Create a ‘Build a Mr Men’ Kit

If you’re looking for a creative and engaging way to bring stories to life in your homeschool, a Homeschool Mr Men Book Unit is a fantastic place to start. This week, I began creating a simple yet highly effective resource for my younger children: a ‘Build a Mr Men’ Kit using felt and a recycled box. Not only is it budget-friendly, but it also encourages imaginative play, fine motor development, and storytelling skills.

Here’s how we made ours and how you can incorporate it into your homeschool routine.

Find out how and why we started this Mr Men Book Unit and see our exciting Mr Men adventure box!

Why Create a ‘Build a Mr Men’ Kit?

The Mr Men and Little Miss books are beloved for their simple storytelling and memorable characters. By adding a hands-on component, children can:

• Retell stories in their own words
• Develop sequencing and comprehension skills
• Strengthen fine motor abilities
• Engage in creative and imaginative play

This Homeschool Mr Men Book Unit turns reading into an interactive experience your children will look forward to.

Click over here, if you’d like to see our home-made Mr Men Number Tool Box, for your preschooler to play with numbers in a tactile and Mr Men themed way!

How to Create a ‘Build a Mr Men’ Kit

This project is wonderfully simple and uses materials you may already have at home, or in your Homeschool Junk Box.

What You’ll Need:

• An empty ice cream box (or similar container)
• Felt sheets in various colours
• Fabric glue
• Scissors

Step 1: Prepare Your Box

I started by cutting a piece of felt to fit inside the lid of the ice cream box and secured it with fabric glue. This creates a soft base for assembling the characters.

Next, I decorated the outside of the box with leftover felt scraps and added a felt version of Mr Happy to the front. This helps easily identify the kit and makes it visually appealing for little learners.

Step 2: Create the Character Pieces

For our first character, I chose Mr Tickle. I carefully cut out:

• His body
• Long arms
• Feet
• Hat
• Eyes
• Smile

At this stage, everything looks a bit jumbled, but that’s part of the fun!

Step 3: Let the Children Build

The real magic happens when the children take over.

They can:

• Assemble Mr Tickle correctly
• Mix and match pieces to create silly new characters
• Retell the story in their own way

Seeing “Mr Tickle all messed up” quickly turn into a recognizable character is both satisfying and educational.

Step 4: Store and Expand

Once playtime is over, the pieces can be stored neatly inside the box.

Each week, I plan to add new characters from the Mr Men and Little Miss series. Over time, this becomes a growing ‘Build a Mr Men’ Kit that offers endless combinations and learning opportunities.

With five children, I’ve already seen how much use this simple resource gets, there’s truly a lot of mileage in it!

If you’d like to make your own incredibly simple Mr Men puppets then this is the post for you!

How to Use This in Your Homeschool

This activity fits beautifully into a broader Homeschool Mr Men Book Unit. Here are a few ideas:

• Character of the Week: Focus on one character and build them together
• Story Retelling: Ask your child to recreate the story using the felt pieces
• Creative Writing: Older children can invent their own Mr Men character
• Emotion Exploration: Discuss the personality traits of each character

Hands-On Activity Ideas

To extend learning even further, try these activities:

1. Design Your Own Mr Men Character

Have your child create a brand-new character using felt or paper. What is their personality? What colour are they?

2. Story Sequencing

After reading a book, ask your child to act out the beginning, middle, and end using the felt pieces.

3. Mix-and-Match Fun

Encourage silly combinations, what happens if Mr Tickle has Mr Bump’s body?

4. Sensory Play

Let younger children explore the textures of felt while building characters.

5. Matching Game

Create duplicate pieces and turn it into a matching or memory game.

Reflection Questions for Your Homeschool

Use these questions to deepen understanding and encourage discussion:

• Who was your favourite character and why?
• How did the character feel in the story?
• Can you retell the story using your own words?
• What would happen if the character made a different choice?
• Can you create a new adventure for this character?

‘Build a Mr Men’ Kit: Final Thoughts

This simple felt activity has quickly become a favourite in our home. It’s a perfect example of how a Homeschool Mr Men Book Unit can go beyond reading and become a fully interactive learning experience.

If you’re looking for an easy, affordable, and engaging project, I highly recommend creating your own ‘Build a Mr Men’ Kit. It grows with your children, sparks creativity, and brings stories to life in the best possible way.