Are you running out of activities to do with your kids? Is the bad weather keeping you inside and you need an at-home educational activity which will keep them away from the TV? Then here is an idea for you: build a puppet show for them! Rather than reading a story for them, why don’t you actually build it for them? This way, they will be more involved, as they will see images and movement. You will develop their curiosity and even challenge them to read the book or story once you have finished playing it for them. Once they grow older, you can even ask them to be the puppeteer, based on the story book they just read.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Puppet Show

But first things first. Here are the easy steps on how you can create your own puppet show. You do not need to go and buy puppets. You can simply use the stuffed animals and dolls that your little one has. For accessories you can use your own jewelry, hats, glasses, etc. For the other props, you can be inventive and make use of your plastic tableware, boxes, or anything that can resemble the item you need.

The Characters

Here how this can work. Let’s say you would like to re-create "The Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Your most important items are: Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear and of course Goldilocks. To get the bear family, we will use three different sized teddy bears, and for Goldilocks any blonde doll such as a Barbie or any other doll. To make the bears look more authentic, dress them up accordingly. For Papa Bear, you can use a pair of old glasses and place them on their nose. Put a necklace or a little bow around Mama Bear’s neck and you will have her glowing. And for Baby Bear you can get a little hat and place it on his head to give him a "younger" look.

Now that the family is ready, you would have to make them easy to maneuver. You do not need the intricate strings of a puppeteer. You can simply use a ruler or a stick, maybe even chopsticks. This would make the stuffed animals a lot easier to handle and sturdier as well. Wrap the sticks around their bodies and you are all set with your Bear Family. Goldilocks herself does not need too much preparation. If the doll is not too stable, you can tie a ruler to her back as well, and this is it for your characters.

The Props

Next step would be to find the props. For the table, you can use a small box, or Tupperware. Instead of bowls, you can use the wrappers from Ferrero Rocher or Reeses chocolates as they are small and have the right shape. Or, if you have some water bottle caps, they would make the perfect bowl as well. To create the chairs you can use some foam glasses. To create Mama Bear’s seat, cut the top by an inch, so that it is smaller, and cut Baby Bear’s seat by 2 inches, so that it is the smallest. Foam is a great material, as you can actually "break" the chair when Goldilocks seats on it. The beds are easy to create. Just put some napkins or tissue on one side of the room, again pay attention to the size and there you go. You created all the necessary props for your story without going out of your way.

Now you have it all: the puppets, the props and the story. You can spend a fun evening at home with your family rain or shine. This is the beauty of stuffed animals and a little bit of imagination.