Prof K provides tips for leading puppet making activities with children that encourage creativity and individual expression. The tips emphasize allowing children to make their own choices with minimal copying, providing structure that allows for multiple solutions, and using simple examples to demonstrate without forcing replication. Challenging projects that are slightly above a child's ability can help them learn new skills, and open-ended questions can stretch their imaginations. Positive feedback should recognize individuals and the group, being specific about what is seen rather than just saying "good job." Most importantly, children should do the entire project themselves with guidance, not having the leader do it for them.

1. Prof K’s Tips for Puppetmaking with Children

2. Encourage Creativity!

3. Allow for Individual Expression Give opportunities to make choices Go beyond copies of pages to cut and color!

4. Individual Expression

5. Emphasize Process Provide structure that allows multiple solutions Creative problem-solving is key

6. Simple examples Keep it simple – less tempting to copy! Model using your puppet Make it move Make it talk Start with “Hi my name is________ and I like to _________.”

7. Have a simple example

8. Be Challenging Present projects that are slightly above the ability level of the children. This allows for mastery of new skills.

9. Be Challenging

10. Stretch the Imagination Use a rich source of materials Ask open-ended questions Allow the child to come up with answers!

11. “ Tell me about your puppet.” Try to avoid “What is it?”

12. Be Positive Offer individual recognition and group encouragement Be honest Be specific

13. Use “I see…” instead of “I like”

14. “ Good job” can feel empty if used too often…

15. Be specific! Look for shapes, colors, textures, lines, character…

16. Warning! Let the students do all of the project! DO NOT DO IT FOR THEM – even if they ask. Even if they beg… Even if time is running out…

17. “ Will you do this for me???” “ You mean I have to create it myself? Oh No! Wait…that was fun!”

18. “ I did it!”

19. How Can You Help? Ask questions to help decision making Offer several choices Help hold things Show “how” without doing it

20. “ I’ll hold while you glue.”

21. You will be surprised!

22. “ Look what we did!”

23. Let it be an experience to remember…