Celebrate Eeyore's Birthday

Winnie the Pooh's friend Eeyore celebrates his birthday in April, and let's not forget the occasion! You see, Eeyore felt sad when he thought his friends forgot his birthday, but even the imperfect gifts of a popped balloon and an empty honey jar (brought by Pooh Bear and Piglet) cheered him up immensely. Ah, the value of friendship! Indeed, little ones can learn a lot from the classic story of Eeyore and his friends... and older folks like to get in on the fun, too.

So how to celebrate? It all depends... If you live in Austin, Texas, you can celebrate Eeyore's birthday at the annual Eeyore Festival. The event includes a number of planned activities for family and children. The reality is that though the event is policed more than it used to be, there are some 'unplanned activities' (like drug use) that obviously aren't child-friendly. There is a designated children's area, though, open 11:00 to 4:00, so Eeyore's birthday can be enjoyed safely by its original audience: children.

In recent years, my city, Seattle, has held its own smaller and more toned down Eeyore celebration. It will be interesting to see if the celebration spreads. But if your community isn't celebrating -- or if you don't feel comfortable bringing your little ones to planned festivities -- you can still commemorate Eeyore at home with your kids. Eeyore's birthday story is a great way to explore issues of friendship and loneliness as well as personal differences. (Of course it's also a classic story available in two main versions (the A.A. Milne original and the Disney version -- that in itself makes it a learning opportunity.)

On this page, you will find a variety of resources about Eeyore's birthday... and Eeyore's friends.