Would you like to know how to make a bunny piñata using a grocery bag and not a balloon? Without paper mache? This post is about how to make a non-messy bunny piñata with a bag, and a book review of The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes. I love this 1939 story because it teaches kindness and hard work eventually pay off. What matters is the good in your heart
Suggested title to accompany this craft project: The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Dubose Heyward (Author), Marjorie Flack (Illustrator). Really, any bunny story could be used to help inspire this craft project.
A (single) mother rabbit with 21 little children teaches them to all work together and help. The little bunnies feel valued as they contribute to the family. They grow up to be sweet, cheerful, and polite. Thereby, the Country Bunny (mother rabbit) proves herself to Grandfather Bunny and becomes one of the Easter Bunnies.
This is a wonderful story with quite modern themes, and may help enlist the help of the little rabbits at your house. My daughter especially loved hearing this story each spring.
How to Make a Bunny Piñata
This is a little bunny love project to make for this time of the year. See notes below photos for information on using this or similar bags for piñata fun. FREE PDF of directions
To use a grocery bag animal like this one as a piñata, just tie the top closed with a long enough rope to hang it from a tree. The rope needs to be tied to a rather low branch so you can reach it, and the bag should hang just a few feet above the ground. I never use a blindfold, the children like to see what they are doing. Small bouncy balls or hard candy work, as most other items will be crushed by the end of this activity.
I have the children stand in a circle around the tree, and test how far out they need to be by swinging a PLASTIC baseball bat. That is what we use to break our pinata. Even a group of fourth or fifth graders will each get a turn if you the pinata is three grocery bags thick! First graders will tire of trying to break it open with that many bags, so I use one or two depending on the size of the group.
Before beginning, decide who is first and go in order around the circle. That way the children will stay put waiting for their turns. Also, before beginning, tell them how many pieces of candy or how many small balls or whatever is inside they may have. This will prevent someone from jumping on all the goodies and grabbing as many as possible. I have this down to a science! Really!
The bag could have Easter baskets inside and not be used as a piñata, also. Some children won’t want to break their bunnies apart.
Thanks for reading, Carolyn
This post is listed on the Kids Get Crafty blog by Red Ted Art:
