Finger Puppets Basket

What you'll need

• 6-10 felt finger puppets (store-bought or handmade)
• For making new ones: felt squares, fabric glue, tiny googly eyes
• A shoebox lid to use as a mini stage
• Colored paper to draw a backdrop scene
• Optional: a small tea light (unlit) for a spotlight effect

How to make it

1. 1

   Line up all the finger puppets on the edge of the basket like actors waiting backstage.

2. 2

   If making new ones, cut two identical rounded rectangles of felt for the body and glue the sides together, leaving the bottom open for a finger.

3. 3

   Glue on eyes, ears, and a tail. Let dry for 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Decorate the shoebox lid with a paper backdrop — a forest, a house, or the sea.

5. 5

   Slip a puppet onto each of your child's fingers and one onto yours.

6. 6

   Start with a question: 'Who's ready to tell us what happened today?' and let the puppets take over.