Kids love puppet shows – not only watching them but performing in them too. A great activity is to help the kids make puppets. You can create sock puppets, sack puppets, or finger puppets. All you need are:

socks or
paper lunch bags

And then for decoration, depending on the characters you are creating:

pom poms
cotton
pipe cleaners
markers
yarn
felt

And of course:

fabric glue or glue gun
scissors
tape if you are using a paper bag.

You can get a lot of these supplies at a local craft store or dollar store. In fact, you may want to begin the activity by taking your nieces and nephews to the store and letting them choose their accessories.

Once you have all your supplies, you’ll want to let the kids tell you the story they want to tell. Is the play about a king and queen? Is it about a dragon and a princess? A horse and its prince?  Each child should decorate the puppet characters they will portray in the play.

At this point, you’ll need to write the story. Ask the kids to tell you exactly what happens. Smaller children may not have patience for this, so be prepared to help out a lot. Older children can be the scribes. Either way, you’ll want to keep a copy of the play for your Savvy Auntie Scrapbook!

Now you’ll need a stage for the performance. The back of a couch works well. Or, you can surprise the children with a puppet theatre that you happen to have purchased for this very occasion. This is a great activity to do when the house is full of friends and relatives so the kids have a big audience!

Savvy Aunties, show us how it’s done! Post photos of your nieces and nephews' puppets in your Media Box for everyone to see.