Puppet Friends

Suggested Grade Level: Preschool-K

Based on: Barney & Friends #710: "A New Friend"

Objectives:
Learning to be a friend involves sharing, taking turns, cooperative effort, being polite. Playing with others helps children make friends, cooperate and get along with others.

The children will:

• learn that they can make friends
• practice social skills such as using good manners, taking turns, being kind to people
• practice being a friend

Skills:

• Art
• Social skills: taking turns, polite manners, being a friend
• Role-playing

Materials:

• Paper bags (one per child)
• Markers, crayons, paint
• Glue
• Construction paper
• Yarn

Directions:
Talk to students about friends. Ask questions such as:

• Tell me about a time you made a new friend.
• What do you like to do with friends?
• What makes a person a good friend?

Give each child a paper bag. Encourage them to be as creative as possible as they make their "puppet friend" using yarn for hair, construction paper clothes, and by drawing or painting a face.

When everyone has completed their puppets, bring the class back together as a group. Ask for two volunteers to practice introducing his/her puppets to each other. Suggest they say, "Hi, I'm _____." "What's your name?" "Would you like to color (or play a game, etc.) with me?" See how many situations students can create as they each take turns roll playing with their puppets.

Extension:
Sing "Ten Little Friends"

While children are sitting in a group, sing this song as children hold up puppets to represent "friends."

"One little, two little, three little friends,
Four little, five little, six little friends,
Seven little, eight little, nine little friends.
Ten little friends in my class!"

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