Puppets Help Children to Reveal their Deepest Feelings

Puppets really engage and delight children. WatchingThe figures do not necessarily need hands, feet or a
them is in itself a form of art therapy for the audience.body. If you attach weights for example button, beads
In some parts of the world performances contain ato a piece of cloth it creates the impression of a body.
moral message and are watched with deepTake the stuffing out of a toy, add a rod and hey
reverence. A wonderful illustration of this ispresto it becomes a puppet!
Indonesia.There puppets continue to be used toMuch fun can be had through the imaginative use of
re-enact scenes from sacred Hindu scriptures. Prayersdecorative materials such as ribbons, cloth, sequins and
always proceed the start of the performance.other sparkling bits and pieces. Shadow puppets can
The Wayang Musuem in Jakarta, Indonesia perhapsbe created just by using your two hands in front of a
surprisingly has a complete set of British Punch andplain wall. They can also easily be made by cutting
Judy puppets. They were apparently donated to theshapes out of plastic, acetate or cellophane and
museum by a British Ambassador who used todecorating them with such things as sweet wrappers,
personally give performances to invited guests in thesequins etc. Drawings can easily and cheaply be
embassy.photo-copied onto acetate. Attach these cut out
The Cadiz area in Andalucia, Spain also still has a livelyshapes to rods. Keep everything bold and simple.
marionette tradition. In Munich, Germany puppetsWhen animating a puppet concentrated focus is called
perform classical opera.for. When operating a glove puppet the first finger
Puppets are always moved by human and notgoes into the puppet's head, the second and third
mechanical means.These movable figures come infingers are held down as arms. You need to work
many shapes and sizes. There are marionettes, glove,with your arms stretched out. Make the figure come
rod, finger and shadow puppets to mention a few.alive by moving your shoulders and elbows not by
They are all operated differently.turning your wrists.
If you have not already done so how about exploringOperating marionettes requires long practise and great
using puppets at home with the kids. The aim of myskill and may be beyond most of us.
suggestion is not first and foremost educational butThinking up your own stories, perhaps incorporating the
therapeutic. The aim is to work at achieving greaterchild's own ideas or using favourite stories or
harmony between Mind-Body-and-Spirit. Of course, thehappenings in their own life is a great way to create a
activity does also have an educational aspect.play for the puppet performance. Fairy stories work
Children are often fascinated by puppets and interactwell. The underlying mood of the story can be
strongly with them which can lead to an overcomingdramatic, comic or sad and must be very visual and
of shyness and fear and greater use of speech. Thetactile. The play could even be based around a song.
interaction also encourages concentration and use ofYou do not always need a story. Your child may
the imagination. Psychologists use puppets to helphappily ad-lib and you can make up the text as you go
traumatized and abused children to express theiralong.
feelings.Music and sound will add atmosphere to the
Parents, I hope, will try to use this activity to reachpresentation. You can make sound with all kinds of
deeper, unspoken levels in their relationships with theirobjects. Saucepans, spoons, cups, dried seeds can all
offspring. Sessions can become a form of deeplybe used and are easy to find. Effective shakers can
loving and healing communication,. Parents need to letbe made by filling plastic bottles with seeds, ridged
their child play a dominant role if they want to. Bothsurfaces on plastic bottles can produce scraped
have to deepen their understanding of leading andsounds. Large tins function as drums. The human voice
following, giving and taking.is capable of humming, whistling, chanting as well as
The making and operating of puppets can be a formsinging actual words.
of serious, carefully thought-out or joyfully spontaneousRandom clapping produces a very effective rain
activity. Spontaneity can be very important as it avoidsstorm. First using one finger, then two, then three, then
the planned lesson-like feeling that is often associatedfinally the whole hand. Remember that sound can
with school.become louder, quieter, slower, faster all adding a
It is possible to buy beautiful puppets in every formdifferent atmosphere.
imaginable. If your child really enjoys this activity it mightA theatre or stage is not strictly speaking necessary.
be worth buying a few of the sort that you cannotThere are many ways of creating a theatre. For glove
make yourself. A lot of fun can be had just usingpuppets working above a sheet suspended between
things that are to hand. Paper bags, paper cups andtwo chairs is probably the simplest.
plates, plastic bottles, a sock, a pillow case with a ballAn overhead projector allows the shadow puppets to
tied into one end as a head, ice lolly sticks with smallappear larger than they actually are. Anything written
pictures portraying whatever you like attached at oneon an overhead projector presents writing in readable
end, a block of foam, a scrubbing brush, a scarf withform and does away with the need to write
threads tied to the corners to produce an ethereal,backwards. A white sheet lit from behind forms a
ghost-like figure can all be put to practical use. Evenscreen for shadow puppets.
attaching a piece of cloth to a can makes an effectiveExplore and Experiment with Puppets with Your Child.
puppet. Transform a computer mouse into a snake.It Will be an Adventure for Both of You.