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Ten Ideas for using your Puppet
by Karl Bastian
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Kids LOVE puppets, and respond so well to them! Here are some creative ways you can use puppets in your ministry BESIDES just doing "puppet shows."
1. TEACHING A BIBLE VERSE
Instead of teaching a verse to the kids - teach it to the puppet! The kids will laugh as the puppet gets it wrong - and then have the kids correct him/her. Soon they will both be saying it together!
2. MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcements are not boring when made by a puppet! Utilize props! One Sunday, Gus announced our up-coming Paper Airplane Fair by bringing out a GIANT PAPER AIRPLANE that said AIR GUS on it. I threw it out to the kids, and when it didn't fly very well, I said, "I think you need to come Saturday to our Paper Airplane Fair..." and gave the details. I let the kids who caught AIR GUS keep it too!
3. GO OVER RULES
Kids hate rules, but a puppet can lighten it by asking YOU why you have those rules and agreeing to follow them.
4. INTRODUCTIONS
Introduce your lessons with an object your puppet brought, or by some problem he/she is having that your lesson will solve. Next Sunday is "What Would Jesus Do," Gus will have on a WWID shirt, and when asked what it means, he will explain it means, "What Would I Do" and says whenever he has to make a decision he asks himself, "What Would I Do" and does that. You can see where to go from there.
5. GUESS A WORD
Sometimes I have the kids guess what letter our key word for the day begins with. I hold 26 pieces of candy and as they guess letters I remove one for every wrong guess and give the remaining to the kid who guess right. Then I have a puppet try to guess the word. (If "S" for Salvation he will guess Spaghetti, Silly Putty, Superman, and other obviously wrong guess until a kid guesses correctly)
6. REVIEW QUESTIONS
Have your puppet ask the kids review questions - OR have your puppet ask YOU questions about last week that you would like to reemphasize or review.
7. ASK MISS MOLLY
My girl puppet, Molly, has a box that is much like a "Dear Abby." Kids can write her questions about what they should do in different situations and she will answer them to the whole group whenever I have extra time at the end of Kid's Church. BUT SHE WILL NEVER REVEAL THE NAME OF THE KID WHO SUBMITTED THE QUESTION. That's important! I have learned a lot about what my kids are struggling with this way.
8. TELL JOKES
You can figure this one out - the best thing is, if the jokes are lame, YOU don't get stuck with the credit - you can blame it on the puppet and agree with the kids, "Gus, that was a dumb joke."
9. COMMERCIALS
Advertise upcoming events with puppets - write creative commercials that advertise the Bible, prayer, and other topics relating to your lessons.
10. BIBLE STORY REVIEW by KIDS!
Have kids use puppets to act out the Bible story after you have told it. Kids learn more by DOING then by just hearing.
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Karl Bastian, also known as the Kidologist, is Children's Pastor at The Village Church at Barrington, in the Chicago Area. His website is Kidology.org.
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