Puppetry for Children

Like most children, I was crazy about puppets. I've tried out many of them over the years, from the simple to the elaborate. So I'll start with quick and easy puppets so you can help your kids play right away.

Sock Puppets:

Grab a sock, sew on two buttons for eyes, draw a mouth with a Sharpie or other permanent marker, put your hand in it, and you are good to go. Add felt ears for a bunny, a cotton ball or pompom for a clown's nose, triangle ears for a cat, etc.

Paper bag puppets:

Remember these from grammar school? The bottom flap makes the mouth. Draw the top lip on the flap and the bottom lip on the bag. Glue a construction or scrap paper tongue inside. Now bags come in lots of color so you aren't stuck with basic brown. Use crayons and colors for decorating the puppet. Use yarn for hair. Some bag puppet ideas include aliens, girls, boys, queens, kings, your family members, your dog, cat or rabbit.

Right now I'm making a marionette puppet dog out of gourds. Gourds make great long-lasting puppet bodies. Try a gourd puppet for an older child's project. Paint the gourd with acrylic paints. Some people are sensitive to gourd dust so use a dust mask and wear safety glasses.

Finger Puppets:

These can be knitted, crocheted and sewn out of felt scraps.

Teach your children needle and thread sewing before attempting to sew something small like a finger puppet. You can make a set of finger puppets to tell a story, like Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, or the Wizard of Oz. Since a lot of teachers use finger puppets, your kids will be excited to have some to call their own.

To make curly puppet hair, wrap some embroidery thread around a wooden pencil. Wet the thread with water and let dry. When you remove it, the thread will be curly. Sew onto finger puppet.

Have fun with your children and grandchildren and go make some puppets.

Here's how to make a simple puppet stage. Get a shower curtain rod that is adjustable in size. Get an inexpensive opaque shower curtain or sew a drape out of old blankets, sheets, or bedspreads. Use a light weight one. Thread your curtain over the curtain rod and hang up in a doorway. Make it just higher than your child's head, or if you have a tall puppeteer, they can kneel and hold the puppet above the drapery.

Encourage your kids to speak in cartoon voices or with different accents. They will be improving their puppetry skills and their acting skills at the same time.