How to Entertain a Child With a Puppet

Every child loves a puppet, whether created from a simple sock or carved intricately from a piece of wood. Puppets not only encourage imaginative play, they promote fine motor development and social interaction. Consider the following ideas on how to entertain a child with a puppet.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Capture her attention while she is young. Even a baby can appreciate a puppet, especially when it is associated with a favorite activity. Incorporate finger puppets into your child's favorite story, or include a puppet during bath time. She won't be able to protest the soap when it's a puppet doing the washing.
2. Encourage your child to participate. Help a toddler manipulate small finger puppets and become part of the story or game.
3. Consider role-playing with a preschooler. Young children love to act, and a puppet provides the perfect medium with which to become another person or character. Likewise, an older child may view puppets as a non-threatening and anonymous way of expressing her feelings.
4. Get crafty. Create a puppet with your school-aged child. Collect those wayward socks or paper lunch bags along with a few craft supplies. Encourage your child to use her imagination to decorate her puppet, and then act out a puppet show together.

Tips & Warnings

• In addition to puppets providing hours of imaginative play for children, they can also be fun sources for therapeutic play, as well. For example, puppets can be used as a teaching tool in children with speech deficiencies. Likewise, teachers can utilize puppets as an entertaining way to teach young children numbers and letters.