Sunday, February 24, 2013

Astronaut Felt Finger Puppets


With their simple design and easy-to-cut pieces, these astronauts have quickly become a favorite of mine! We've used them as party favors for our Alien Party (inside a pinata), as souvenirs for a field trip, and treats for a space-themed walk-a-thon!

How to's: You need the template below, three colors of felt (white, blue, and sparkly black), some fabric paints (control panel), and some 1/4 inch wide ribbon.  It worked easiest for me to cut the ribbon into lengths of and position them in an X with a dot of glue. After those were dry, I set the ready to sew pieces on top with another dab of glue. Then I folded over the ribbons and secured them under the control panel.  When all was dry, I sewed them up, trimmed them, and added the fabric paint details.


Here are a couple of stories to try with it...



Written by former astronaut Mike Kelly, the almost true story of Mousetronaut is a cute little underdog story.  The littlest mouse is included on a space adventure even though he isn't the biggest and strongest.  He was noticed because he worked hard!  In the end, his size is exactly what is needed to solve a critical problem on board.  A great story for one of those days when your child is frustrated by being little!
Hedgie Blasts Off, by Jan Brett, is a fun little story about a hedgehog that wanted to be an astronaut but wasn't allowed, until one day when an opportunity arrived.  Hedgie got the job done!  Nice sparkle pages add to the kid-friendliness of the book.

Also try Meghan McCarthy's Astronaut Handbook for a non-fiction guide to the astronaut business and  Joan Sweeney's Me and My Place in Space for a great introduction to the universe for kids, starting with the planets and then to the stars.


   

1 comment:

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