Sometimes it can be difficult to teach a child something. Especially about feetlings for example. But puppets can be a great medium to get a message through to kids.
Puppets grab the attention of kids more easy and for longer time. They also allow you to play out various scenarios that are closer to the kids’ interests.
Each puppet can have its own voice and a character. This is what Dan Fitzke does. As a child he loved the Muppet Show and Sesame Street. He was fascinated by the range of emotions you could use to help make the inanimate object become lifelike.
“I was always fascinated with how puppeteers could give personality to a puppet,” he said. As he got older, he started giving voices to stuffed animals as a way to connect with younger children. Fitzke first used his knack for puppeteering when he and his wife, Amanda, became involved in the children’s church at Juniata Community Church for about three years, he says to the Hastings Tribune.
At first, he just used puppets belonging to the church, but as word of his endeavor spread, friends and family donated puppets to Fitzke. The five- to 10-minute skits were mostly made up on the fly as a way to break up the church service for children. Now, Fitzke tries to tailor his puppet skits to fit with the message.
“It’s nice to be able to do something to connect with the kids. It’s a way to break it up for them. It’s nice to have something to look forward to”, he adds.
You can use the same method with normal stuffed animals as well. This is an easy way to teach children about emotions, friendships, values and so on. It would make this information more closer to the kids and it will be something they can participate in and not simply listening to the grown up saying things to them.
