Use This Simple Sock Puppet Making Activity to Teach Toddlers About Diversity

Lesson Plans About Diverstity in a Toddler Room

Introduction: Here is a lesson that explains how to create diversity sock puppets with toddlers. Children will be shown that we can like someone who is different.

Objective: Students will be introduced to the concept of diversity.

Materials:

• Socks.Make sure to have enough for each child (and one for yourself to model). Choose socks of different colors and sizes.
• Buttons of varying shapes, colors, sizes.
• Multi-colored and textured yarn or string.
• Hot glue gun or sewing materials (for adult use only) to attach items to socks.
• Extras: If you go to a craft store you can usually find small (doll or teddy bear sized) items such as glasses, hats, googly eyes.

Hint: You can gather these materials yourself or ask parents to help bring in some items.

Procedures:

1. Make the Puppets. Try to do this in small groups of 3-4 students per adult. Remind students that they may not put anything in their mouths.Keep a watchful eye, because toddlers will be using some small objects.
2. Have students select, or give them, a sock.
3. Set out choices for eyes (buttons, googly eyes, puffballs…) Allow students to select two objects for their puppet’s eyes.
4. Repeat for nose, hair, and accessories.
5. Use the hot glue gun to attach the selected items to each sock. Keep the glue gun out of the children’s’ reach. It would be a good idea to have an adult (another teacher or a parent volunteer) in charge of the glue gun.
6. Have children sit on the circle time rug with their puppets and comment on what a great job they did creating their puppets.
7. Point out that they all look different because they have different hair, eyes, and colors.
8. Explain that you are going to go around the circle and each student will tell the person sitting next to them one thing they like about their puppet. They will use the puppets to ‘talk.’
9. You can begin first to give the children an example. (For example, the teacher uses her puppet and says,“I like your big orange button eyes.”) If a student cannot do this, then the student can use the puppet to give the puppet next to him or her a ‘gentle kiss on the head’.
10. Allow students time to have free play with their puppets, and use at dramatic play.

For a lesson plan about diversity using the concept of Santa Claus, click on Polar Express: A Lesson on Diversity , by Laurie Patsalides.