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Creativity takes center stage when preschoolers begin playing with puppets.  Storytelling also provides a safe space for expressing strong feelings.  Another bonus is the expanding vocabulary your child will rapidly acquire when presenting various puppet plays. We will go over the many ways to build puppets for your child and set the atmosphere for storytelling!  

If you don’t have a whole corner to display puppets, that’s fine.  How about a couple of totes?  One tote can store materials such as paper, markers, yarn, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, ribbon, felt, fabric scraps, feathers, and pom-poms.  The other tote can safely store all of the finished puppets.  Now, it’s time to explore all the various puppets you and your preschoolers can create for dramatic play! 

Dragon Puppet 

Supplies:  colored paper, scissors, markers or crayons, glue, tape, Popsicle sticks or cardboard 

•  Draw the head and tail of the dragon on colored paper. 
•  Cut out the head and tail. 
•  Cut another piece of colored paper in half length-wise. 
•  Fold the two pieces, using accordion folds.  Tape them together to make one long piece. 
•  Glue or tape one end of the folded paper to the dragon head and one end to the dragon tail. 
•  Glue or tape a Popsicle stick to the dragon head and another one to the dragon tail. 
• Decorate with extras to make the puppet colorful.  

Felt Puppet 

Supplies:  felt in multiple colors (at least two pieces), scissors, markers, glue, extras 

•  Trace the desired puppet shape on two pieces of felt and cut them out. 
•  Put the shapes together and glue at the edges.  Leave an opening for the hand. 
•  Decorate with felt scraps and use extras to add hair, clothes, eyes, and other features. 

Finger Puppet 

Supplies:  old glove, scissors, glue, markers, extras 

•  Cut the fingers off the glove where they meet the hand.  Put the hand part in the scrap box. 
•  Decorate each finger with markers or extras. 

Jointed Puppet 

Supplies:  cardboard, glue, scissors, markers or crayons, metal paper fasteners, Popsicle sticks 

•  Cut out the desired puppet shape from the cardboard.  Decorate it. 
•  Cut off the arms and legs. 
•  Poke holes in the body, near where the arms and legs were joined to it.  Poke holes in the arms and legs, near the cut ends. 
•  Reattach the arms and legs, lining up the holes and securing the limbs with metal paper fasteners. 
•  Glue the finished puppet onto a Popsicle stick or piece of cardboard. 

Unstuffed Animal Puppet 

Supplies:  old stuffed animal, glue or sewing needle and thread 

•  Purchase stuffed animals from garage sales or thrift stores. 
•  Determine where the puppeteer’s hand will go, and cut an opening in the back of the stuffed animal. 
•  Remove most of the stuffing, but leave the head filled. 
•  Finish the edges of the hand hole with hand-sewn stitching, glue, or wide tape. 

Image Source: Canva

Supplies:  sock, marker, scissors, cardboard, fabric, glue, extras 

• Put your hand in the sock, with fingers in the toe area and wrist in the heel. 
•  Form a mouth in the sock using your thumb and fingers.  With a marker, draw a straight line where the mouth is. 
•  Remove the sock from hand and cut along the line. 
•  Cut out two ovals, three inches wide and five inches long.  (One from the cardboard and one from the fabric.) 
•  Glue the fabric oval onto the cardboard oval. 
•  Fold the oval in half, fabric side in. 
•  Glue the oval in the mouth hole of the sock. 
•  Decorate the sock puppet. 

Image Source: Canva

Paper Bag Puppet 

Supplies:  paper bag, pencil/pen/marker, glue, extras 

• Lay a paper bag flat, with the bottom folded face-up at the top.  The bottom flap will be the face.   
•  Add eyes, a nose, and a mouth.  The upper lip of the mouth will be on the edge of the bottom flap with the lower lip on the corresponding area of the main bag. 
•  Stick your hand in the paper bag and use your fingers and thumb to move the puppet’s mouth. 

Purchased puppets may be used for a different style of puppet play.  For example: 

•  Oversized puppets can sit on a leader’s lap and engage the children in conversation. 
•  Big-mouthed puppets inspire talkative characters who engage with each other and the audience. 
•  Furry animal puppets are realistic and comforting like familiar stuffed animals. 
•  Molded plastic and rubber hand puppets are easy to wash and tend to be long lasting. 
•  Family puppets come in diverse sets to mix and match depending on children’s cultures and the composition of their families. 

