USING PUPPETS TO TEACH HOLIDAY VOCABULARY

Puppets love going on holiday too!

Here are some ideas on how you can best exploit puppets and simple props to teach holiday vocabulary.  You’ll find that puppets really lend themselves well to the topic of holidays!

Pack lists

Show the students your puppet and make it look really excited!  Ask the class (I’m going to use my monkey puppet as an example) ‘Why do you think Charlie is so excited today?’  Then Charlie pulls out his passport and sunglasses!  Now ask the class ‘Where do you think he’s going?’  If they still can’t guess, bring out some other accessories from your puppet’s basket.  Things like suncream, swimming costume, etc will guide them towards ‘Charlie’s going on holiday!’ and start to introduce the holiday vocabulary you want to teach.

Tell the class that they need to help Charlie by telling him what to pack. (Remember to tell the students if your puppet is having a beach/mountain holiday.)  If the students have difficulty in coming up with things to take, then use flashcards to help prompt them.  Hold one up and say ‘What about a/an X?’ Students say yes/no or show hands.  Or if the students have been sitting down for a long time, stand up = yes and sit down = no.

monkey puppet on holiday

Charlie on holiday: some ideas on how you can use your puppet to teach and/or revise holiday vocabulary for EFL/ESL students

Postcards & Photo Books

Take a series of photos of your puppet on holiday (I’ve always got at least one puppet in my backpack!).  When you return, the students quiz the puppet on what she/he/it did on holiday.  You can even make a photo-book or use the tablet as a photo-diary of what the puppet did.  You can show the stages; packing, transport to the holiday destination, the accommodation, the puppet’s room, the food (eating out, or eating different things), free-time activities, coming back home.  This will make all the holiday vocabulary much more memorable!

postcard from a monkey puppet

Here are some follow-up activities from the British Council:

https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/category/topics/holidays

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