As part of our Dinosaur Week on The SEN Resources Blog we were very fortunate to try out  Pterodactyl and Triceratops Hand Puppets – thanks to Winslow Resources. 

The hand puppets are fantastic resources for parents, teachers, tutors and therapists to use with young children and/ children with special educational needs.

What did we like about them?

• Sensory– For children who benefit from sensory stimulation and/ children who are visually impaired, these hand puppets would be wonderful. They have different tactile elements- with their velvety, soft tummies and the Pterodactyl’s smooth, shiny wings. They also make interesting sounds, such as the ‘snap’ when you shut their mouths and the rustle of the Pterodactyl’s wings.

• Tool for Developing Speech, Language and Communication Skills-  We loved using them to practise pronouncing words, using the dinosaurs to say the words and getting the children to repeat them. Brilliant for developing speech, language and communication skills. The dinosaur puppets made the activity interesting and fun, they also provided motivation….and a lot of giggles!

• Engage Children in Reading- We found them to be fantastic for engaging children in reading (have a look at our recommended dinosaur themed books here). The children really enjoyed listening to the dinosaur puppets ‘read’ to them and it definitely kept them engaged for longer.

• Fun Imaginative Play Resource-  The dinosaur puppets aren’t just for grown ups to use either,  children can use them as a toy, as part of imaginative play and to create their own puppet shows!