Puppets
provide a wide range of benefits for children in a child care setting. Child
care providers can use puppets, whether they are purchased at the store or
homemade, to enhance almost any area of the child care curriculum. Children of
all ages can enjoy using puppets in child care.
Benefits of Using Puppets in a
Child Care Setting
Puppets are
a great way to engage the attention and imagination of children of all ages.
Using puppets in the child care curriculum is an enjoyable way to promote
children's learning of new skills and concepts. Benefits of using puppets
in child care include the following:
·
Social skills: Puppets can increase children's communication and social skills by
providing structured opportunities to interact with the puppets. Children can
also practice these skills by using puppets to interact with other children.
·
Emotional development: Puppets can support children emotionally by giving them a
"friend" to talk to, or a way to talk to other children without
having to speak directly.
·
Confidence in reading and speaking: Children who are reluctant to speak or
read out loud may be more willing to talk or read to a puppet.
·
Music appreciation: Puppets can make music and creative movement more interesting and can
teach children the words and movements to new songs.
·
Motor skills: Manipulating puppets can be a positive way to encourage movement and to
practice gross and fine motor control.
·
Guidance: Children can learn appropriate behaviors by watching the puppet's
example, or the puppet can introduce and explain class rules.
·
Encouraging creativity: Children can use puppets to come up with stories, scenarios, and creative
ways to solve problems.
·
Capturing attention: A puppet can be a good tool to capture the attention of young children in
large-group and small-group settings, especially if the adult gives the puppet
an engaging "personality."
·
Promoting dramatic play: Puppets can be easy-to-manipulate characters in a variety of dramatic
play themes and stories.
Ways to Use Puppets in Child
Care
Puppets
can be used across many different parts of the early childhood curriculum. Here
are a few common places where puppets can enhance young children's play and
learning:
·
Dramatic play: Children can use puppets to act out their own scenarios and stories.
·
Transitions: Puppets are a great tool for telling children what activity is coming
next. For example, Wanda the Chef might come out of her kitchen to
let the children know it's time to clean up for snack/lunch.
·
Games: Puppets
can lead games with children, such as "Simon Says" and
"I-Spy." Puppets can also participate in the game, either as a
positive role model or as an example of misbehavior that the children can help
correct.
·
Reading: Children can practice reading their favorite books to puppets, especially
if they're too shy to read in front of teachers or other children. Children who
are not reading yet can make up stories to tell the puppet, or "read"
to them by telling a familiar story using the illustrations in the storybook.
Puppets can also read children their favorite books.
·
Creative Art: Puppets can paint with children or introduce a new craft to the children.
·
Puppet Shows: Children can use puppets to put on their own puppet shows for other
students or their child care providers. Child care providers can also use
puppet shows to introduce new concepts to children.
·
Music Time: Puppets can sing and dance during large group activities.
