Crab Felt Finger Puppets

Just clawin' over to wish you a 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Wisdom from a Cow: Courage, Acceptance, and Diversity

This is the way it had always been.  There were two kinds of cows and one really lush pasture. Every year, the cows had a wrestling match to see who would control the pasture.  The problem?  The cows who grazed on the really lush pasture grew larger and stronger than the other kind.  So one kind always won.  Until Clancy came along.

How can one little cow change the way of the world?  He didn't set out to be a hero.  He wanted to be like everyone else. However, he looked different than the other cows of his kind.  They teased him. He didn't like it. He tried to make himself look like the others.  It didn't work. But sometimes, different is good.

Because he looked different, Clancy could graze on the really lush pasture without being noticed.  He grew big and strong like the other kind of cows that grazed there regularly. Now instead of being teased, Clancy was promoted to lead wrestler for the contest!  And, he won!  His kind could take over the really lush pasture for the first time ever!  Hooray!  Or.... not?

It turns out Clancy wasn't just different on the outside.  He had new ideas on the inside. He didn't want to go back to the way things were.  He bravely yelled, "STOP!" and changed his world.  His new popularity and life experience gave him courage.  And the others listened.  It took a little while, but soon both cows were grazing peaceably together.

Hmm... does this story remind you of another told in late January every year?  I find Lachie Hume's, "Clancy the Courageous Cow" to be such a wonderful story for young people learning about Martin Luther King Jr. Even better, the author was 12 when he wrote it! What an inspiration!

Of course, I had to make some cow finger puppets to go with it.

Unfortunately, the book is out of print. I picked up an ex-library copy from Half.com, though it pains me to think a library wouldn't want to keep this fabulous story on its shelves.  I know my copy is a keeper.

P.S. The author's note on the title page explains that he got a 9/10 on the project from his teacher. He thinks it was because Clancy is technically a bull, not a cow.  I think there's another lesson right there.  ;)

Mummy Madness! Felt Finger Puppets

Are these cute little mummies ready to scare, or coming for a hug?

To make them, cut cheesecloth into 1/2" strips.  Wrap your mummy shape with the strips before sewing. Glue on a little pom pom for the nose and use fabric paint or google eyes for the eyes. 

A story to go with it?  Maurice Sendak has a monster pop-up book:

For a humorous counting read-aloud that adds a little Egyptian learning along the way, try Ten Little Mummies, by Philip Yates and illustrated by G.Brian Karas. The illustrations are darling!  Makes me want to try drawing mummies, too!

Or from the feline perspective:  read about the clever Mummy Cat, from Marcus Ewert and Lisa Brown,  both from the story and in the murals on the pages, a story within a story!  Complete with hidden hieroglyphs? Can't wait! Not coming out until July 2015 though...  

A clever parody for Runaway Bunny fans from Michael Rex is The Runaway Mummy...

And there is the unique, rhyming WORKING MUMMIES (by Joan Horton, illustrations Drazen Kozjan)...  

But for curious little ones that might have a lot of mummy monster questions, try I'm All Wrapped Up by Shannon Knudsen and Renée Kurilla.

Happy Halloween!

Captain Hook Felt Finger Puppets

Talk Like a Pirate Day?  All the info you need is right here:

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Though I wasn't sure if I could come up with yet another pirate puppet design, 

along came Captain Hook!  The hooks are earring hooks:  bent, cut,

and hand sewn into the sleeve.  Ahoy matey!

New books on pirates abound... I haven't reviewed these, but the titles are

intriguing. Captain Hook meets Santa?

Mutiny at bedtime? Yes, like every night!

Do hungry pirates love pizza?

What happens to a pirate's bed when his boat crashes at sea (the

pirate escapes safely to a tropical island)?

Are pirates immune to Christmas spirit?

And can a young scientist make peace between his two best friends at his birthday party? What if those best friends are a pirate and viking!!!

Arrrrr!

Summer is Here! Solstice Sun Puppets

Solistice is almost here... whether you are ready or not, here comes the sun!

Create some sun finger puppets to celebrate?  These were for the last day of third grade...

Check out this darling felt solstice craft idea from Twig and Toadstool

What kid wouldn't have fun with a summer solstice wand via the tutorial at Natural Kids? 

For the sweeter treat, taste of home has a cute sun cupcake idea...

I would have a harder time passing up Becky Charm's Lemony Lemon Brownies though! 

And don't forget a story or two! Sunbread, by Elisa Kleven, is sweetly illustrated and comes with a real recipe at the end:

 Or this magical Swedish tale from Elsa Beskow.  Did the sun lose it's egg, like an egg from a bird?

We liked this one, found at our library, about a Cranky Sun that refuses to go down until a boy has a kind conversation with him.

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

Astronaut Felt Finger Puppets

With their simple design and easy-to-cut pieces, these astronauts have quickly become a favorite of mine! We've used them as party favors for our Alien Party (inside a pinata), as souvenirs for a field trip, and treats for a space-themed walk-a-thon!

