It certainly is a wonderful thing how an idea and the means through which to carry it to fruition can come together. I have recently been working on putting together some “Puppet Show Boxes” at school in which a script and all the puppets needed to produce a show are contained within one box. I had worked especially hard on one box in particular “A Day in the Pumpkin Patch”. Three of the puppet characters needed were listed as “sprouts”. What to do? I had no sprout puppets and the closest I had ever come to making puppets in the past was to turn stuffed animals into puppets. No “sprout” stuffed animals had I ever seen. I have used some puppet sleeves ready-made by Lakeshore to make some of stuffed animal puppets handle better or be fatter. After discussing the idea with a few other puppeteers, I decided to try making some sprout puppets out of wiggle eyes, felt and puppet sleeves. Eureka! They looked like sprouts.
My next problem: the show is somewhat seasonal. Who will perform it (as soon as possible)? Amazingly (or not?), a teacher stopped by the Library - she was looking for a little something to do with some of her LD students (students with Learning Disabilities) to give them a taste of success. “How about a puppet play?” I slyly suggested. “Oh, what a marvelous idea!” she exclaimed.
Results reported later included: learning the script, successful rehearsal and performance of the puppet play to three separate audiences (Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 5th Grade), laughter and good fun, and the desire to try it again with another set of puppets and a new script.
I love it when a plan comes together...
Share the Magic...
Vicky Kline