Rea Posted September 7, 2004 Posted September 7, 2004 Hi, our local estate agents have just given us 2 puppets. Big ones, about the size of the average 2 year old. We can put our hands in their arms or their mouth and most of the children were really taken with them. I know I can use them for stories and general conversation but if anyone has used them before and has any further ideas I'd be very gratefull.
Susan Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 Lucky you! Sounds exciting, Rea. Unfortunately I dont have any experience to share here, but it is something I've been interested in so will await replies with interest!
Steve Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 Hi Rea - By a spooky coincidence I published a review today of the Little Book of Persona Dolls which describes one approach to using puppets. You can find it here. Also if you search for items older than 30 days for puppets, you'll find a number of conversations about the way people use puppets. If you need any more help here, let me know and I'll hunt some out for you.
Rea Posted September 8, 2004 Author Posted September 8, 2004 Spookily spooky. Oh, while we're chatting, I'd like to thank you for the site. Very well done, bravo and all that.
Guest Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 hi Rea ,I have used these puppets in circle time to explore things like stranger danger./being kind to each other/visiting hospital or dentist.We write the script first,just a short story so both members of staff know their role and then we act it out.If you have 2 then one memeber of staff could pretend to be a child who wants to do something 'naughty' using the puppet to speak.The other member of staff could be the 'good' child who tells his friend the right thing to do.Or 1 puppet could be 'frightened and the other could reassure him . This opens the discussion up for the children and they really enjoy helping the puppet to overcome fears or make the right decisions. I dont know if that makes sense to you but I hope it helps
Guest Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 Good website for puppets is www.puppetsbypost.co.uk or .com
Rea Posted September 8, 2004 Author Posted September 8, 2004 I like the idea of using them for stranger danger Crestacat. It's always been an area I've been unsure about. Our puppets are Pierre and Yvette, newly arrived from France, so that should work well. Thank you, I'll also visit the web site mentioned, thanks Gwen.
Beau Posted September 9, 2004 Posted September 9, 2004 Found this site - it's American again but has some good tips and ideas. http://www.playfulpuppets.com/Ideas%20for%...g%20Puppets.htm
Rea Posted September 9, 2004 Author Posted September 9, 2004 Thanks Carol, have had a brief look at the site and will go back for more indepth reading, some good ideas.
Sue R Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 One thing I've done with ours is to make a book up, with her - Jemima, I should say! - doing the kinds of things the children do. We've got photos of her accessing different activities in the nursery, having lunch and snack and doing the Big Toddle with the other children. Then stuff like going to the dentist (many thanks to my lovely dentist!), having an injection (many thanks to the local surgery!), at the library, sitting in a trolley at Sainsbury's - many strange looks!!!! . It's growing all the time, the children ask what she's been up to at the weekend during Monday morning Circle Time and seem to think of her as one of themselves. I hope I've not been wasting my time, but it's been good fun and raises the profile of Early Years with people who bother to ask! Or confirms the suspicions of local people who have known me for a while, concerning my state of mind!!! Sue
Steve Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 If you trust the parents of your children enough, another great thing to do is to let the children take the puppet home for a night in turn. They also take a book home in which the parent writes down what special thing the puppet has done with the children, and the children draw a picture or paste a photo in of the activity. Doesn't need to be done with an expensive puppet of course - a nursery mascot like a teady bear or whatever is just as good.
Rea Posted September 10, 2004 Author Posted September 10, 2004 We have 2 teddies that get taken home , complete with book so the parent can record everything the teddy does. It mostly works really well althougfh some parents dont write anything. I love the idea of making a book of things the puppet has been doing, it might help one of our children who hates the puppets. What a wonderful site, I'm so glad I know so many clever people.
bubblejack Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 I know just what you mean Sue I have photos of me with the bear sitting on my head at the meridian line at Greenwich, on my shoulder in Spain,in the middle of a huge gunnera plant in Edinburgh and on my suitcase at the airport and on the top of a huge sand casltle I built on the beach with my husband. I even asked a coach driver if Mary bear could be photographed driving his bus. It is a lot less embarrasing when I have the grandchildren with me as I can pretend its theirs but they say they feel silly doing it now.!!!!
Sue R Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 So it's not just me, then! Some of our younger members of staff are most unwilling to join in with this kind of extra-curricular activity. I think it interferes with their street cred!!! Sue
Guest Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 Hi SueR I'll ask my mum if she's spotted you in Sainsbury's with your puppet!! Just to reassure her that you've not escaped from anywhere secure . That is if you're refering to the Sainsbury's in Kimberley not too far from Ikea. (I'm originally from Nottingham and my folks live in Nuthall and my mum always shops there!)
