Friday at 3:30 pm for Little New-Yorkers @ Home. Check our calendar for registration links.

Welcome back, Little New-Yorkers! In these times of staying home and staying put, one of the best ways to adventure and journey into the world is through books. This week for Little New-Yorkers @ Home, we’ll be reading the traveling tale Knuffle Bunny Free, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Meet Trixie on her travels to visit her grandparents in Holland and find out if her companion, Knuffle Bunny, decides to go his own way. Then, color and cut out your own bunny to accompany you on journeys near and far. 

For all the Mo Willems fans out there who can’t get enough–we invite you to check out some of the objects featured in our 2016 exhibition, The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems.

 

Follow along with this post to create with us at home and don’t forget to join us live every Tuesday and Friday at 3:30 pm where we sing a special Little New-Yorkers hello song, do silly stretches and exercises, and read a storybook, all from the comfort of your living room.

 

Supplies*

• Printed Knuffle Bunny template (PRINT Template 1 & Template 2)
• Gluestick
• Scissors 
• Something to draw with: colored pencils, markers, crayons
• Brads, or something to attach the pieces with, such as buttons, string, twine, or thread
• Optional: cardboard for reinforcing if not printing on cardstock

*A note on supplies: If you don’t have exactly the supplies listed, improvise! These projects are designed to be versatile, so feel free to use whatever materials and tools you have at home. And if your final product looks different than what you see here, that’s wonderful! 

STEP 1: Color in your bunny

Using your drawing materials, color in your bunny friend. Make it your own and get creative!

STEP 2: Cut out your bunny

Using scissors, carefully cut out your bunny’s body and limbs along the edges.

STEP 3: Reinforce with cardboard (feel free to skip this step and the next if you printed on cardstock or a heavier paper!)

To make sure our bunny could survive the wear and tear of multiple journeys, we chose to reinforce the pieces with cardboard from an old seltzer box (cereal boxes are great too!). Carefully glue your bunny body and limbs to the cardboard.

STEP 4: Cut out reinforced pieces

Using scissors, carefully cut out your reinforced pieces. Now our bunny is ready to come to life!

STEP 5: Assemble!

This bunny was designed to be attached with special metal pieces called brads, but if you don’t have those lying around, there are plenty of other attachment options. We opted for a needle and thread, strung through each limb and secured with big knots on both sides. You could also use string or buttons to secure the limbs–just make sure to tie large knots so the limbs stay put!

STEP 6: Play! 

Now your bunny pal is ready to play! Does your bunny want to dance, jump, or play peekaboo? Get that bunny moving and grooving on some wild adventures!

We hope you enjoy this activity! Share your creations in the comments below and during our online sessions of Little New Yorkers @ Home Tuesdays and Fridays at 3:30 pm. See you then!