Words & stories
Sock puppet friend
- Builds: Back-and-forth conversation
- 10 min
- Ages 2–5
- Calm
- No mess
From the house
- An old sock
- A marker
- A paper tongue and tape (optional)
How to play
- Put the sock on your hand and draw eyes and a nose together.
- Give it a name and let it say hello in a funny voice.
- The puppet asks them questions: “What did you eat today?”
- Swap: they wear the puppet and talk to you.
Fit it to your child
- Easier: You wear the puppet and keep it simple: it says hello, sneezes and asks for a high five.
- Harder: Make two puppets and put on a short show with a beginning, a problem and an ending.
Words to use
- hello
- eyes
- mouth
- name
Why it helps
Children often say more to a puppet than to a grown-up, and the puppet’s questions keep a real conversation going.