Decorate a paper lunch bag to make a hand puppet. Draw or stick on eyes, a mouth, hair, ears. Slip the hand in so the folded bottom becomes the moving mouth. Two puppets = a show. The character the child invents almost always reflects something they're thinking about.

What you need

paper lunch bags
markers
scissors
glue
paper scraps (optional)

How to do it

1Give each child a paper bag and ask: 'Who is this going to be?' Wait for the answer.
2Draw the face with the bag flat. The fold at the bottom becomes the moving mouth.
3Add whatever it needs: cut paper ears, yarn hair, scrap fabric.
4Put the puppet on and introduce it. Ask it a question. Watch what comes back.

Variations

Korb-Tür: If they're reluctant to decorate, make your own puppet first. Draw a simple face, stick it on your hand, and have a quiet conversation with it. They'll almost always want to make one after watching.
Ausstieg: After the conversation, put the puppet in a 'bed' (a box or bag) and say, 'Time for your puppet to rest now.' The puppet stays in its rest spot, marking a natural close without taking it apart.

💡 Parent tip

Ask the puppet questions rather than the child. 'What does your puppet think about bedtime?' gets a more honest answer than asking the child directly.

What your child develops

Narrative and social play — creating a character requires giving it a personality and viewpoint
Fine motor — cutting, gluing, and drawing on a 3D surface
Emotional processing — children often say things through puppets they won't say directly