My kiddos are just coming to an age where dramatic play is much more, well, dramatic. They are using their amazing little minds to expand their play from simple exploration to more involved storylines....sometimes I even hear them voicing multiple characters (plastic animals, baby dolls and the like) in conversation with one another.
Currently we have a puppet theater in the classroom and it is a hoot and a half! A majority think it is most hilarious when the puppets 'eat' their hands or spit out things the kids try to feed them. I can see their little minds turning...battling the concepts of pretend and reality all in one play experience!
There are a few kiddos, however, that want nothing to do with the puppet community...it kind of freaks them out- they just can't figure out how that crazy thing is moving and talking to them. Since it is sometimes hard at first for a toddler to realize that the hand inside the puppet is doing all the work, it helps to give away the secret a few times (i.e. taking my hand out and showing them it's ok)! And ya know what else helps:
'Huh...what is that crazy thing?' you may ask. Well, let me show you:
Ha ha ha he he ho ha ha! Isn't this the funniest little guy you have ever seen?? I saw these at Creative Kidstuff a few months ago and had to give them a try. The kids love 'em (and frankly so do I) and the skeptical types seem to have less of a problem chatting with such a friend and giving it a try themselves. Thanks Creative Kidstuff for bridging the gap between pretend and reality...and for less than $1.00!
No comments:
Post a Comment