Perfect for a spring, summer or animal theme, these paper plate frog puppets are easy to make and work well for action songs and stories.
Puppets are a terrific craft activity for young kids because they encourage creativity and role play, two skills at which preschoolers excel. By incorporating animal puppets into seasonal themes, spring crafts and summer activities, toddlers and preschoolers can learn about animals and also work on their fine motor skills.
Instructions for Frog Puppet
- 2 nine inch paper plates
- 2 egg cups from a recycled egg carton
- paint (green, pink, black and white)
- pink construction paper
- hot glue gun
- Fold one paper plate in half so that any designs on the plate are hidden when folded.
- Cut the other paper plate in half.
- Glue one of the half plates onto the back of the folded plate by putting hot glue around the edge of the folded plate and matching the rounded edges of the half plate over top of the glue, creating a pocket. Create a pocket on the other side of the folded plate by following the same instructions.
- Paint the inside of the folded plate pink. Once the pink paint is dry, paint the two half plate pockets green.
- Paint the front half of each of the egg cups white. Paint the back half of the egg cups green. When the white paint dries, paint a black circle in the middle to make an eye.
- Glue the eyes on one of the green pockets, facing the eyes toward the round edge. Cut a tongue out of pink construction paper and glue inside the frog's mouth.
To play with the puppet, put four fingers in the pocket that has the eyes glued on top and put the thumb in the bottom pocket. Open and close the frog’s mouth by squeezing the fingers and thumb together. Have the kids use the puppets to do actions with these songs and stories.
Frog Songs
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log, eating some most delicious bugs.
One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool, now there are four green speckled frogs.
Four green and speckled frogs…….now there are three green speckled frogs.
Three green and speckled frogs……now there are two green speckled frogs.
Two green and speckled frogs……now there is one green speckled frog.
One green and speckled frog……now there are no green speckled frogs.
Gagoo Went the Little Green Frog One Day
Gagoo went the little green frog one day, gagoo went the little green frog,
Gagoo went the little green frog one day, and his eyes went gaga too.
Now you know frogs go la-di-da-di-da, la-di-da-di-da, la-di-da-di-da,
Now you know frogs go la-di-da-di-da, they never go gagoo!
Frog Books
- A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson [McElderry Books, 2003]
- One Frog Sang by Shirley Parenteau [Candlewick Press, 2007]
- Finklehopper Frog by Irene Livingston [Tricycle Press, 2003]
- Leon’s Song by Stephanie Simpson McLellan [Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2004]
