One Finger Puppet – Bird

Objective

To guide teachers in creating a puppet of a Bird for story-telling and other purposes.

Estimated time to create the One Finger Puppet – Bird

30 to 45 Minutes

Materials required for creating One Finger Puppet – Bird

  • 8”     x 1”  size Foam /Colour paper strip for the body
  • 3½” x 1”  size Foam /Colour paper strip for the head
  • 3”     x 1”  size Foam /Colour paper strip for the beak
  • 3”     x 1“  size – Foam /Colour paper strip for 1 Paper Pipe
  • Stapler with pin
  • Fevicol or Glue drops
  • Googly eyes in plastic
  • Marker Pen
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Scissors

Preparation for activity

Keep all materials ready in advance. If you are using hot glue instead of Fevicol, ensure it is suitably heated and ready for use.

Procedure

  • Body of the bird:  Fold the 8”x1” sized paper strip by bringing the short edges together and staple them.
  • Head of the bird: Roll the 3½” X 1” sized paper strip into a tube, glue the edge to secure it and attach it to the top of the broader part of the body using glue drops.
  • Wings: Draw and cut out the wing shapes from paper. Attach them flat on either side of the body, just below the head.
  • Finger pipe:  Roll the 3” x1” paper strip into a tube that fits your forefinger (index finger) and glue it to secure.
  • Fix this pipe underneath the body using glue drops.
  • Beak:  Fold the 3” x 1” sized paper strip and cut it into a V shape. Stick it onto the head as the beak.
  • Eyes: Stick the googly eyes on top of the head. Allow a few minutes to dry. The puppet is now ready.
  • Insert your forefinger (index finger) into the paper pipe.
  • Move and glide your hand in the air to demonstrate the bird flying.

Step by Step Pictures to create the puppet

Important Tips

  1. We can use A4 coloured papers that are suitable for the puppet instead of colouring it using crayons or watercolours. 
  2. The eyes can also be drawn using a black marker instead of using ‘googly eyes’ (plastic eyes, which are available in the market). 
  3. Wedding cards or book covers can be good alternatives to drawing sheets. 
  4. Reference images from drawing books or the internet can be helpful while designing the puppet. 
  5. While creating the puppet, try to replicate the character illustration from the children’s textbook. Once the puppet is ready, refer to it by the character’s name from the textbook. This helps children connect with the content and improves recall. 
  6. The teacher should use the puppet at an appropriate time, perhaps while narrating the story in a funny and humorous way. Intentional mistakes can also be made to encourage children to correct them, making the session more interactive and engaging.   

Precautions

Precautions to be taken while manipulating finger puppets:

  1. Always keep the puppet’s face directed towards the audience.
  2. The Puppet Master’s focus should remain on the puppet at all times.
  3. Only the puppet that is “speaking” should be animated; all other puppets should remain still

Troubleshooting:

  1. While making the paper pipe, ensure it matches the exact size of the finger you will be using. This helps to move the puppet properly. 
  2. Use a cutter carefully to make clean, precise holes.
  3. The holes should match the size of your fingers. If the hole is too large, the puppet won’t stay upright on your finger.  If the hole is too small, it will be difficult to insert your finger. 

Instructions to the Teacher Notes to the Teacher

Puppets can be effectively used in the classroom to help children understand and express emotions. They are also valuable tools for teaching rhymes, songs, stories and more.

In addition to enriching learning experiences, using puppets supports the development of motor skills such as hand – eye coordination. They also enhance communication and social skills, improve focus and concentration, and help reinforce concepts and values in an engaging way.

Using the Learning Teaching Material

The teacher can demonstrate a puppet show as an example. Students can then be encouraged to create their own puppets and present a puppet show in the classroom.

Video: How to use Learning Teaching Material

Source and Attribution of images
All images used in the above Assets and Aids are originally created.
This digital material has been developed by the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Inclusive Education Project, a unit of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, as a collaborative offering in the service of our nation.