Happy Monday, everyone! Hope your Easter was a blessed one. If you’re rolling in leftover Easter Eggs, don’t forget I rounded up 20 recipes and ideas for leftover hard-boiled eggs so you’re covered. š We had a lovely day and only one wrestling match over a wayward candy-filled egg so I call that a ‘win’. My parents are in town too, which is fantastic in and of itself but also means I might get a few minutes to photograph my latest projects for the blog. I have so much to share and can’t wait to find a few free minutes to do so!
In the meantime, summer is on it’s way so I’ve been scouting out ideas for kids to keep the troops occupied. The folks at Fun.com sent over an awesome Melissa and Doug Puppet Theater to review which kicked my kids into pretend play mode! I’ve wanted this puppet theater for awhile, and I was thrilled to see it’s as sturdy and well-made as I’d hoped. Puppets are one of those ‘dream’ items I loved having as a teacher because they inspire creative play while also encouraging speaking skills, communication, role play, and more. My own kids could barely contain themselves when it arrived and hounded me incessantly until I set it up. Within moments of setting it upright, they’d taken over.
Though, it took a little bit before they learned the ropes.
ummm… face the puppet out and stand BEHIND the curtain darlings
Who needs puppets? Kitty and Thomas both took turns in the spotlight.
Did I mention it was sturdy? A MUST in our home. These supports prevent it from tipping forward, a miracle considering how roughly my kids are playing with it!
Now. Puppet play is all fun and games until the kids get tired of the same puppets and they run out of things to act out. I created a set of Puppet Prompts that you can use (puppet theater or not) to encourage them to keep going! Simply click here to access the free printable puppet activities, and you can print from there. Better get printing: summer is coming!
If you’re looking for a place to purchase the Melissa and Doug puppet theater, I highly recommend Fun.com. They’ve been a dream to work with and extremely fast with shipping. They also have adorable puppets on their site, including many Sesame Street puppets as well as this pirate puppet and ballerina whom I both adore.
Looking for more kids’ ideas and activities? Check out my ridiculously overflowing Ideas for Kids pinboard!
Okay, I’m off to put away the Easter decorations and start doing some summer planning. Do you have any favorite kids’ activities to keep them occupied while on school breaks and vacations? Please share!
This is NOT a compensated post. Many thanks to Fun.com for allowing me to review the Melissa and Doug Puppet Theater! All opinions are 100% my own.
Jennifer O says
My girls would so love this! They enjoy their puppets and we don’t even have a theater! So cute and fun! And love your tips for keeping puppet play “fresh” for them! Thanks!
Raya says
How cute! I used to make shows using Barbie dolls and whatever toys were laying around. This wold be so fun for a rainy day or just to get the TV off!
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
Looks like so much fun! I’m looking for a way for my Brownies to talk about saving water. Maybe using puppets would get them excited.
Jessica @EatSleepBe says
We used to have a puppet theatre and my kids absolutely loved it. I have to admit that we loved watching their “plays” too!
Caitlin says
adorable! This would keep my daughter bust for hours since her imagination is taking off
Trina says
Love this idea! It would also be a great activity for a birthday party and have all the kids make sock puppets š
Heather says
What awesome ideas for puppet play with young ones! I find with a little help I have much more productive play!
Reesa Lewandowski says
This is just adorable! My kids would love this, they adore puppets! And what a great way to get their little minds going!
Jeannette says
Underwater voice LOL. I’ve got to try that one out š