Now here’s creativity on the run. Next time your children have ice-creams or ice-lollies, keep the sticks (or ask you GP for a couple of tongue depressors at the next visit, pharmacies stock them too). With a few khoki pens you can create some really fun stick puppets in just a minute or two. No gluing, no sewing, no cutting. Or, add glue, paint and some googly eyes for even more fun.

You will need:

  • Wooden ice lolly sticks / tongue depressors
  • Khoki pens
  • Glue, paint and googly eyes (optional)

What to do:

  • Give the ice lolly sticks a good wash and let them dry completely. No need to do so with unused tongue depressors
  • Take your khoki pens and draw eyes, nose and mouth, using different facial expressions on each stick. Add details such as hair, glasses, a necklace or a tie, etc. (older children can do all this themselves, parents of preschools will have to get more involved)
  • If you have enough sticks you can create your family for your child to play with, or a bunch of characters for a little play. Write the names of the characters on the back of the puppets to help the puppeteer
  • OR paint the stick and let them dry
  • Stick on googly eyes and draw on the face