My Family Puppets: Magazine Cutouts + Popsicle Sticks

Level 1 focuses on concrete, hands-on learning.

Objectives

Materials

Instructions

Materials

- Colorful magazines with diverse pictures of people and homes

- Child-safe scissors

- Glue sticks

- Popsicle sticks or craft sticks

- Sugar paper (various colours)

- Crayons or markers

- Smocks or aprons

- Tray for glue sticks

- Small table or floor space for activities

Learning Objectives

- Children will be able to identify and name different family members depicted in magazine images.

- Children will be able to verbally describe a simple family member or home scene they have created.

- Children will demonstrate fine motor skills by cutting magazine images and gluing them onto popsicle sticks.

- Children will engage in imaginative play by using their family puppets to tell a short story.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Gather the children and introduce the topic of family. Ask them to share who is in their family and what they like to do together at home.

2. Show the children the magazines and explain that they will find pictures of people and houses that can become their "family" puppets.

3. Demonstrate how to carefully look through the magazines for pictures that represent family members or home environments. Encourage them to point out what they see.

4. Guide the children in carefully cutting out the chosen pictures. Offer assistance as needed, focusing on safe scissor use.

5. Have the children select a popsicle stick and help them glue their cutout picture onto the stick to create a puppet. Remind them to press firmly.

6. Once the glue is dry, invite children to hold up their puppets. Ask them to say who they have made or what their puppet represents (e.g., "This is my brother," "This is our house").

7. Encourage children to stand in a small circle and use their puppets to act out a simple scene from home, like having dinner or playing a game.

8. Facilitate conversation by asking open-ended questions about their puppet stories, such as "What is your puppet doing?" or "Who is with them at home?"

Educator Tip

To ensure all children can participate, pre-cut some simpler shapes or figures if scissor skills are a challenge. For children who may not have a traditional family structure, emphasize the concept of "people who love you and take care of you" as their family. Encourage them to find pictures that represent their special people or pets.

Assessment

Observe children's ability to identify and name family members in the magazine pictures. Note their verbal descriptions of their puppets and their engagement in the puppet play. Collect the finished puppets as a tangible representation of their learning and creativity.

Educator tip

Pre-cut pieces; model language; include diverse family structures.

Assessment

Observe and note: ability to follow two-step instructions, use of new vocabulary in context, early problem-solving strategies, and sustained shared thinking episodes. Assess against Development Matters age-band expectations. Teacher checklist: engagement, puppet retell attempt.

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