Please turn over to find out how you can create a variety of different types of puppets your child can use in their role play

• Doesyourchildenjoylisteningtostories,thenactingthemout?

• Doesyourchildenjoyputtingonshows?

• DoesyourchildenjoylisteningtomusicandplayinggameslikeISpyandSimonSays?

By using puppets, when involved in these activities, you can help develop a variety of different skills and encourage your child’s development.

Children naturally invent stories, develop characters, create different settings and use dialogue and the use of puppets can help develop and extend these skills. Puppets help children to bring stories to life and they can provide a fun focus for their play.

Making and Playing with Puppets

Top Tips for Parents

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Using puppets is good for your child because it:• Improves their motor skills through manipulation of the puppets. • Encourages their concentration and imagination.• Encourages language development by taking on different roles and characters.• Helps build their confidence.• Provides opportunities for them to play with other children.• Helps them to learn about other cultures.• Provides a focus for their role play.

You can help to develop their play by watching and listening to them. Encourage them to use different props and introduce different types of puppets to help develop their play. Often, if a child is shy, playing with puppets can help them to talk more freely as they feel that it is the puppet speaking, not them! This can really help to build their confidence.

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Making PuppetsThere are lots of different types of puppets that you can make easily at home with your child. You can find plenty of materials available in and around the home that your child can use to make their own characters. Puppets can be people, animals, or anything that the child wishes.

Puppets can be made from a variety of materials including socks, paper plates/bags, wooden spoons, gloves and card. Children can use their hands, fingers, and /or sticks to manipulate the puppet. As your child’s skills develop and your confidence grows you will find the possibilities are endless for making puppets.

It is important to remember to supervise the use of scissors and to be aware of any smaller items that are used, for example, buttons, beads when making puppets.

Materials:woodenspoon,felttippens.

These puppets are easy to make and can be as elaborate or as simple as your child wants to make them. Your child can draw on the spoon and add some wool, stick on eyes, buttons and some fabric.

Let your child use their imagination to create lots of different puppets.

Remember! Making puppets is something you and your child

can enjoy doing together.

HerearesomeideastohelpgetyoustartedYou and your child may come up with lots of other ideas for puppets. Remember this is an activity that you and your child can share.

PaperPlatePuppets

Materials:cleansocks,wool,buttonsorstick-oneyes,needleandthread.

To make the hair, with supervision, your child can cut strands of wool according to the colour and length they wish. Fold the wool in half and tie some wool around the middle of the centre to create a parting. You will need to help pin the hair to the top of the sock and attach the wool by sewing it on.

If your child wishes to have buttons for eyes you will need to sew these on securely for your child.

WoodenSpoonPuppets

Materials:paperplate,crayons/pencils/feltpens,lollipopstick,stickytapeandscissors.

Show your child their reflection in a mirror and talk about what they see: their eyes, nose, mouth, ears, eyelashes and hair. Encourage them to draw a face on the plate and talk about the colour of the hair, eyes and skin.

Once your child has finished drawing attach the lollipop stick to the back. They may wish to add wool for the hair or stick on eyelashes.

Let your child decide on the features of the face and remember you will need to supervise cutting out eye holes if required.

SockPuppets