Carol Peters
With over 30 years experience in art education , Carol is an award winning artist , actress , executive producer and star of “ Carol on Creativity ” Named 2021 Poppy Jasper International Film Festival ’ s Art Icon . Her passion is to bring art alive for young and young at heart . Contact Carol at : caroljp @ garlic . com
KIDS corner
Sad , Happy , Excited , Angry , Mad , Scared
With Guest Artist Luke Berta , 3 years old
We are all adjusting to “ the new normal .” Your child may be entering into new situations such as school , summer camp , day care , or a new sitter , which means dealing with new adults and peers . It ’ s a BIG adjustment ! More freedom and independence can be scary and children may have a hard time dealing with change .
Creating puppets that show different emotions , and playing with them , gives children a chance to learn that their emotions are normal and that everyone gets sad , happy , excited , or angry sometimes .
Tips ... Using finished puppets
When your child seems sad and can ’ t communicate … have your puppet ask another puppet “ What happened to you today ?” Encourage your child to pick up a puppet to show and tell you what happened . Role playing lets them use the puppet to voice what they feel in a safe situation .
When you find out what happened to the child , who may be lashing out , quiet , or has changed behaviors , talk about ways to handle the child ’ s feelings . Making the connection between emotions and behavior can help the child open up and feel better ..
Each puppet can have both good and bad behaviors so the child knows that each puppet is not All Bad or All Good . This way the child understands that emotions may be behind their peers ’ or adults ’ actions-that they are not “ just a mean kid ” or “ a bossy teacher . “
Use the puppets for ALL emotions … Celebrate a pretend birthday party or a summer of new independence — feeling happy and excited .
88 SUMMER 2021 gmhTODAY Magazine gmhtoday . com