Follow the VIDEO and use an odd sock to make your own rabbit and see how you don’t have to be perfect to be loved!
The Loved Rabbit - Video
What you’ll need: Strips of paper and something to write with, an odd sock, a cup of rice (you could also use scrap pieces of fabric from worn out clothing, scrunched up paper, tissue, or tin foil), rubber bands or string, a marker, scissors, (optional) ribbon
What’s it for?
This activity will help you think about the people you love and the people who love you. You will make your own rabbit while you think about how you don’t have to be perfect to be loved.
Check In:
Notice how you’re feeling right now. Close your eyes and notice what’s going on inside your mind and body.
How are you feeling?
What are you thinking?
How does your body feel?
Method:
Have you ever read The Velveteen Rabbit? The book tells the story of a toy rabbit who wants, more than anything else, to be loved enough to become a real rabbit. He belongs to a little boy who plays with him so much that the rabbit gets really old and worn out. In fact, one day the toy rabbit gets thrown out with the rubbish when the little boy is ill. The toy rabbit is so sad that he cries real tears. A fairy appears and tells the rabbit that the little boy loved him so much that she is going to turn him from a toy rabbit into a real rabbit forever!
As you start making your rabbit, think about the important people in your life. Who loves you no matter what happens? It might be a person from your family, a best friend, or another person you trust. Sometimes it can be hard to believe that someone will love us, even if we make a mistake or can’t do something right. Write down the names of these special people on small slips of paper.
To make your rabbit:
Stretch open the top of your sock and pour a cup of rice inside. If you are using paper or fabric, stuff the sock so that it is filled like a sausage. It might be useful to ask someone to help you. Halfway through filling your sock, take those slips of paper you wrote and put them inside your rabbit.
Use a rubber band to seal the top of the sock.
To make the head and body of your rabbit, squish the rice in the middle so that you have a smaller ball on top of a slightly larger ball, like a snowman. Put a rubber band around the middle between the two balls.
To make the rabbit’s tail, pinch a small ball of rice near the bottom of the larger ball. Put a rubber band around the tail to hold it in place.
To make the ears, cut down the middle of the leftover sock above the head ball. You can leave the fabric long to give your rabbit long floppy ears, or cut them a little shorter if you would like them to stand up.
Use your marker to decorate your rabbit with two eyes and a nose. You can also add a mouth and whiskers if you like!
(Optional) If you have some ribbon, you could tie it around the rabbit’s neck between the two rice balls to decorate.
As you look at your rabbit, can you remember what it was before you started? An odd sock! Lots of the time odd socks end up in the bin, but you have turned it into a wonderful creation. Inside your rabbit are the names of all the people who love you. Just like the story of The Velveteen Rabbit, your rabbit has become important because of the love it holds inside. When you look at your rabbit, remember those people who love you who you wrote down.
Extra Activity: Could you write your own version of The Velveteen Rabbit about your sock rabbit? How does the story start? What happens at the end?
When you’ve finished, spend a moment reflecting on the activity and ask yourself the following questions:
What was your favourite part of making the rabbit? Does your rabbit have a name?
Who were the people you thought about during this activity?
How did it feel to think about those people that you love and who love you?
What are some ways that people show they love you?
How do you show other people that you love them?
Why do you think it is important to know you are loved?
Was there anything in this activity that made you feel sad? Who could you talk to about those feelings?
Conclusion:
This activity helps you to think about the people you love and the people that love you. When you look at your rabbit you can remember how important it is to be loved.
Take a moment to notice how you are feeling at the end of this activity. Did you discover anything surprising? What can you take away to make you feel better about yourself from this activity?
If you would like to, share something about your experience with this activity with someone you live with! Ask the person who looks after you to send us an email if you have any questions or comments about the activity, or would like to send us any pictures (info@catcorner.co.uk). Don't forget to subscribe for more fun CAT activities!
Created by Heather Dingle © March 2020
Creative Arts Used: Art, Creative Writing
Psychological Areas Explored: Relationships, Self-Exploration, Emotional Wellbeing, Resilience
References:
This activity was inspired by The Velveteen Rabbit:
Williams, M. (1922): The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real), New York, Doubleday & Company Inc.
These activities could be done by children of all ages, but some may need the support of their parent or carer to read the instructions or complete the activity safely.
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