Benefits of Introducing Children To The Amazing World of Hand and Finger Puppets
Their ease-of-use and low level of puppetry skill required in using
them makes hand- and finger- puppets the most popular puppets on the
market. This includes sock- and glove- puppets which are merely
variations of hand puppets.
Simple,
easy-to-use hand- and finger-puppets are essentially sold as children's
toys. Being aware of what you as parent can achieve with the aid of
puppets will change your perception of them. If you think of a puppet
as a lifeless toy - just another addition to the overflowing toy box
-then this article is for you.
A thorough understanding of how
puppets can enrich your relationship with your child will enhance both
your own and your child's puppet experience.
When you give your child a puppet you are not merely giving him or her another
toy. You are providing them with a friend and a confidant.
When you use a puppet to the best of your advantage you are providing yourself with a key to your child's deepest thoughts.
Puppets Portraying Different Emotions
What Makes Hand and Finger Puppets So Special?
Not only can you provide your child with invaluable
lessons during a puppet show you will be amazed at what you can learn
about your child while he or she interacts with the puppets. You can
gain insight into how your child thinks and feels about various topics
that may be
of concern to you. If approached correctly puppet sessions can become a
very meaningful mechanism to create a platform for healing
communication if and when the need arises. Interaction with puppets encourages self-expression and helps a child cope with his fears and feelings.
Puppets are one of the few toys that have lasted throughout the years as a favorite among both children and adults alike. This is mainly I suppose because many of the toys on the market are a
passing phase and what may be hot today will be outdated by next week.
Puppets however never cease to capture the imaginations of their
audiences as they create a fascinating imaginary world. They have the
ability to break down barriers providing
an effective means to initiate communication. When it comes to dealing with problems, children find it easier to work through something that is troubling them if they can
externalize the problem. Puppets provide them with the opportunity to do this.
Puppets cross all cultures and can be made
to portray various characteristics and different personalities. They
can be good or bad, happy or sad, rude or shy, - basically portray any
emotion that the puppeteer wishes them to.
The benefits that puppets offer is not limited to hand and finger
puppets but as this article presumes the reader is interested in hand-
or finger- puppets when the article refers to puppets this refers specifically
to these types of puppets. For the inexperienced puppeteer using a
combination of a hand puppet as the central figure and finger puppets
as the other characters eliminates the need to change puppets during a
puppet session. This makes for an easy flowing session.
Hand Puppets Need Not Be Elaborate
Puppets and Children With Special Needs
The use of puppets as a
learning tool is not limited to the classroom as their ability to
provide an essential connection between learning
and play makes them ideal for use both at home and in the wider
community. Children who experience difficulties
in communication and interaction can be motivated to open up when working with puppets. Educators
recognize the value of puppets and use them extensively to develop
various motor and social skills in both elementary and intermediate
schooling.
Puppets can be used to
successfully teach young children about basic good manners, personal
hygiene and overcoming the normal fears that small children experience.
They can be used to develop your child's reasoning skills as talking about ideas helps children to clarify their thinking. Using
a puppet to illustrate a first visit to a doctor or dentist, what to do
in the case of emergency, how to take care of their pets are just a few
of hundreds of scenarios where a puppet friend can teach a child skills
in a relaxed and calm atmosphere.
Older children can be taught
about child abuse, stranger danger, getting on with peers, not giving
in to peer pressure and learning to accept people with differences.
There are puppet programs specifically designed for children with
eating disorders and according to reports these puppet programs have
been more successful than other types of counsellings.
Many autistic children who tend to withdraw into
themselves have benefited from therapy involving puppets. Down's
syndrome children also relate well to puppets.
Special Relationship With Puppets Essential
Introducing Your Child to the Puppet
If you intend to use the puppet as a communication vehicle between you
and your child it is important that your child feels that the puppet
belongs to him. This
will allow the child to build a non-threatening relationship with the
Puppet and improve his ability to empathize with his new friend.
The
most natural way of introducing your child to his newly found friend is
to bring your bedtime stories to life by using the puppet to tell the
stories. There are no set rules for using puppets but it is advisable
to create a distinct
character with the puppet. Let him mirror behaviors that
you want to promote and allow the puppet to explain the reasoning
behind
certain key life skills you want to explain to your children.
When not
being used it is a good idea to retain the puppet's character, talk to him
and explain things to the puppet so that your child feels as if the puppet is
part of the family.
It
is advisable not to jump in and bombard your child with questions
during the first few puppet sessions. Let your child first develop a
sense of identity with the Puppet so that your child can build a sense
of trust in what the puppet has to say. At a later stage you can start
exploring more sensitive issues with your child.
Using Hand and Finger Puppets to Communicate With Your Child
What Makes Puppets Special from a Parent's Perspective?
Even the shyest children tend to open up and talk to puppets as
children generally interact easily with them. This not only assists
children in overcoming shyness but also improves a young child's
vocabulary. Concentration and imagination are also strengthened by this
interaction.
Not all puppet sessions should be pre-planned
lessons as this will remove the spontaneity and could be a stumbling
block in getting your child to open up and form a bond with his new
friend. Puppets must be associated with both fun and wisdom and not
feel like just another school lesson.The whole puppet playing process should be one of give
and take and you will need to identify when certain levels of
discussion are appropriate.
It is with good reason that puppets are used by psychologists
to help abused and traumatized children to express
their feelings. Parents
can also make use of puppets to take their relationships with their
offspring to another level by reaching the inner child.
Puppet
shows are another means of practicing role-playing with your child and
offers an ideal opportunity to communicate new thoughts and feelings.
It will help you in creating more positive behavior by subtly changing
the way a child thinks about certain situations.
The fact that the children are having fun while watching and
listening to the puppets makes them susceptible to new teachings as they are calm and relaxed.
At some stage most children are faced with a stressful situation such as a divorce, a new baby, a death,
a move, bullying, and so forth. Broaching any of these subjects during a puppet session may give you insights into how to help
your child cope with the situation.
This is an ideal way to motivate your child to discuss things that they
may otherwise not easily have opened up and spoken about.
Puppet sessions where your child plays an active
part in communicating with the puppets gives your child the opportunity
to experiment with new ideas and ways of thinking in a safe
environment. You can place your child in dangerous situations and ask
them to make decisions. By being there when they need to make a
difficult choice you can guide them to make the right decision should
they ever be faced with a similar situation in real life. Potentially
dangerous situations such as stranger danger and child abuse can be
discussed with your child through the puppet.
On a Lighter Note
Deciding on activities to keep children amused at birthday parties
can sometimes prove to be a bit of a problem. Finger puppets given to
the guests are an economical solution to the question of party favors.
The children can then take turns to host puppet shows in small groups.
The children will not only entertain themselves but you are almost
guaranteed of a very entertaining and amusing afternoon. You will be
surprised at how imaginative small children can be when provided with
the opportunity.
Scripts and Patterns for Hand and Finger Puppets
- Scripts For Hand- And Finger-Puppet Shows
Puppets are an invaluable medium for teaching your child life skills. To help you get started I have written two scripts for parents who wish to make use of puppets as a platform for providing their child... - Patterns for Minky Monkey Puppet and Friends