Sue R Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 Oooh!! mousebat, I'm all excited now! I live literally around the corner from the Sainsbury's you mention! Whereabouts in Nuthall? Old or new, as my Nuthall dwelling friends say. By that they mean around Horsendale (old) or along Nottingham Road or the Larkfields estate (new). Am I being too nosey? Sorry. Wait till I start asking for names!!!!!!!!!!! Sue
Guest Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 Hi Sue My folks live on the new estate (Mornington Crescent) opposite the new business park - it's only just Nuthall. They moved there 8 years ago long after I left home so I don't know the area that well apart from Ikea and Sainsbury's!! I was bought up in Basford and went to Manning Comp opposite the Goose Fair site. I think they've pulled the school down now! Small world. Denise aka mousebat
Sue R Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 You're right, they have!! Can't think what they put in it's place, though. I work just around the corner, on Sherwood Rise. Very small world! I was brought up in London (Battersea) and then Wollaton, went to Bilborough Grammar, now a sixth Form College. I think, but not sure, Nottm had phased the Grammar schools out by your time? I remember Manning as being a Grammar in my day - girls only? Sue
Guest Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 Hey Sue Even smaller world....I used to live on Nottingham Road which carried on onto Sherwood Rise....you probably pass my old house evry day!! I think I know the place you work at..not too far from the Polish Centre and the Baptist Church. Manning stayed an all girls school but you're right it became a comprehensive the year I started and eventually moved to Aspley and then I went to Forest Fields Sixth Form and left Nottingham for Uni in 1986. Sorry folks....not much interest for the rest of you! To get back on track I've found this thread very interesting and will try out some suggestions in my class. Thanks for the ideas. Denise
Sue R Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 Bang on the nail with place of work!! Another coincidence, my husband went Forest Fields when it was a grammar, but would have left AGES before you got there! OK, the rest of you, we'll hand this back to you. Sorry, but I couldn't believe the coincidences!! Maybe we should PM if there are anymore, Denise!! Sue
Guest Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 and me Sue... I had to take Bernardette Bear all the way to Australia with me. I even got my other half to ask the nice man in customs to stamp her passport. What a pair of idiots we felt!! She was lucky enough to have her photograth taken with a koala, beside the opera house, the harbour bridge and at the olympic stadium. I found myself getting really into it and making sure my partner had packed her on every excursion (much to his annoyance)
bubblejack Posted September 10, 2004 Posted September 10, 2004 My Mary Bear was really naughty in Australia because she frightened the parrots so much that they wouldn't have their photo taken when I tried but my husband had more success with her. She wasn't so scared when he held her. I wish I knew how to attatch a photo because I could show you how brave she was.
Beau Posted September 11, 2004 Posted September 11, 2004 I can't believe I hadn't thought of this before. I never go anywhere but my husband is always having to go abroad on business. Just think how thrilled he's going to be when I tell him he need never travel alone again...................
Guest Posted September 11, 2004 Posted September 11, 2004 I also have 'Eric' (flat Eric from the levi ads) who visits the childrens homes. He takes his toothbrush with him. I have made a book, (comb binded) Each page has suggested text, this helps when parents don't know what to write, It is also good because when I read about Erics visits the next day, the children have started to repeat the refrains. The page says: Day__________________________date Today I visited ____________________house. When we arrived we played_____________________. We had delicious____________________________for tea. We cleaned our teeth and went to bed at_________________O'clock. Before we went to sleep we read a lovely book called__________________________. In the morning we got up at __________O'Clock and after _______________for breakfast, we cleaned our teeth. We travelled to preschool by ______________________________ Here is a picture of me at _________________________________house ( then a space to draw a picture or add a photo) at the foot of the page it says-Thank you for looking after me, I had lots of fun, lots of love from Eric. This has been very popular, encourages Looking after friends, bedtime reading, teeth cleaning, and gives an insight into the childs favourite home activities. I even had a dad admit to cleaning Eric's teeth, even though his son had gone to bed!!!!!!! Peggy
Rea Posted September 11, 2004 Author Posted September 11, 2004 Peggy thats a great idea, some of our parents dont write anything. Ooooh have I got lots to do now??
Beau Posted September 11, 2004 Posted September 11, 2004 Me too Rea! That's the trouble with this site. The ideas are great but then you've got ot find time to do them.
hali Posted September 11, 2004 Posted September 11, 2004 Agree wholehartedly with that Beau spent all day on comp
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