Storytime: Overcoming A Fear

What can we use if we don't have popsicle sticks, skewers, or a paper bag for the puppets?

If you don't have popsicle sticks, skewers, or a paper bag to make handles, glue or tape rolled-up cardboard strips, wooden chopsticks, stiff drinking straws, or strips of index card to the cut-out puppet shapes when you 'Attach a popsicle stick or skewer to each puppet with glue or tape'.

My puppet shapes keep tearing when I cut them out—how can we avoid that?

To prevent tearing while you 'Carefully cut out your puppet shapes with scissors,' draw larger, simpler shapes on thicker cardboard or a paper bag, cut slowly with an adult's help, or use pre-cut templates or a craft knife on a cutting mat for clean edges.

How can we adapt the activity for younger or older kids?

For younger children, simplify by choosing a familiar character, having an adult help write the three-part outline and pre-cut puppet shapes to color, while older kids can expand the four-to-eight sentence story, add dialogue and sound effects, and build a more detailed box stage.

What are some ways to make the puppet show more engaging or personalized after finishing the basic steps?

Make the show more engaging by adding movable joints with brads to your cardboard puppets, layering the three beginning/middle/end pictures inside the box stage for depth, creating simple sound effects during practice, and personalizing the character's fear-resolution before sharing the finished puppet story on DIY.org.