At Hand Made Places, we’re fans of anything which gets children involved with literature. One such way is to throw a party centred on popular children’s books. As recent live-action films suggest, Winnie the Pooh is an undyingly popular character and the perfect subject for activities. That’s why we’ve put together the best ideas on organising a Winnie the Pooh party!
So, whether you’re a parent with a penchant for the Hundred Acre Wood or a teacher looking for Winnie the Pooh Day ideas, settle in: this is where creativity and education meet nostalgia for that silly old bear…
Winnie the Pooh Party Ideas
Here are our top ideas for throwing a Winnie the Pooh themed party at school or at home:
- Themed invitations,
- Colour scheme based costumes,
- Outdoor learning and thematic spaces,
- Treasure hunt,
- Storytelling activities,
- Arts and crafts,
- Themed party games.
If this list sounds a bit daunting, never fear! Hand Made Places have heaps of advice for planning each of the activities and decorations above…
Make Winnie the Pooh Themed Invitations
The beauty of a strong party theme is how recognisable all the features are. All you need for Winnie the Pooh party invitations is some block colours and a black pen to create characters!
‘Hundred Acre Wood’ character colour scheme:
- Red and yellow for Pooh
- Grey/lavender for Eeyore
- Orange for Tigger
- Pink for Piglet
This task is simple enough for children to have a go at, or you can surprise them with your own beautiful crafts. Just grab some sugar paper, white card and glue, then get embellishing with a marker pen and scissors!
Winnie the Pooh Costumes
Similarly, costumes are also quite easy. You can use string and leftover coloured paper to make animal-ear headbands to fit the character.
Remember, you needn’t go all-out on clothes and fabrics – a bit of face paint and card goes a long way!
- Draw your character ear on a piece of white paper.
- Cut it out then trace round it onto coloured card.
- Flip it top-to-bottom, line up the bases, trace again and cut out.
- When you fold it along the base line, you have your first ear!
- Unfold ear one and flip it left-to-right.
- Trace round the whole shape onto the coloured card then cut out ear two.
- Thread a length of string or elastic through both folded ears.
- Glue the front and back of each ear together and you have your finished headband.
Make a Winnie the Pooh Classroom
The Hundred Acre Wood is a brilliant theme for a classroom. It’s easy to create and maintain indoors or, to save on paper and reap even more benefits, the real outdoors is a great option!
An outdoor Sound Centre a woodland themed Finger Maze and a living Willow Tunnel.
At Hand Made Places it’s no secret that we love outdoor learning. As well as providing all sorts of outdoor classroom equipment, we also have plenty of ideas for Winnie the Pooh activities you can take outside.
Good to know…
The activities below are a strong set of instructions for throwing a Winnie the Pooh party, whether or not it’s at school!
Hundred Acre Wood Treasure Hunt
Now, you might not be able to lay your hands on a Heffalump without sufficient warning… However, it’s easy enough to replicate some locations related to Winnie the Pooh where you can hide some treats on the day:
- Pile up some sticks and branches to make Eeyore’s House at Pooh Corner.
- Mark out a specific tree as Owl’s home – don’t forget to misspell his name on the sign, “Wol”.
- Collect old jars, clean them and create Pooh’s honey stash – a great way to teach recycling!
- The “Sandy Pit Where Roo Plays” is an easy one… Digging in a sandpit is an excellent opportunity for sensory play!
Why not take inspiration from a map of the Hundred Acre Wood? Alternatively, create your own based on the locations you’ve made around you.
Winnie the Pooh Plays and Storytelling
Once the children have done their exploring, they might find it easier to follow the stories.
For sensory learners, it really helps to have additional storytelling equipment. This could include musical instruments for sound effects, puppets for characters and play sculptures for scenery.
Furthermore, you should also consider who will tell the story. You can take the lead as the adult, or assign a “storyteller” role for one of the children.
Another exciting idea is to act out short scenes from Winnie the Pooh, using costumes and locations from the party.
Take a look at our Stages and Performance equipment here!
‘I don’t feel very much like Pooh today,’ said Pooh.
‘There, there,’ said Piglet. ‘I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.’
A Story Circle in action.
Discuss the messages and meanings
This is at the heart of a Winnie the Pooh party; it’s one of the most important aspects of any storytelling activity.
Take the time to re-read the stories yourself before jumping in. At the heart of A. A. Milne’s work, you’ll see cuddly toys make friends and have adventures.
That’s what makes Winnie the Pooh such a strong party theme.
The perfect mix of excitement and comfort is something to cherish, as children discuss strong emotions in a safe environment.
Winnie the Pooh Artwork
This is a great “after lunch” activity for your Winnie the Pooh Day party. We suggest guiding children through collages and silhouettes. You can even use the same colour schemes as our Hundred Acre Wood invitations.
Here’s how to make Winnie the Pooh art for children:
- Trace and cut out outlines of each character on black paper. Back with card from a cereal box.
- Use old catalogues and mixed media to make character-themed colour collages.
- Glue the character silhouettes to the corresponding coloured background.
- Display the final pictures with your favourite Winnie the Pooh quotes.
“Just because an animal is large, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo.”
As well as a calming, creative, sensory activity, this is a great opportunity to re-affirm the stories’ messages.
Winnie the Pooh Party Games
Of course, party games are a must for your Winnie the Pooh Day celebrations, and perfect for rounding off the day. You can adapt normal games and challenges to fit in with the theme. Here are some ideas to get you started…
- Pin the tail on Eeyore
- Kanga and Roo’s hopping race
- What’s the Time, Christopher Robin?
- Musical Heffalumps
Trim trail play equipment, playground markings, an animal play sculpture, a Kangaroo Glockenspiel and the Spirit & Time sensory totem.
When to throw a Winnie the Pooh Party
A. A. Milne’s characters have been around for almost a century, and they’re still as loved as ever. So you can be sure they’re not going to go out of fashion any time soon!
Springtime is an excellent time to plan your party or alternatively, aim for Winnie the Pooh Day itself. It is celebrated every year on 18th January (Milne’s birthday).
Whenever you plan to hold your Winnie the Pooh party, make sure you set aside a whole day – it’ll certainly be worth it!
Feeling inspired?
Find other great reads in our Get Children Reading series:
You can also find more ways to link books to lessons in our suggestions for Elmer themed celebrations.