To set the atmosphere as children make their puppets, post photos or posters of puppets from various cultures on the wall.  Check with your local library for books to display about puppets or storybooks to inspire play writing.  Neighbors and family members may be able to donate brown paper lunch bags, fabric scraps, old gloves and socks, or unusual doll-sized hats, purses, scarves, crowns, wands, etc. After finishing their puppets, preschoolers can act out a familiar story or dictate an original script for their puppet show.   

Whether using purchased or self-made puppets, preschoolers may want to perform with their puppets for an audience.  A simple stage may be arranged by using a low bookcase for performers to kneel behind.  Designate someone to introduce the puppets and their handlers before or after the performance. Encourage children to explain the reasons they conducted their puppet show.  

Children may want to make tickets and invitations for parents, grandparents, or siblings.  This may involve some counting and pre-planning.  This can also be the perfect opportunity to talk about hospitality. It would lead to practicing ahead of time the use of good manners to welcome guests and guide them to their chairs/floor space.  Listening to children as they perform with their puppets is guaranteed to entertain, but you will also be likely to gather several new ideas for other puppet performances to capitalize on the children’s interests. 

Source:  Expressing Creativity in Preschool from the editors of Teaching Young Children.  2015.  National Association for the Education of Young Children. 

References:   

Puppet Mania!  The world’s most incredible puppet making book ever! by John Kennedy.  2004.  North Light Books.  Plenty of step-by-step illustrations for making sock puppets and furry animal puppets with lots of personality! 

Easy-to-Make Puppets and How to Use Them by Fran Rottman.  1995.  Gospel Light. 

Reproducible patterns and guidelines for making and using puppets with children ages 2-12. 

Many variations on finger puppets, hand puppets, glove puppets, and paper bag puppets.  Short seasonal rhymes for three and four-year-olds to easily memorize.  Some scripts for puppet plays suitable for older children. 

LADONNA WERTH, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION

Peer Reviewed by Lynn DeVries, Lisa Poppe, and Jackie Steffen, Extension Educators, Early Childhood Extension

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Corn leaf rolling is the primary symptom of drought, and yield loss estimates are assumed when drought stress occurs for four consecutive days or more. (Photo courtesy Iowa State University Extension and Outreach) Research insights on yield loss from drought stress during vegetative, silking and grain fill growth stages of corn.

The annual forage plan of insurance gives growers an opportunity to obtain crop insurance for protection against low precipitation. During this webinar, specialists will share insights on how growers can integrate annual forage insurance coverage into their programs. During the free webinar, UNL specialists will discuss planting dates, seeding mix, expected forage production and timing of forage availability for various scenarios.

Because of their high center of gravity, tractors are more susceptible to rolling or turning over. Always hitch loads at the drawbar, never higher. Use front weights to increase tractor stability. Tractor overturns are the leading cause of fatal injuries on U.S. farms, resulting in an average of about 130 deaths each year.

This new webinar features guest speaker Paul Stoddard, a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign's Paul Stoddard offers actionable steps to empower you to build a better financial future for your farm and your family throughout this free webinar.

Find more information and resources about mental health and wellness on Nebraska Extension's Rural Wellness site. In this webinar, producers can learn how to better identify common stressors, recognize stress symptoms and manage stress.

Figure 1. A grower’s wheat field with severe symptoms of the wheat streak mosaic disease complex in Kimball County on June 15. Severe symptoms of the wheat streak mosaic disease complex were observed in a field in Kimball County, Nebraska on June 15.

Nebraska Extension Weed Management Specialist Amit Jhala shares details about the new corn herbicide Resicore XL, including proper use and how it differs from the original Resicore formula.

It's important for Nebraska growers to apply pre-emergence residual herbicides in soybean — find out why in this new episode of N Field Observations.

