Puppeteers-in-Training

Last week, one of the moms at school presented a "Three Bears" puppet show to the kids, letting them help and also examine all the various puppets, including some extra marionettes and shadow puppets. Sis was overjoyed because she got to be the little bear in the production, which in a sweet twist, was the part I played in a dress-up version of the play when I was in preschool! (Of course, Bud was disappointed not to have a part). Since then, Bud and Sis have been obsessed with puppets, using their stuffed critters hanging by necklaces from tinkertoys as marionettes like the ones we saw in "The Snow Maiden" puppet show. Today, we decorated the hand-puppet forms the mom gave each of the children: Sis made hers a pink bunny on one side (with felt ears to attach later) and little bear, of course, on the other; Bud made a penguin and a boy on his. And then they put on a puppet show for me, using the blanket-draped piano bench as the stage. I was thinking of making a foam-core puppet theater (such as the one I made at the museum once, with removable wax paper shield for shadow puppets!) because I think there will be many more puppet shows, and puppets, in our near future. Fun!