Puppet theater can introduce children (and adults) to the whimsical world of storytelling. It allows for experimentation with language, stories and lots of imaginative play. It gets even better when the puppets are handmade, creating hours of good, clean fun. Introduce your favorite little ones to the magic of puppetry by helping them create these simple dog, cat and mouse sock puppets. Who knows – you may have a new puppet master in your midst.
Video of the Day
Things You'll Need
Cardboard from a recycled box
Marking pen
Scissors
3 pairs of socks
Step 1
On a piece of cardboard, trace around a cup or roll of tape to make a circle. Cut it out with a pair of paper scissors.
Step 2
Turn a sock inside out and fold the circle in half. Spread hot glue around the entire circle and attach it to the end of the sock. Let it dry and then turn the sock right side out to create the mouth of the puppet.
Step 3
To create a dog puppet, cut out two rounded, long ears from felt. Attach them to the top of your puppet with the hot glue gun. Adhere the eyes, nose and tongue with the hot glue gun. If you'd like, you can even add a pom-pom to the top of your puppet to add some interest and whimsy.
Step 4
To make the cat puppet, you'll need the same materials in different colors but you'll need to change the shape of the ears by cutting two triangular pieces of felt.
Step 5
Turn the sock inside out, fold the cardboard circle in half, cover the circle with hot glue and adhere it to the toe of the sock. Let it dry and turn it right side out.
Step 6
Add a little dot of hot glue on the bottom of each triangle in the center. Fold the triangle in half to create dimension on the ear and to help it stand. Attach the ears to the top of the puppet with the hot glue. Then, adhere the eyes, nose, tongue and pom-pom.
Step 7
To create the mouse puppet, you'll need the same materials as the other two puppets except you'll need to cut out two small rounded felt ears.
Step 8
Turn the sock inside out, fold the cardboard circle in half, cover it with hot glue and attach it to the toe of the sock. Let the glue dry and then turn it right side out. Put a little dot of glue on the bottom edge of each ear and pinch it together to create dimension. Use the hot glue to attach the ears, eyes, nose, tongue and pom-pom.
Enjoy your puppet shows!
