I was a shy kid growing up, so it was often hard for me to get up the nerve to make new friends. It’s so important to me that I teach my daughter to be kind to others and be friendly and outgoing. I was really glad to have the opportunity to share today’s book with her and talk about making friends.

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Piggy: Let’s Be Friends was written and illustrated by Trevor Lai. Piggy is an adorable little pig who loves to read and have tea parties. While he used to be lonely, he quickly learned that sharing was a great way to make friends. When he meets a lonely mole named Miles, he tries to befriend him and invite him to a tea party. When Miles gets frightened and goes back underground, Piggy and his friends find a way to make him feel comfortable. This sweet story is a great lesson for kids about making friends and being kind to others. The illustrations are adorable and colorful, making it an engaging read for young kids as well.

Bake Blueberry Muffins!

Bake Muffins – In the story, Piggy’s friend Kate makes blueberry muffins which bring Miles out of his hole. We decided to make our own blueberry muffins to go along with the story. Baking with kids provides a lot of learning opportunities. My daughter helped me measure out ingredients and count them as we added them to the bowl. By baking with me, she also learns how to follow a recipe and safely use items in a kitchen. (She also learns the all important lesson that sometimes recipes don’t go as planned, and that it is ok!). She loved whipping up a batch of these simple blueberry muffins from the site Inspired Taste. They only use one bowl, and they were done quickly!

Make Your Own Piggy Friend

Piggy Craft – Since this story is all about a little pig who is full of love for others, we decided to make a fun little craft project to go with it. Using a piece of pink construction paper, I cut out a large heart and several smaller hearts. We used the large heart for Piggy’s head, and the smaller hearts for his nose and ears. We used a glue stick to add glue to each of the pieces and I gave her the freedom to add them where she wanted. To finish the face, we both used markers. She loved carrying her little pig around and making pig noises with it, and I love that she made it her own with her colorful designs. You could also use this project to teach kids about symmetry and provide fine motor practice by having them cut the hearts out of folded paper.

Practice Important Skills with Your Own Tea Party!

Pouring Station – As parents, we are often on guard when it comes to letting our kids pour liquids. My daughter wants so badly to be able to pour her own juice or pour contents out of a box. This is a natural thing for kids, but as parents we tend to freak out. Give kids an opportunity to practice pouring by setting up a little pouring station. I recommend doing this outside, on a tile or hardwood floor, or in a water table. Fill a small play teapot or pitcher with water and provide them with cups to fill. Have kids pour the “tea” into the little cups. My daughter and her cousin did this last summer with a pretend tea set and they had so much fun pouring the “tea” and drinking what they served.

Tea Party Dramatic Play – My daughter loves pretending to have tea parties and picnics. This book is a great opportunity to encourage creativity and dramatic play with a pretend tea party. You can use a play tea set, or create your own with what you have around the house. This would be a great opportunity to practice table manners and social skills. Have kids set the table with play dishware (or real if you are daring). Talk to them about good table manners, and act out scenarios together.

This book provides a great opportunity to talk to your kids about making friends, while also giving you lots of fun ways to play together!