by Angela La Fon

Created on: May 24, 2007   Last Updated: September 29, 2009

Your back yard in the summer time offers lots of inspiration for crafts. When you need a break from the sun, or it isn't shining, you can create a real "buzz' inside by bringing summer creatures to life inside with puppets.

Puppets are more than imaginary friends- they are friends of imagination! Puppets offer a process (making the puppet), a product (the puppet) and a language and pretend play activity after you make them (puppet shows!).

You can use things you have around the house to create these summer puppets because there are a variety of materials that will work just fine. If you have craft sticks, or you've been eating Popsicles and saved the sticks, that's great. If not, be resourceful. Do you have plastic spoons, knives or forks? Do you have straws or extra pencils? Teach your children to think about available alternatives before running to the store.

Busy Bee Puppets:

Now that you have a "stick," you can start to create a bee body. Yellow construction paper is a great start but your child can color or paint thin card board or even a paper plate. For older kids who can manage scissors, let them cut out their own body, about four inches long. Have a ruler handy? Let them measure to reinforce math skills. For younger ones, you can cut out the body for them. Always, let them do any step they can on their own. Can they draw the oval shape for the body?

For the black stripes, your child can use crayons, markers or paints. They could also cut out black strips of paper and glue them on. Have black electrical tape? This makes fun shiny stripes! Be creative!

If you have wiggly eyes at home, they are lots of fun but if not buttons, paper circles or even finger prints stamps will make great eyes. Offer your child choices so that he/she will feel ownership of their project.

Now for the wings. A coffee filter cut in half makes a nice effect but you can also use tissue paper or even aluminum foil. Let your child glue them on and then glue the bee to the stick.

Extended Activities:

While the puppet is drying think of bee songs or poems or make one up.

Extended activities include taking a small box and decorating it with paper or painted grass and flowers to make a "stage" for puppet shows. Adding a magnet to the back can give you a way to hang your puppet on display when it is not in use. If your child enjoys making and using their bee puppet.

More Summer Puppet Ideas:

Ladybugs

Butterflies

Remember, the process is what is really important not that the finished product is perfect. As long as your busy bee has fun making and using their puppet, that's what the buzz is all about.

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