'Aunt Flossie's Hat' Activities for Preschool

Hats

The top hat, the sombrero, the cowboy hat, the fedora, the beanie, or the Sunday’s best hat worn by the ladies at church are all somebody’s favorite type. Personally, I love to see the woman at church wear their hats and the fedora worn by Michael Jackson.

Our kids love hats, too. They each have their favorite that will coincide with their personalities. The activities within this article will help to introduce them to what may be their wardrobe favorites later in life. The hat has its own way of talking for those who wear them. The hat will bring a level of respect for most men when they enter a room. A pretty hat will draw the room’s attention for a well-dressed lady.

Children in your classroom may become someone who has a kinship to hats later on in life, and this story may bring that to the surface. This story is not only about hats though. It also touches on the subject of history for families.

Aunt Flossie’s Hats

Read “Aunt Flossie’s Hats” out loud to your class. This story has two main characters, Susan and Sarah, who upon a visit to their great, great aunt Flossie realize that she has some awesome hats and family history to give to them. These children are delighted with learning more about their family. They fall in love with the hats she shows them and are fascinated by the hat box as well.

This book has many reviews and one customer had this to say:

“The story centers around two young girls, Sarah and Susan who go to visit their Great-great-aunt Flossie. Aunt Flossie has a large collection of hats and has a mildly amusing, but forgettable story that goes with each hat. She retells a couple of stories to the girls, and they all go out for crab cakes.” [1]

We all need to have an Aunt Flossie during our childhood. We all need to have someone who will take out the time to bring those things that are beautiful to the forefront of our lives and teach us to pass it down to those after us. This book will introduce these concepts to the children and the activities described below will reinforce them.

The Activities

Book Discussion: After you have read the book, this is a good time to discussion the main characters and their experience through the children’s eyes. Ask them if they like hats. Ask them if they talk to their family members about their family history. Ask them to tell a story about someone in their family who did something they are proud of.

What’s Your Favorite Hat Game: Show them pictures of different hats during this discussion. Have the children look at the pictures and answer questions. Ask them if they know someone who wears a hat like the one you are displaying. Ask them if they would wear the hat. Ask them why they would wear that hat. Give the name for each hat and have them repeat the names of the hats. Ask them if they have seen someone they didn’t know wear a hat like that.

Let’s Make a Hat: In this exercise you will make one of two different styles of hats for the children. They will have the chance to make either a fedora or a hat with flowers. Materials: You will need to gather a stapler, paper flowers, construction paper, scissors, tape, and markers. Instructions: Using construction paper, cut a small hole in the middle of the paper. Cut slits in the surrounding the hole. Fold the slits up. Cut the corners of the construction paper to make the brim. Cut the corners in an oval shape for the fedoras. Cut the corners more rounded for the flower hats. Cut two different colored one-half strips for each hat. Cut an oversized oval or rounded piece for the top of the hat. Assemble: Take the two-inch strips and staple them to the slits at the top of the brim. Staple the one-half inch strips on the outside of the brim for decoration. Take the oval or rounded top part of the hat and fold it inverted and staple with staples backs going in the inside. Glue a paper flower to the hats for the girls. Allow the children to decorate their hats to personalize them. Allow the children to make up a story for their hats as a part of their hat’s history.

These activities will engage your children and may even provoke their love for hats. The children will proudly wear their hats that themselves have made and its history. This activity will bring the beauty of hats to your classroom.