Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Creating Home: A Program on Developing a Sense of Home Grounded in Faith for Grades K-1

Activity 3: Making Coyote Finger Puppets

Part of Creating Home

Activity time: 15 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Copies of Handout 1, Coyote Finger Puppets
  • Copies of story, "How Coyote Stole Fire" (short version) for all participants
  • Color markers or crayons
  • Scissors (including left-handed scissors)
  • Cardboard rolls from paper towels or gift wrap
  • Glue sticks and clear tape

Preparation for Activity

  • Collect the cardboard rolls from paper towels or gift wrap. Cut the rolls into segments 2" long. You can give each child one segment to make one puppet, or six segments to make all of the puppets.
  • Print out Handout 1, Coyote Finger Puppets. Photocopy for all participants.
  • Pre-set worktables with scissors, markers or crayons, glue sticks, and clear tape.
  • Make a "practice" finger puppet so you can easily show participants how to do it.
  • Photocopy the short version of story, "How Coyote Stole Fire," for all participants to take home with their finger puppets.

Description of Activity

Gather the children at worktables. Invite them to make their own puppets. Tell them they can use the puppets to pretend to be characters in the story, "How Coyote Stole Fire."

Distribute Handout 1, Coyote Finger Puppets. Help the children name each of the six characters: Coyote, a Fire Being, Squirrel, Chipmunk, Frog, and Wood.

Invite children to begin coloring the puppet figures. Visit each child and offer to help cut out their puppets.

Demonstrate how participants can use glue sticks to attach the figures to the cardboard roll segments, and then secure the figure to the cardboard with clear adhesive tape.

Allow the children time to play with their finger puppets. Invite them to act out parts of the story.

Give each child a copy of the story to take home, along with their finished finger puppets and materials to complete unfinished figures at home.