Puppets Galore!

Here are some other puppets that children can construct out of simple materials. These puppets can be used to sing songs, retell stories, reinforce poems, or for holiday fun. They are a great way to engage children in a wide variety of learning activities.

TENNIS BALL PUPPET

Materials: old tennis balls markers knife – (The teacher will need to use this!) art scraps, such as yarn, pom poms, googly eyes, etc.

Directions: Cut a slit between two seams on the tennis ball to make a mouth. (The teacher will need to do this.) Squeeze the tennis ball on either side of the slit to make the mouth move. Add eyes, yarn hair, and other features.

STRING PUPPET

Materials: large craft stick, cardboard or heavy paper string, crayons, markers, hole punch

Directions: Draw an animal or other character on the cardboard and cut it out. Decorate with markers and crayons. Punch a hole in the shoulders or arms and tie on string as shown. Tie the other ends of the string to the craft stick. Move the stick to make the puppet walk and wiggle.

MAGNETIC PUPPET

Materials: heavy paper or cardboard, markers and scissors, magnetic strips, spatula

Directions: Draw characters on the paper and cut out and color. Attach a magnetic strip to the back. Place on the spatula to make a puppet. You can also use these on a cookie sheet or magnetic board.

Click picture for larger image

CUP PUPPET

Materials: paper cup, straw, heavy paper, markers or crayons, tape and scissors

Directions: Draw a small bunny, groundhog, or other animal on the paper. Cut out, color, and tape it to one end of the straw. Punch a hole in the bottom of the cup and insert the straw in it. Tape some green paper for grass to the top of the cup to make your puppet pop up out of the ground.

GROCERY SACK BODY PUPPET

Materials: large paper grocery sack, construction paper, markers, crayons, string or ribbon, scissors, glue, stapler

Directions: Turn the grocery sack upside down and use the bottom flap for the head. Decorate with construction paper and markers. Color the remainder of the sack to make the body. Bend strips of construction paper back and forth to make arms and legs as shown. Punch holes near the top and tie on string or yarn so you can wear it around your head.