Cookie Monster Sock Puppet

I prepped these for William's Sesame St themed first birthday party, but it was an activity we never got to that day.  Then, yesterday, Natalie saw the picture that inspired them on my computer and asked to make them.


What Do Need for Yours to Look Like Ours:

• Men's tube sock
• Piece of blue felt - Cookie Monster is like a medium blue
• Two googly eyes - medium or big size
• Scrap of black craft foam (or felt)
• Scrap of light brown felt
• Brown or black marker
• Scissors
• Glue
• Piece of paper about the size of a postcard

What to Do:

1. On the blue felt, trace a hand with the thumb and pinkie sticking out.  Now, I traced Natalie's hand.  That was a mistake for the original puppet idea I saw on Pinterest (scroll down to see it).  Her hand was too small; when I tried to glue it together, she couldn't maneuver her hand inside.  So, instead, I decided to change it into a sock puppet.  If you want a regular puppet, I suggest tracing an adult hand so there is plenty of room.  
2. Cut out the tracing.  
3. Cut a circle out of the light brown felt.  It should be about the size of a golf ball.  
4. Cut out the mouth from the black craft foam (or felt).  Make sure it is open wide ready to eat the cookie!
5. Now you are ready to start assembly.  Turn the blue felt for the body so that any tracing marks are facing down onto the table.  
6. Glue on the eyes, mouth and cookie.  
7. Draw dots on the cookie with the brown or black marker to make chocolate chips.  
8. Slide the paper inside the sock.  This is so that if the glue soaks through the sock, it won't stick together when it dries.  
9. Glue Cookie Monster on to the sock!  

This was William's first time making this type of craft.

Extensions:

• These are pretty easy to adapt for the other Muppets monsters.  You could make Elmo, Zoe, Oscar, and Grover without much adaption.  If you do make them all, its a great opportunity to talk about colors.  (Dover also makes these great Sesame St color themed sticker books you could use). 
• There are lots and lots of Sesame St books out there to read!  Our favorites featuring Cookie are ABC's of Cookies and Let's Eat. 
• You can have some fun pretend play / role play with any kind of puppet.  You and your child can take turns being Cookie.   You can just be silly, or you can do some serious role playing about sharing or emotions. 
• If you are big Sesame St fans, you can act out a favorite episode.  I'm a big fan of "Get Lost Mr Chips" from the most recent season (43), but any skit with Cookie and Prairie Dawn is usually pretty fun. 
• Sing "C is for Cookie."
• Make cookies!  Don't forget to let model reading the recipe and counting when you measure.  Also, let your little one help pour and mix.  
• If you are super silly (or brave) you could take your Cookie Monster puppet on a trip to a local bakery for a little field trip.  You could have lots of fun making Cookie pine over the cookies and press his face to the display case glass.  :)