Put on a puppet show

What could be more fun than creating characters, telling a story and putting on a show?This is an enjoyable and challenging way for your child to develop their imagination. They will also build their speaking and listening skills.

 What do I need?

• Sticks – ice cream sticks, chopsticks, garden sticks, bamboo skewers or pencils
• Paper or old magazines
• Crayons, felt pens or pencils
• Scissors
• Sticky tape

 How do I do it?

1. Ask your child to imagine the characters they would like to create. They could be people, animals, teddy bears, cars – anything your child can imagine.
2. Ask them to draw their characters. You might like to make your own puppets with them.
3. Once they have finished drawing and colouring, carefully cut out the characters with the scissors (some children may be able to help with this).
4. You could cut out pictures from magazines, to add to your child’s puppets or to create the scene for their show.
5. Use the sticky tape to attach the puppet to the stick.
6. Now it’s time to create the puppet show! You can help them practice their storytelling.
7. When they are ready, you can sit down and be the audience for the show. They might like to invite other family members or make a video to send to others.

No-one knows your child better than you.  So, choose and/or adapt ideas here to best suit you and your child. Remember it’s the talking and time spent together that matters most.