- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- dads today articles
- dads today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Puppet Power
Why Puppets Will Never Go out of Style
By Emily Mendell
"Dolls and action figures so often have pre-determined personalities based on either television or advertising," she says. "Children are less likely to vary from those set notions and create original characters. Puppets, especially generic ones that aren't based on a known personality, can become anything – and they can become something different each time a child picks one up."
Jennifer Loving, a mother of two from Wallingford, Pa., has witnessed firsthand the benefits of puppet play as well as its universal appeal to both boys and girls. Her two young children both have spent many happy hours making their own puppets and putting on shows. While puppeteering is a primarily creative outlet for her older daughter, Sadie, younger brother Aaron realizes something entirely unique from his experience.
"He is in preschool five days a week and he has an older sister," Loving says. "But when he plays with puppets, he gets to be in charge. They are taking direction from him. It builds his confidence."
There is a wide spectrum of activities associated with puppets. The Loving children tend to enjoy the complete gamut, from planning, to creating to performing. But parents can choose to engage anywhere in the process.
Make Your Own: While puppets are easily purchased in toy stores, often the most fun to be had is making your own characters. It doesn't take a great deal of time, material or complexity tomake a puppet with a child. Three very simple approaches are: the sock puppet, the brown bag puppet and the wood craft stick puppet. All of these versions can be decorated easily with magic markers. Which version you choose will likely depend on your child's personality. The craft stick method offers the most flexibility for shaping and customizing the character, as you cut the puppet out of paper or poster board prior to taping or gluing it on the stick. However, if your child really enjoys making the puppet "talk," the sock or brown bag method may be preferable as it allows them to use their hands to move the mouths. Either way, adults should allow enough time and supervision to make at least two puppets so that the characters can interact.
