simple finger puppets

Last week my daughter's friend introduced her latest passion to our home- instant (almost) index card finger puppets. They're so simple that making one isn't possible... an entire cast of characters is inevitable.

 

 We expanded upon her idea with a shoebox theater and a summer day whizzed by only interrupted by some cooling off water play.



We used a hinged shoebox so that the lid could flip down into a backstage- for props and the cast. The front of the "house" opened with doors cut with a sharp blade. A felt curtain hid the backstage and was attached with some duct tape. A center slit created access for actors controlled by happy small hands. They loved how everything packed up nicely at the end of the day.



Index card finger puppets:

need: 

• index cards 
• tape
• markers (our friend insisted on sharpies, but any will do)
• scissors 

make:

1. fold card almost in half lengthwise- leave 1/4" to 1/2"of an edge to fold over onto the first fold
2. tape shut to create a tube
3. fold one of the open ends over about 11/2" to create "the head" 
4. fold back/under each corner of the head
5. add tails or ears with additional pieces of index cards and tape
6. draw and color characters

So fun, right!? What a great project for final summer road trips or as a tool for easing/acting out the transition back to school. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

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