Create Thanksgiving Finger Puppets

Thanksgiving cooks finally have their prayers answered! Aid your child in creating adorable Thanksgiving-themed finger puppets that will delight everyone in the family. Miscellaneous decorations glued onto some felt are all it takes to keep the children happy and the adults sane while you ready your fabulous holiday feast.

What You Need:

• Felt, in a variety of colors
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Other decorations: plastic eyes, yarn, feathers, sequins, beads, etc.

What You Do:

1. Cut two identical pieces of felt that are slightly larger than your child's index finger. Glue or sew the two pieces of felt together, leaving one end open for your child to insert his finger.
2. Trim the remaining end of the felt so that the puppet is a comfortable length. You’ve got your basic puppet!
3. To make a Pilgrim, help your child glue or draw eyes and a mouth near the top of the puppet. Black and white felt can be used to dress the Pilgrims. Invite your child to use yarn to make hair and make bonnets or hats out of felt.
4. To make a Native American, use brown or tan felt to make the clothes. Your child can twist yarn together to make braids. Small strips of felt with real or paper feathers can be used to make headdresses.
5. The sky's the limit! Let your child experiment with different kinds of felt and decorations to make an entire cast of finger puppet characters.

Enlighten your child by discussing the story of the first Thanksgiving feast with him. The tale behind the national American holiday affirms that the feast was a celebration of the English colonists' first bountiful harvest, which was shared with the Native American people. Encourage him to reenact this day of gratitude using the finger puppets. He will be the life of the party as he educates and entertains your Thanksgiving guests!