Sock Puppets and Parenting Help... courtesy of Netflix

As parents, teaching our children important life skills and values is an important part of our job. Children are influenced by their friends, their teachers, and countless media sources (including TV, movies, apps, and games). Rather than trying to compete with all these outside influences, it can sometimes be easier to work with them. Watching TV together can spark conversations and inspire creative ideas for playing together. Recently, my boys and I made some DIY sock puppets inspired by popular Netflix* characters. We had a lot of fun creating a comedy show video together.

How cute are the puppets we made?

To make a Walter puppet: you'll need a blue sock for the body, clear wiggly eyes, black felt for the mouth, white felt for the teeth, blue pom poms for the belly, and a blue pipe cleaner for the antennas. You can use fabric or hot glue to attach everything.

To make a Kip puppet: you'll need an orange sock for the body, blue wiggly eyes, an orange pom pom for the nose, black felt for the mouth, white felt for the teeth, a tan felt circle for the belly, and orange felt for the ears. You can use fabric or hot glue to attach everything.

To make a Peri puppet: you'll need a tan sock for the body, black yarn for the hair, pink wiggly eyes, pearls for the necklace, and pink tulle for the skirt. You can use fabric or hot glue to attach everything.

Check out the puppet show my boys performed with their sock puppets. Don't you love when your kids tell jokes?

Do you use your kids' favourite shows as a way to communicate with them and spend time together? According to Common Sense Media, entertainment can be a strong tool for teaching empathy as it showcases strong, supportive bonds between characters of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, for example. Fuller House is a favourite with my boys, and it has helped us have conversations about the importance of family, compromise, and working together.

What are some of your kids' favourite shows and characters on Netflix? Have you used any of these shows/characters to talk to your kids about their values and/or teach them about important like skills? I hope you enjoy my boys' puppets and video. Perhaps you'll be inspired to spend some time creating your own Netflix production with your little ones.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

*Disclosure: I receive special gifts and perks as part of my affiliation with Netflix.... however (as always) the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.