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Puppet Magic

Puppets can be fascinating. Children know that puppets are not alive. And yet, they move and talk like real living things. Try making one at home.

What you'll need...

An old clean sock
Buttons (larger than 1 inch in diameter to prevent swallowing)
Needle and thread
Red fabric
Ribbon
An old glove
Felt-tipped pens
Nontoxic glue
Yarn

What to do...

Sock puppet. Use an old clean sock. Sew on buttons for eyes and nose. Paste or sew on a piece of red fabric for the mouth. Put a bow made from ribbon at the neck.

Finger puppets. Cut the ends off the fingers of an old glove. Draw faces on the fingers with felt-tipped pens. Glue yarn on for hair.

Have the puppet talk to your child. "Hello. My name is Tanya. What a great T-shirt you have on! I like the rabbit on the front of your T-shirt." Or have the puppet sing a simple song. Change your voice when the puppet talks or sings.

Encourage your child to speak to the puppet.

Put finger puppets on your child to give him practice moving his fingers one at a time.

The next time you want help cleaning up, have the puppet make the request: "Hello, Maria. Let's put these crayons back in the box and these toys back on the shelves. Can you get me the ball?"

Puppets provide another opportunity to talk to children and encourage them to speak. They also help children learn new words, use their imaginations, and develop their hand and finger coordination. Children will make many mistakes when they learn to talk. Instead of correcting them directly, reply by using the right grammar. For example, if your child says, "Michael done it," reply, "Yes, David, Michael did it." Speak slowly and clearly so that your child can imitate your speech. Use full, but short sentences, and avoid baby talk.