www.parentchildeducation.com

Skip to main page content.

Search This Website








 


Puppets
(part of Discovering Dinosaurs Unit)

homemade dinosaur puppet

Your child will enjoy showing her new knowledge about dinosaurs while playing with the puppets she made for days prior to and after the dig.


Puppets


Hand Puppet

Materials:
old socks
felt
markers
paper bags
scraps of material
assorted items to create and decorate a puppet with

  1. Have your child decide what kind of puppet she would like to make. A sock puppet, a puppet from a paper bag or a puppet glued together from pieces of material.  This is a time to sit back and assist when she needs it but let her lead the activity.  It is very difficult, as a parent, to sit back and watch when your child may be struggling but unless she is reaching her frustration levels, give her time to figure it out on her own.
  2. Using the materials gathered, she can create one or more puppets.
  3. Having the flexibility to create, children gain a great deal of confidence in their own abilities.  It doesn't have to be perfect and it should be, as much as possible, your child's work.

top

Pterodactyl (reminder: a pterodactyl is NOT a dinosaur, but lots of kids love him):

Materials:
hangers
googly eyes
parachute material
needle and thread
plastic bags for stuffing
wire cutters
needle nose pliers
masking tape
assorted feathers

complete directions on how to make a pterodactyl
  1. You will make the body of the pterodactyl using approximately 2 hangers. Using wire cutters and needle nose pliers, shape the 2 hangers like the diagram below. Be sure to make a small circle at one end (you'll feed the wire for the head through it later).
  2. The head used approximately 1 hanger. Shape the wire and insert a small wire at number 1 on the diagram, attach by looping the wire on one end.  Attach the other end with a loop after you pass it through the small hole in the body (see diagram number 1 on the body).
  3. Shape the wings using approximately 4 -5 hangers (it depends on how big you would like the end product).
  4. Then attach the wings to the body at points 2 and 3 with extra hanger material.
  5. Be sure that all of the ends of the hangers are curved in. That way they won't poke through the material, but more importantly, they won't accidentally poke your child.
  6. Place the material over the head and the body. They can be different colors or only one. You'll want to cover the hanger with a little extra space so you can stuff it with plastic bags for thickness. Begin to sew leaving a pocket and fill the pocket with the stuffing as you go. You can wait until you are all done to stuff but it is more difficult then.
  7. Place the material over the wings. Leave enough material to wrap around the hanger with a little extra to sew it onto the hanger. (Hot glue and staples aren't effective with parachute material). Wrap the material around the wing wire and sew it.
  8. Attach the googly eyes and any other designs your child would like.
map to build pterodactyl

top

Activity for the Big Day

Your child might take her puppet along for the dig or leave it behind for safe keeping. The pterodactyl looks great hanging around enjoying all the fun.

September 12, 2008

top