Fish Finger Puppet / Craft Tutorial for Preschool

I love finger puppets! And I especially love sewing finger puppets with children! This craft tutorial from Storytime in the Schoolhouse shows you how to sew a simple fish finger puppet from a piece of felt.

Twice a month, our Storytime members have a “Craft Visit with Ms. Rae” and learn a new nature-based craft project. This video clip shares one of those craft visits. This project also goes along with the story Shimmer & Glimmer’s New Home.

Hand-sewn Fish Finger Puppet

Sew a simple finger puppet with felt. 

Materials:

• Simple fish pattern 
• Felt
• Needle
• Thread 
• Scissors

Method:

1. Find or draw a simple fish template to use as your pattern. Using sturdy paper or thin cardboard will make your pattern easier to trace.
2. Trace the pattern onto the fabric twice. You should have two fish drawn on your piece of felt.
3. Cut the two fish out and place them on top of one another.
4. Cut the desired thread length, knot the end, and thread your needle.
5. Leave an opening at the bottom of your fish where you will insert your finger. Mark that opening now with a pencil or piece of chalk. Start sewing at one edge of the opening for your finger and end at the other edge. 
6. To begin sewing, push the needle up from the bottom, through both layers of felt, and out the top. Pull the thread taut.
7. Repeat this step by bringing the thread up from the bottom, through both layers, and out the top. Pull the thread taut. 
8. Repeat this process until you have sewn all the way around the fish to the marked opening for your finger.
9. Tie a knot in your thread to secure it, and carefully snip the end with scissors.
10. Insert your finger into the fish, and you have a puppet!

Idea: Use a blue silk or fabric to cover your finger before you put your finger in the puppet to give your fish some water to swim in.

This finger puppet is a companion to Shimmer & Glimmer’s New Home, a story about separation and divorce for young children.

Interested in other summer-themed, nature-based craft projects?
Check out these other blog posts:

• Dyeing Rainbow Silks with Kool-Aid
• Giant Bubble Juice & Bubble Wand

Want to check out other episodes of Storytime in the Schoolhouse? Check out our freebie Storytime Seasonal Sampler, with a full week of episodes for each season.