PUPPETRY

Why do we use puppets?

Puppets are mainly used for theatre. We can recreate a strory or an event with our puppets.

They can also be helpful to teach young children because they attract and capture their attention easily.

They stimulate their imagination and learning process.

We can express our feelings and emotions.

Is an excellent visual and interactive teaching method. 

TYPES OF PUPPETS:

1.  String puppets 

This ghost is made out of fabric, glue paste and a string....  it can be moved thru the string. This type of puppet helps the child to exercise his pencil grip and eye/hand coordination.

It also helps the child to learn how to balance the puppet, and be aware of the space it uses to be moved.

On a full body string puppett the child will focus on the movements of the whole body of the puppett.

2.  Finger puppets 

You hold your puppet with your index or middle finger. They should be light in weight, so its easy to move it.

3.  Hand or glove puppets 

These puppets you grab them by the stick and move them with your hand.

They are great for young children who have difficulties with the pencil grip. 

Easy to make, great for all ages.

4.  Movable mouth puppets         

 Sock Puppets

Sewn or glued puppetts

Any of these puppets will give you hours of entertainment for you and your children.

Build a stage and have your own private theatre

DEVELOPING MOTOR SKILLS

From birth until we die we are constantly moving our bodies.

We have gross motor skills.

 Fine Motor Skills.

Fine motor skill allow us to write, grasp, pick up objects or throw them. 

Some children have good coordination in their gross and fine movements others don't.

For some writing is a piece of cake and for others is a nightmare. 

If we see that our child has difficulties in writing here are a few tips and exercises to help him develop these skills.

These tips can help any child, I used my expertise in the area of children with Down Syndrome. 

Children with Down Syndrome suffer from sensory processing disorder as well. Because their muscle tone is poor, they also have problems focusing while holding an object. It is important for them to improve their hand and eye coordination.

A great way to improve  or develop these skills is by doing art. 

Art activities are great to develop fine motor skills.

I wanted something fun, easy to find and inexpensive, and non toxic. It also had to be a great exercise for poor fine motor skills.

I decided to run a workshop; for my students in the special school. 

We made dough from flour. 

What a better way to do art and exercise them fingers than with dough.  

WORKING WITH FLOUR 

Working with flour is a great way to exercise the hands. The soft dough serves as an exercise ball. It can be moved from one hand to de other exercising their fingers.

It's great for the imagination too because you can experiment building different things over and over again.

Encourage your child to build different sizes of balls, roll out the clay and cut it with a plastic knife, let him use toothpick and use different things to decorate it or paint it.

Use knives, forks, spoons or any other object to cut or shape your dough

Using patterns is also great for the child. 

He learns to shape and cut around the edges with a plastic knife.

This method helps the child focus on a specific area and all his attention is drawn to the object he is working with.

Let their imagination grow, tell the stories, talk about different things or just simply tell them...... 

PLAY, HAVE FUN, LET YOUR IMAGINATION GO AND MAKE SOMETHING YOU LOVE........

EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH ART

WORKING WITH SAND

 A great activity for hand-eye coordination

Develops the child's fine motor skills while handling the sand

Add language by talking about different textures and types of sand.

       
How does it feels if we add water?

Add glue and glitter to give a sparkling effect

TALLER "CENTRO CULTURAL DE ESPANA"

ANGELICO

ANGELICO

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AGED 8 TO 10 YEARS OLD
YOU NEED:

• PLASTIC BOTTLE
• CREPE PAPER
• GLUE
• COTTON WOOL
• ALUMINUM FOIL 
• PAPER

CHARLA ACERCA DE IRLANDA - CENTRO CULTURAL DE ESPANA

DRAWING

‘Children draw from an early age if they are given the opportunity. Drawing emerges alongside verbal language. It is an active exploring process that enables the child to experience and understand a wide variety of perceptions, thoughts and feelings. At the earliest stages it may be better to think of “mark-making” rather than drawing. Drawing traces the child’s engagement with experimenting, investigating, remembering or imagining. A key thing to remember is that a drawing is evidence of both a child’s struggle to understand and to communicate.’

By:
Eileen Adams, Drawing Power-The Campaign for Drawing, 2002