We are working on a new journey in Girl Scouts, right now. It’s called It’s Your Story – Tell It! One of the aspects of this journey is story telling and dramatic play through creativity. I thought puppet making sounded like a fun activity, so I brought out the puppet making materials.
The girls made some very creative puppets. I didn’t even make any samples. I always find that kids have so much more creativity in activities like this, when I don’t tell them what or how to do it.
Here’s a pirate.
I love this little puppy!
Here are the peacock and the puppy, putting on a show for us! By the way, isn’t this the BEST puppet theater you’ve ever seen? It hangs in a doorway on a shower curtain rod. When you’re finished, it rolls up and fits neatly in a little fabric bag. My friend, Diane, made it for her girls. Brilliant!
Check out this tiny little girl, on a craft stick! So precious!
The girls were very clever with their use of materials and I loved hearing their stories and watching their shows. Of course, the teacher-in-me immediately thinks about how these girls are developing their sense of story in narrative pieces. They are rehearsing stories through dramatic play, developing vocabulary, having so much fun in the process. Performing their stories can even help kids remember details they’d like to add to written pieces.
Overall, the girls probably just thought this was just crafty and fun. I hope I was able to help develop some literacy skills along the way.
If you’re looking for a little creative inspiration for puppet making, here’s one of my favorite books. It’s very easy to follow and all of the puppets can be made from materials you probably already have around your house.
It’s your story! Tell it!
Happy story telling.
