Preview draft. Activities have not been tested with caregivers.
Paper · The activity desk
Woodland and savanna bag puppets
Draw a fox or zebra on a paper bag and tell a puppet story.
Let's play →
A little plan for play
Open interactive activity →Add to play journal →What you need
A clean paper lunch bag and large child-appropriate crayons.
Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.
Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.
Set up: Lay the bag flat with its folded bottom facing up. Check that it has no staples or loose pieces.
Adult's role: Stay beside the child, help hold the bag steady, and join the story if invited.
Let's make it happen
- Choose a fox or zebra. Draw eyes and a nose on the bag's folded bottom; add pointed ears for a fox or stripes for a zebra.
- Draw a mouth just below the fold. Slide a hand inside the open end and gently move the folded bottom to make the puppet talk.
- Give the puppet a name and invent a short story about a place it visits.
Make it simpler: Draw one face together and make its mouth move.
Clean up: Put away crayons and save or recycle the bag.
Keep the bag away from faces and mouths. An adult supervises and removes torn paper.