Sock it to Me!

In this month's Ranger Rick, we gave you the basic instructions for making caterpillar sock puppets. Now here are some added touches to help you craft an even finer puppet or two!

 

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

What You Need:

  • Scraps of yellow, white, and black felt
  • Four blue pipe cleaners (or scraps of blue felt)
  • Several small, black pom-poms
  • Several small, yellow pom-poms
     

What You Do:

  1. For eyes and eyespots: Take the felt scraps and cut out the parts for the eyes and the eyespots (fake eyes) behind them. Assemble the parts and glue them on the top of the foot of a basic caterpillar puppet.  
  2. For blue spots on the 'pillar's back: Cut the blue pipe cleaners into about 20 short pieces. Roll each piece into a tight coil. (Or use scraps of blue felt, if you want.) Glue these on and let them dry.
  3. For each leg: Glue a black and a yellow pom-pom together and let dry. Then glue the legs onto the sock and let them dry completely.  

 

Monarch Caterpillar

What You Need:

  • Scraps of yellow, white, and black felt
  • One black pipe cleaner
  • One white pipe cleaner (optional)
  • Several small, white pom-poms
  • Several small, black pom-poms
     

What You Do:

  1. For the stripes: Cut out thin strips of yellow and white felt (or use yarn, if you want) and glue them in place. Let them dry. 
  2. For eyes: Cut out circles from white and black felt. Then glue them on the top of the foot of a basic caterpillar. 
  3. For antennae: You can use just a black pipe cleaner or you can twist together a black and white pipe cleaner. Glue white pom-poms on the ends of the antennae, if you want. Bend the antennae into a V-shape and then flatten the "V" in the middle. Then glue them onto the puppet's head, adding a black pom-pom, if you want. 
  4. For each leg: Glue a white and a black pom-pom together and let it dry. Then glue the legs onto the sock and let the glue dry completely. 

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Cover June-July 2012
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Check out these highlights from the June-July issue of Ranger Rick magazine.

  • Meet some animal dads that devote a lot of time to their little ones.

  • It leaps like a rabbit, kicks like a horse, and has the head of a deer. With a red kangaroo, you get a whole zoo!
  • New Ranger Rick Game Apps
    Parent and Educators' Guide

     Ranger Rick

    See this helpful guide for the latest tips.

    And, to view past copies of the guide, check out the Parents and Educators Guide archives.

    Nature Notebook

     Ranger Rick with binoculars

    Check out the latest Nature Notebook!
    Visit the Nature Notebook archives to download copies.