Attention Seeking Tulip Puppet

One of my favorite spring crafts at Making Learning Fun is the Tulip Puppet on a paint stick. It can be used as a craft and extended into an educational learning activity and a behavior modifier.

Have your kiddos make the craft (you can find the pattern and directions here) letting each child pick their favorite color for the flower portion.

Now sit together in a circle time fashion and say the following rhyme:

I’m a little tulip
tall and thin.
I wait all winter for the spring.
When the snow melts
I pop right out.
Welcome Spring is what I shout!

Have the children listen carefully making sure they "pop" up when you get to that line of the rhyme. Encourage them them to join in on the last line saying "Welcome Spring is what I shout".

To add even more fun change the opening line saying, "I'm a red tulip". Now only the children with a RED tulip can pop right out. Continue repeating the rhyme until all the children's tulip colors have been called out.

Adding this option to the rhyme really helps children develop listening skills. The children have to listen for their color word to be called. It helps develop patience too as children have to wait for their color to be called.

Another reason this is my favorite craft is because the tulip prop is movable. If you have an antsy child, send a slight wave of your tulip their way. That way the tulip with grab the child's attention and draw them back to the activity at hand.

Tulip puppets really can Make Learning Fun!!