Playful Puppets
There's no better way to explore the land of make-believe then through puppets. And making your own puppet can be a magical experience for a preschooler.
Felt Puppets
Materials:
- Felt
- Cardboard
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Glitter
- Pipe cleaners
- Fabric glue (or hot glue)
- Construction paper
- Permanent markers
- Fabric paint
- Fun foam shapes
- Wool or string
Have your preschooler outline a character on a piece of cardboard, or select and print a colouring page from the Colouring Page section. Either image should be about 2.5-5 cm larger than your child's open hand.
Cut out the outline of the character.
Trace the character onto a piece of felt and cut it out.
Repeat step 3 on a second piece of felt so that you have two felt pieces that are the exact same size.
Trace a thin bead of glue along the edge of one piece of felt leaving the bottom edge open for your child's hand.
Glue together the two pieces so that you now have a front and back for the puppet. Let the glue dry. (Alternatively, you may wish to sew the felt pieces together making sure the seam is on the inside).
When dry, decorate the puppet. Here are a some ideas:
- Fun foam shapes are great for eyes, noses, ears, etc.
- Use wool for hair. Sew or simply glue the wool into place.
- Pipe cleaners make great antennae or spikes.
- Additional felt pieces or construction paper can also be used for faces, as well as for puppet accessories.
- Fabric paint and glitter also add good detail.
Once the puppet is dry, let the performances begin!
By Rochelle Strauss