Puppet Pals

No matter how old you are, something magical happens when you put a puppet on your hand!  I can always count on teachers at my workshops to pick up the puppets on display, put them on their hand, and make them come alive!  Puppets can be used to capture children's attention, encourage language, reinforce skills, and extend literature.  I hope you'll enjoy making some of these puppets and saying their rhymes.  Puppets can also write a morning message to your students, lead them in a song, or teach them a rhyme.

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I know you can buy a puppet or digital toy, but think of the challenge when you put an old sock over your hand, disguise your voice and say, "Hello!"  Think of the curiosity in children's eyes when you  cut the top and bottom off a cereal box and make a puppet pop out.  Think of the fun children can have creating their own puppets, naming them, and using them to tell stories.  I often tell teachers, "Children don't need all that STUFF!  Plain vanilla is just fine!"  Their imaginations and creativity will grow when we give them the simple materials and let them fill in the details.

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