How to's: You need the template below, three colors of felt (white, blue, and sparkly black), some fabric paints (control panel), and some 1/4 inch wide ribbon.  It worked easiest for me to cut the ribbon into lengths of and position them in an X with a dot of glue. After those were dry, I set the ready to sew pieces on top with another dab of glue. Then I folded over the ribbons and secured them under the control panel.  When all was dry, I sewed them up, trimmed them, and added the fabric paint details.

Here are a couple of stories to try with it...

Written by former astronaut Mike Kelly, the almost true story of Mousetronaut is a cute little underdog story.  The littlest mouse is included on a space adventure even though he isn't the biggest and strongest.  He was noticed because he worked hard!  In the end, his size is exactly what is needed to solve a critical problem on board.  A great story for one of those days when your child is frustrated by being little!

Hedgie Blasts Off, by Jan Brett, is a fun little story about a hedgehog that wanted to be an astronaut but wasn't allowed, until one day when an opportunity arrived.  Hedgie got the job done!  Nice sparkle pages add to the kid-friendliness of the book.

Also try Meghan McCarthy's Astronaut Handbook for a non-fiction guide to the astronaut business and  Joan Sweeney's Me and My Place in Space for a great introduction to the universe for kids, starting with the planets and then to the stars.

   

Astronaut Finger Puppet Pattern by C.A. Leu

Christmas Owl Felt Finger Puppets

Christmas owl felt finger puppet

One of our teachers this year LOVES owls, so we made these especially for her.   They were simple to put together and fun to hand out, on a candy cane, of course!

The pattern is free (below).  Michaels had some fun printed felt to give a bit of whimsy to it.  I found the light bulbs as a trim last year at Joann's. The feathery fringe is available at most fabric stores. 

Would you believe there is actually a story about Christmas owls? The Christmas Owls, by Judy West and Gerda Westerink was highly rated on Amazon.  However, our library doesn't have it and it is out of print.  Anyone out there ever read it?

Jonathon Allen's owl series, starring a ridiculously cute baby owl who doesn't want to be called cute also has a Christmas owl story called,  "I'm not Santa."  It takes a visit from the REAL Santa to settle a dispute between baby owl and his friends as to who Santa is... Allen does it again, has us laughing so hard we have to take a break from reading and recall our own instances of his expertly captured kid behavior.  Ever just tell someone what they want to hear to quiet them down, only to realize you should have stuck to the truth? Yup, we adults do this, too... Thanks, Mr. Allen, for giving us a great platform to discuss how keeping people happy is complicated!

'

christmas owl finger puppet pattern by

DIY Snoopy Christmas Felt Finger Puppet

Snoopy felt finger puppet

One of our teachers this year is a HUGE Snoopy fan, so we just had to create a special gift for her. The class all enjoyed the puppets though. Perfect to go along with A Charlie Brown Christmas!

Christmas Snoopy finger puppets

Spotty Silly Spring Smiley Slimey Snails

These little cuties deliver a lot of cuteness and charm from a simple and easy design. Only three pieces mean you can whip out a class size group of these in no time.  With the range of printed felt out there, you can make quite a statement in shell design!  

Have your kids add a bow, bonnet, or bling for a fancier design, perhaps to go with Ordinary Oscar, an entertaining snail story by Laura Adkins and Sam Hearn.  Oscar Slimeglider is tired of being like all the other snails: dull, drab, and BORING!  On his quest to go beyond the ordinary, he learns that there are good reasons for snails to look ordinary on the outside... but that doesn't mean he can't be EXTRAordinary on the inside...

Our family snail story favorite, with artwork sure to appeal to Olive the Other Reindeer fans, is Gluey, a Small Snail Tale, by Vivan Walsh and J. Otto Seibold. This is one of those feel-good stories that sticks with you long after you read it, one that you can use to start many different "character" conversations with kids.  Celerina, a rabbit, moves into a house that is already occupied, but she doesn't realize it. Gluey the snail lives there, and keeps the place in shape like all good carpenter snails do. When things she breaks start to "fix themselves", she starts to think her house is magic... She doesn't realize it is Gluey, who is so small and has such a small voice she doesn't even hear him.  You are sure to enjoy this wonderful tale of mistaking someone's character, making a mess, then making it right again...

Free Snail Felt Finger Puppet Pattern

Pirate Finger Puppets

 

 

Yo ho ho! Look who arrived just in time for Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19th, 2012).

 

 

 

I was thinking I'd have it easy this year, just making puppets for one class (2nd grade).  But my 5th grader wanted them, too!  And they are already asking what is next...

 

 

 

Meanwhile, these hearties were well received by my son's second grade teacher...  I just love it when they get put to classroom use!

 

 

I've already covered our favorite pirate books in another post but we just discovered Melinda Long's sequel, "Pirates Don't Change Diapers."  David Shannon's entertaining drawings make this a must check out from your local library!

 

 

And also look for I Love My Pirate Papa, by Laura Leuck.  Kyle Stone's illustration are cute cute CUTE!  You don't have to be a pirate fanatic to fall in love with this book.. father and son lead us through plenty a pirate escapade aboard their ship to keep us entertained, laughing, and loving.  Watch for the little mice who help with the action!