Put on a Homemade Puppet Show for Your Grandkids with Your Own Handcrafted Characters

Remember when we were kids and shows like Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo ruled the airwaves? These shows and their loveable puppets were so darn fun to watch! Puppets are a true cornerstone of children’s entertainment that is fun to watch on TV and create and play with on your own. 

You can bring the magic of puppets – and the joys of creating these whimsical objects – into your grandkids’ lives by putting on a homemade puppet show together! (Move over, Lambchop – there’s a new family of puppets in town, hehe.)

Benefits of Imaginative Storytelling

1. Cognitive development: Creating puppet shows with your grandkids enhances problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, and creativity by offering various situations and solutions within the narrative. Puppet shows can also stimulate the imagination and boost memory retention for grandmas and grandkids alike!
2. Emotional growth: Stories can provoke an emotional response, which can help children learn to understand and manage their emotions. Writing your own story also offer opportunities to explore various scenarios and experiences, fostering empathy and understanding of different perspectives.
3. Social skills: Storytelling encourages conversation and can promote social skills like listening, taking turns, and respecting others’ contributions.
4. Cultural understanding: Stories from different cultures can help broaden children’s horizons and foster a sense of respect for diversity.
5. Language skills: Telling and listening to stories can expand vocabulary, enhance language comprehension, and improve the ability to express thoughts effectively.

Creating Simple Hand Puppets

Materials: Socks, Felt or construction paper, Glue, Scissors, Markers, Googly eyes (optional), Yarn for hair (optional)

1. Choose a sock: Select a sock. The sock will act as the body of the puppet.
2. Create the eyes: Cut out two circles from the felt or construction paper. If you have googly eyes, you can glue these onto the circles. Glue the eyes onto the sock where you want the puppet’s eyes to be.
3. Create the mouth: Cut out a semi-circle or oval shape from the felt or construction paper. This will act as the puppet’s mouth. Glue this onto the sock.
4. Add hair: If you’d like, you can glue some yarn on top of the sock for hair.
5. Add additional features: If you want, you can add other details like glasses, a nose, or ears using felt or construction paper. Use your imagination!

Tips for Writing an Engaging Script

1. Theme: Choose a theme for your puppet show. It can be something fun, educational, or meaningful!
2. Characters: Define your characters. Who are they? What are their personalities like? How do they speak? Give them distinct characteristics that will engage the audience.
3. Conflict and Resolution: Most engaging stories have some sort of conflict that the characters must resolve. Make sure the conflict is age-appropriate and something that your audience can understand and engage with.
4. Humor: Every story can use something lighthearted and fun! Adding humor can also keep your audience entertained and engaged.
5. Keep it simple: Especially for younger audiences, you’ll want to keep the story and the dialogue simple and easy to understand.
6. Rehearse: Before the actual show, rehearse your script with your puppets to ensure the delivery is smooth and engaging.

Staging a Memorable Puppet Show

1. Prepare your stage: You can use a tabletop or a cardboard box with a cut-out as a simple puppet stage. You can also decorate the stage to match the theme of your story.
2. Rehearse: Practice the puppet show several times to get comfortable with the movements and voices of each character.
3. Props: If your story allows, use props to make the show more visually appealing.
4. Voice modulation: Differentiate each character by changing your voice. This can make the characters more engaging and easier to tell apart.
5. Audience participation: Encourage your audience to participate by asking questions or asking them to join in songs or dances.
6. Take your time: Don’t rush through the story. Make sure you’re speaking clearly and not rushing the puppet movements.
7. Have fun! Your enjoyment is infectious. If you’re having a good time, it’s likely that your audience will too.

Supplies

IQ Toys Deluxe Puppet Theater

If you are planning on more than one puppet show (or if you don’t feel like building your own set), this fun and compact stage is the perfect addition to any performance.

TOPZEA 12 Pack Hand Puppet Making Kit

This is such a fun all-in-one-kit with everything you need to create several different shows!

Fun Wooden Clown Marionette Pull String Puppet

I couldn’t help but add one pair of marionettes. (Seriously, these are so fun and take me back to MY childhood!)

Conclusion

As a self-proclaimed storyteller, this particular activity is very near and dear to my heart. I hope it is one that you, my fellow Devoted Grandma, enjoy as much as I have. As always, have fun, and let’s talk again soon!