glove puppet

Come near me then, and look up merrily.
Now make way, sirs, and let this man have place;
He in the waist is shaped as well as I;
This were a puppet in an arm's embrace
For any woman, small and fair of face.
By Geoffrey Chaucer from The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue of Sir Thopas

The Glove Puppet
The Glove Puppet is a type of Puppet made to fit onto a hand. There are Simple Glove Puppets and Large Glove Puppets.

The features of a Simple Glove Puppet may include different body shapes, legs, eyes, eyelids and it is made from either hard or soft materials. Simple Glove Puppets include:

• The Hand Puppet: The hand acts as a moveable mouth and head. Four fingers act as the upper lip and a thumb acts as the lower lip. Material covers the Puppet Master's arm, this acts as the puppet's body or neck.

Example: Healthy Harold by Life Education Australia.
• The Sock Puppet: A hand puppet made from a sock.
• The Glove Puppet: Three fingers act as the neck and arms.

Example: Sooty from The Sooty Show and Punch and Judy by Percy Press, Jr.

The features of Larger Glove Puppets may include a much larger puppet size, it may be more detailed in design and has the ability to manipulate different body parts such as controllable legs and mechanised mouths.
Example: Yoda from Star Wars and Sid now known as The Cookie Monster from the Coffee Break Machine, Muncho Commercials, The Ed Sullivan Show, Sesame Street, The Great Santa Claus Switch and the Muppet Show.

Glove Puppets have been used with stories, poetry, drama and language games to entertain and teach for centuries. The first account for a Glove Puppet dates back to the Fourteenth Century (1301-1400). It is seen in the Romance of Alexander in the Bodleian Library where two illustrations depict puppets in a theatre.

Values of Glove Puppets in Childrens Development
A Puppet Experience is a developmental appropriate in a supportive environment for children aged 3-5. Some values of a Puppet Experience include:

• Physical Developmental Domain:
  Encourages Fine Motor Skills
  Learn different grasps through the use of fingers, hands and arm movements
  Co-ordination development through the use of fingers, hands and arm movements
• Cognitive Developmental Domain:
  Develop cognitive concepts and ideas
  Provides a chance to solve problems
  Encourages the use of imagination, creativity and aesthetics.
  Good for short attention spans
  Encourages Expressive Language and Receptive Language
  Encourages vocabulary and language styles
• Social-Emotional Developmental Domain:
  Encourages Social Development, Emotional Development, Self Concept, Self Esteem, Moral Development, Temperament, Self Help Skills and Personality.
  Offers a time for one-to-one interaction
  Encourages different types of play eg parallel play, co-operative play etc
  Develops attitude of cooperation and acceptance skills
  Develops sharing skills
  Encourages awareness of roles in the community
  The experience is non fail
  Able to share feelings and thoughts with others
  Learn how it feels when they share their feelings and thoughts with others
  Learn how it feels when others share their feelings and thoughts
  Develops empathy towards others
  Develops concepts and ideas
  Develops positive attitude
  Encourages self expression

Bibliography:
The Prologue of Sir Thopas
http://www.thepuppetstudio.com
www.wikipedia.org
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~baronfum/puppets.html
Practical Ways for Creative Play, Fuller.J (2002), Pearson Education Australia, Riverwood NSW Australia
The Big Picture, Keams.K and Austin.B (2007), Personal Education, Sydney
3290A Support Children's Development in a Service, Developed by Community Services, Health, Tourism and Hospitality Division (2002), TAFE, NSW

The Sock Puppet
When one glues scrap pieces onto a sock and uses it as a Sock Puppet.

How to make The Sock Puppet:

You need:

• A Sock
• Fabric Glue
• Glue on Plastic Eyes
• Other accessories
• A Threading Needle
• Coloured Thread

Warning:

• The sock will still be a workable sock but with eyeballs.

Steps:

1. Glue eyes on the sock. Preferably where the head should be.
2. If you wish, glue or sew on other accessories.

The Soft Toy Glove Puppet
When one cuts up a Soft Toy, sews it back together and uses it as a Glove Puppet.

How to make The Soft Toy Glove Puppet:

You need:

• A Soft Toy
• Scissors
• A Threading Needle
• Coloured Thread

Warning:

• If you are under 18 ask permission from an adult to make the puppet. This excludes anybody over the internet unless the person is your carer.
• If you don't understand a step and you attempt to make this puppet it is at your own expense.
• The Soft Toy must be an appropriate fit to your hand.
• The quality of your finished product depends on your Soft Toy and your sewing ability.
  - A Soft Toy made out of sturdier material may allow your Puppet to stand better and not tatter at the end easily.
  - A better sewing technique will allow your Puppet to have a longer lasting life and not tatter at the end easily.

Steps:

1. Cut in a straight line the complete bottom half of the Soft Toy.
   It should now look something like this...
   . [o_O] .
   --| ♥ |--
2. Pull out the filling.
3. Fold the cloth at the bottom on the inside 1cm upwards twice.
4. Place pins in the cloth to hold the fold together.
5. Sew the fold together. Do not sew the bottom closed.
6. Take out the pins.