There are two reliable methods for overcoming the challenges of lower uniformity and nitrogen application rates when using the center pivot's end gun — using a variable rate injection pump, and, for systems with computer panels, slowing the pivot down when the end gun turns on. The key to knowing the correct setting for a chemigation pump is to first determine how many acres per hour the pivot will cover at the desired irrigation application depth or rate.

FSA encourages producers to complete the ERP Phase Two application, PARP application and acreage reporting for July 15 during the same office visit. FSA has partnered with nine organizations to provide educational and technical assistance to agricultural producers and provide assistance in completing an ERP Phase Two application by the new deadline.

Historical potato stock reports for Nebraska are available at USDA. Nebraska growers, dealers and processors held 300,000 cwt of potatoes in storage on June 1, which represented 3% of 2022 production.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Crop conditions for corn and soybean fell for the second week in Nebraska, while winter wheat and oats experienced a slight uptick in condition since early June.

You can harvest seeding year alfalfa as early as 40 days after emergence, but if you can wait until 60 days, you'll benefit from increased root development, which helps avoid issues from soil compaction and surface soil dryness. Tips on planting forages into wheat and rye stubble, how to get the most from your first-year alfalfa and controlling yucca plants on rangeland in western and central Nebraska.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Water quantity and quality is critical to cattle health and performance.  Hot weather and drought conditions can impact both water quality and quantity for cattle.  

Spanish: 

Monday, June 19, 2023

Water quantity and quality is critical to cattle health and performance.  Hot weather and drought conditions can impact both water quality and quantity for cattle.  

Spanish: 

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food ProcessorNewsletter/Program:  Nutrition Education Program Archive Link: https://food.unl.edu/nutrition-education-program-nepContact Info: Jean Ann FischerTaxonomy Term Description: 

The Nutrition Education Program (NEP) delivers evidence-based nutrition education and obesity prevention interventions through a combination of education strategies coupled with multi-level community changes that occur within the environment to promote healthy eating and active lifestyles.

This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP and Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups garlic scapes (about 15-20 scapes), gently rubbed under cold running water
• 1 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Cut garlic scapes in 2-inch long pieces.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic scapes and cook for 4-6 minutes, while stirring occasionally until lightly toasted but still slightly crunchy. For softer scapes, continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
5. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Category:  Side Dishes Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1/3 cupCalories: 60Total Fat: 3.5Saturated Fat: 0Potassium: 2Total Sugars: 0Iron: 0Vitamin D: 0Calcium: 2Protein: 1Fiber: 2Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 5Sodium: 0Cholesterol: 0Photo by Marusa Jonas

The crop water use report is updated weekly. Visit PHREC AgLab for more information.

Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone shares his expectations for rising crop water use in the coming days.

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food ProcessorNewsletter/Program:  Nutrition Education Program Archive Link: https://food.unl.edu/nutrition-education-program-nepContact Info: Jean Ann FischerTaxonomy Term Description: 

The Nutrition Education Program (NEP) delivers evidence-based nutrition education and obesity prevention interventions through a combination of education strategies coupled with multi-level community changes that occur within the environment to promote healthy eating and active lifestyles.

This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP and Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups kale leaves, gently rubbed under cold running water, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cup fresh basil, gently rubbed under cold running water
• ½ cup garlic scapes (about 5 scapes), gently rubbed under cold running water, chopped
• ½ cup nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, almonds)
• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Place the kale, basil, garlic scapes, nuts, and cheese in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined. Scrape down the sides with a spatula or spoon.
3. While the food processor is running, slowly add half of the olive oil. Stop the food processor and scrape down sides again. Start the food processor and add remaining oil.
4. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
5. Use as a sauce for pasta dishes, add to sandwiches, or spread on crackers or toast.
6. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to seven days, or freeze for up to three months.

Category:  Side Dishes Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 3 TbspCalories: 200Total Fat: 20Saturated Fat: 3Potassium: 2Total Sugars: 0Iron: 6Vitamin D: 0Calcium: 6Protein: 3Fiber: 1Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 3Sodium: 85Cholesterol: 5Photo by Marusa Jonas

Nebraska Extension Educator Amy Timmerman discusses identification and impact of alfalfa weevils and aphids, and explains why it's important to identify all the insects present in an alfalfa field before applying chemicals.