Materials

**Where do I Find the Puppets? How do I Select and Care for the Puppets?** Puppets have quite a [|history], and consistently they were used to visually tell a story or an act out an event. There are many different [|puppet types], but the most typical for classroom use is the finger or glove puppet. The finger puppet is small and better used in a one on one situation. The glove puppets come in all sizes and types. The best glove puppets are the ones where you can insert your whole hand and manipulate the mouth and body parts to show expression and guidance. Finger puppets and glove puppets.

When selecting a puppet to use it is important that you feel comfortable holding it, and it fits your hand properly. Try and visualize using the puppet and give it a name, and stay with that name. Some teachers will have one puppet that becomes the classroom mascot. Children look forward to seeing the puppet and will come to know the personality. Puppets are best stored standing up. Keeping the puppets hidden from the children allows for the element of surprise. When the children do not know where the puppet "lives" it makes the puppet more interesting for them. Make sure that only you handle the classroom mascot puppet. You can have other puppets such as book characters or puppets you use when introducing a story.
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You can make [|sock puppets, sack puppets], paperplate puppets, and really you can use anything that allows for the puppet to express himself and feels comfortable for you to use. Instructions to make a pig from a white lunch sack. Materials needed: Pink construction paper, black marker, glue, eyes, white lunch sack. Trace ears and nose, add dots to nose with marker. Turn in bag ends to form the face, and tape. Glue down ears and eyes, and glue down nose. Let dry. Put hand up in side and push out sack bottom to match talking. This is an easy puppet for children to make, and imagine stories. You could create three for the story the "Three Little Pigs". You can find the puppets at toy stores, book stores (great place for book character puppets) specialty shops or online. Here are some sources: ** [|Pavlovs Puppets] [|The Puppet Store] [|Folkmanis]
 * Make Your Own:**
 * Purchasing: