Felt Hand Puppets
Make a paper pattern by tracing the puppeteer's hand on paper. The thumb should be stick out. Add a least 5 cm. all the way around. You'll need to cut out two sides. This basic pattern can be made into faces of people or animals. Seam all but the bottom edges. Add other features such as button, bows, teeth, and hair.
Finger Puppets
Very popular, these are made from felt. Create the body of your puppet. Wrap felt around your finger to form a loose fitting sleeve. Add extra fabric for the seam and cut out the sleeve. Sew all edges together, except the bottom. Add facial features, and any other characteristics you'd like.
Finger Puppets — part II
Similar to Stick Puppets without the stick. Draw faces and figures on paper that be made into a sleeve to put over your fingers. Great Beaver craft and for telling stories such as 5 Little Monkeys (Kittens, Beavers, etc.)
Folded Paper Puppets
Fold construction paper in thirds lengthwise. Draw a line halfway between top and bottom of the paper. Fold the top and bottom to meet the line. Fold the middle line the opposite way to the other two folds. Your folded paper is "W" shaped. Make the facial features on the top quarter. The puppeteer slips her fingers in the top behind the face and her thumb in the bottom to make the puppet talk.
Folded Paper Puppets — Origami
While not so simple, and not one you'd do with the Beavers, look in the library or the web for origami resources. (see Links below.) Fold the faces and add the details, put them on craft sticks, and use to support your story.
Glove Finger Puppets
Got some old gloves? Cut the fingers and thumbs off old gloves to make a make a variety of characters. Draw the facial features on them with coloured markers. For hair use yarn, felt, fun fur, or synthetic hair.
Marionettes
Use paint stir sticks for the manipulators. With the styro cup upside down, draw a face on a side. Add other facial features and hair. Attach yarn through the bottom of the cup up to the manipulator. Again, attach yarn through the bottom of two more inverted cups. These are the legs. Attach them to the bottom of the face/body. Finally, attach yarn to the bottom of the feet and run it back up to the manipulators.
Paper Bag Puppets
Draw animal faces on the bottoms of No. 10 (lunch bag) paper bags. Draw other features on the main part of the bag. The puppeteer moves the flap of the bag (where a folded bag is folded over), as if it were a chin.
Stick Puppets
Draw and colour human or animal figures, or cut them from magazines. Glue them on cardboard. Attach the figure to a craft stick, drinking straw, or doweling. Make this handle as long as you need. The puppeteer can sit behind an overturned table to put on a show.
Thumb Puppets
Remember Thumblina? With a pen or marker, draw eyes and mouth on top of your thumb. Add a small piece of cloth around the thumb like a shawl, and perhaps over the top of the thumb like a bandanna.
Sock Puppets
Draw or sew facial features on the toe section of worn socks. You can even cut holes in the side for the puppeteer's little finger and thumb.
Stages
There are many ways to improvise puppet stages. The overturned table is probably the easiest. Approach appliance stores for larger cartons. Grocery stores may also have large cereal (shipping) boxes. Some boxes are large enough that Beavers can stand upright behind them.
