Fantasy on My Fingers

crayola supplies

Model Magic®
No-Run School Glue

household supplies

ribbon
buttons (optional)
sequins (optional)
decorative craft items

Why?

Tell tales with wiggles and words. These original puppets debut at your fingertips before the curtain goes up.

Steps

1. Puppets make any fantasy seem real! Choose a favorite fairy tale or true story to turn into a puppet show. Which characters do you need? How do they look? Finger puppets are small, so you can add lots of detail.
2. Puppeteers have lots of control with finger puppets. To start your finger puppet, bend and tear a recycled cardboard roll the height you want your puppet to be. Overlap the torn edges. Wrap the roll around your finger. Tear off any excess paper. Secure with Crayola® School Glue. Air-dry your puppet base.
3. Form a layer of colorful Crayola Model Magic onto your puppet base for its body. To mix new shades, blend two or more colors. Add white for lighter colors. If you knead only a little, you get a marbleized look. Experiment with different effects.
4. Flatten, pinch, or roll more modeling material to make your puppet’s head, arms, legs, and/or tail. Create Model Magic clothes and accessories, too. Press these decorative features on your puppet’s body.
5. Add decorative items such as ribbon, buttons, or sequins. Glue them on with Crayola School Glue if necessary. Air-dry your puppet at least 24 hours.
6. Rehearse your performance with wiggles and words. Your puppets are ready to take their places on stage!

adaptations

Older students research the history of puppetry and present their findings in a puppet show for younger students.

Use these puppets to explain science or health concepts.

Construct a puppet theatre as a class project. Hang a cloth halfway across a doorway, cut a refrigerator box, or construct one with wood.

benefits

Students translate story characters into 3-dimensional figures.

Students fabricate a detailed finger puppet out of modeling material.

Students present a puppet performance with their creations.

grades

Pre-K and Kindergarten
Grades 1 to 3

subjects

Language Arts
Visual Arts

time

30 to 60 minutes
Multiple Sessions

curriculum standards links

US: Research U.S. Standards
UK: Research UK Standards
Canada: Research Canada Standards

safety guidelines

Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—

Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.

String-Like Materials—Includes string, raffia, lacing, yarn, ribbon, and other similar material. Children 3 years and younger should not be given any string-like material that is longer than 12 inches. Close adult supervision is essential whenever children use string-like material. When crafts are to be worn around the necks of children 8 years and younger, attach the ends of the “string-like material” with clear adhesive tape, which allows easy release of the bond if the craft becomes entangled or caught on equipment. For children older than 8 years, the ends of the “string-like material” may be tied and knotted.