Letter Puppets

Want a quick art activity that could help teach letter names and sounds?  Make letter puppets!  I wouldn't recommend making puppets out of all the letters in one day, but once in a while, it could be fun to add to the puppet collection.

What you need:

1. Popsicle sticks (one or two for each letter).  These are fairly inexpensive to buy at a craft store.  Or just save them after eating your sweet popsicle treat!

2. A printout of a letter and object that starts with that letter from a website, such as:  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/letters/big/index.shtml

3. Crayons

4. Glue

5. Scissors

Instructions:

1. Print out the letter and object of your choice from the above website. 

2. Have your child color the picture.  Talk about the letter, and discuss that the object in the picture starts with that letter.  Make the letter sound together.  Make it a silly game (e.g., "S" is for ssssnake.  Ssssss).

3. Cut out the letter and the object you have chosen.

4. Glue it to the popscicle stick.  If the cutouts seem large, you might consider using two sticks to hold up the paper.

5. Have your child play with the puppet, repeating the letter name and sound. 

Once you have made a collection of puppets, your child can have them interact with each other.  They can be fun sticks to play with. 

Even if he/she doesn't grasp the concept yet, it's okay.  This still provides some background knowledge, which will help him/her understand the information taught in school.