Time to put on your thinking cap and brainstorm how you can use a puppet as a springboard for skills or units of study.

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.

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.

SPOON PUPPET

Materials: wooden ice cream spoon, markers

Directions: Color a person or animal on the front of the spoon. Turn it over and draw the “back” of the character.

Adaptation: You can also use a plastic spoon, but you will need to use permanent markers.

 

TUBE PUPPET

Materials: cardboard rollers, construction paper, scraps, markers, scissors, glue

Directions: Decorate the tube with the crayons and construction paper. Insert your fingers in the bottom to make the puppet move.

 

 

Adaptations: Cut out photographs of the children and glue to the rollers to make puppets. Cut people out of magazines and catalogs to make puppets.

COAT HANGER PUPPET

Materials: wire coat hangers, old panty hose, construction paper, scraps, yarn, fabric, etc. glue, scissors, cloth tape

Directions: Stretch the coat hanger to make a diamond shape. Pull one leg of the hose over this and tie at the bottom. Bend the hook of the hanger and tape it to make a safe handle. Decorate with paper scraps, yarn, and other materials to make an animal or person.

 

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