Posted in Drama for children

How to use puppets as an Early Years Educator.

  • Always make sure the child sees the puppet animated from the start and let him go back into his house still ‘alive.’ Eye contact is extremely important.
  • Get the puppet to look from one child to another- the puppet appears to know what it is talking about.
  • Quick glances back and forth express concern.
  • Double takes back and forth express surprise.
  • Not using eye contact is also very useful- if you ask the puppet something using its name and it looks at the ceiling or away, it is obvious that it’s trying to ignore you.
  • Stiff head and fixed eyes in the opposite direction express anger and rejection.
  • Slow glances back to you then away again express embarrassment or hurt.
  • Head movement- dropping head expresses sadness and slow movements express depression or sleepiness.
  • Head up for stubbornness.
  • Head to one side will express anger or confusion.
  • Let the puppet look at your class and then they will look at it.
  • The mouth opens on the vowels and closes on the consonants or to put it another way the mouth opens and shuts once for each syllable.
  • Children watch the beginning and ending of a sentence but not the middle.
  • Get the synch correct and you sustain belief in the character.
  • Keep the mouth open a little as this can be like a smile. Tight shut can look like a frown especially when used with quick jerky movements. Puppets do not need to move all the time.
  • Always use the puppet you feel most comfortable with, relax and enjoy!

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This is a resource site for early education and primary school educators. The blog shares ideas for teaching creative drama/ drama in education to children.

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