Presidential Puppets
Here's a fun way to introduce your kids to some of our most famous Presidents.
- Place a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter faceup on a smooth surface.
- Place a piece of paper over the coin and rub a crayon sideways over the paper. The face of Lincoln (penny), Jefferson (nickel), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (dime), and George Washington (quarter) will appear.
- Cut 4 pieces of cardboard about 1" x 5". Cut around each face and glue it to the end of a cardboard rectangle.
- Bend the cardboard at the bottom so it will stand up.
- To make finger puppets, glue the faces to the fingers of an old glove.
The information below will help you and your child learn about these Presidents. Then use questions like these to help get the puppet play going.
- What might the Presidents say if they were alive?
- What might they talk about to one another?
- What would you say if you were President?
George Washington (1732-1799) (1st President)
George Washington was born in colonial Virginia, survived smallpox in his youth, and became a land surveyor. After leading the ContinentalArmy to victory, he helped ratify the Constitution and was elected President twice. He refused to run for a third term. There were those who wanted to make him "king," but he preferred to be called the "President."
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) (3rd President)
A strong advocate of religious freedom, Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He lost his first bid to be President to John Adams and became the Vice President instead. In 1800 he was elected President of the United States. While in office, Jefferson supported the purchase of the Louisiana territories and the Lewis and Clark expedition. After leaving office, he founded the University of Virginia and designed the campus buildings.
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) (16th President)
Born in Kentucky in a log cabin with dirt floors, Lincoln was the first President to be born outside the 13 colonies. He became a lawyer not by going to college but by reading law books and then taking an exam. He wanted to be a senator from Illinois, but he lost the election. Later he was nominated for and elected President of the United States. Lincoln led the nation in fighting to preserve the union, when pro-slavery Southern states seceded from the Union. He was assassinated a few days after the Civil War ended. Lincoln liked reading to his children and had a cat named Bob.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) (32nd President)
Roosevelt was born in New York and became a lawyer, state senator, and then New York State Governor. As an adult he contracted polio, which made it hard for him to walk. Elected President during the Depression (1933), Roosevelt initiated the New Deal to help unemployed Americans, and launched Social Security as a safety net for older citizens. Roosevelt was President when the United States entered World War II in 1941. He died during his last term in office, so the Vice President, Henry S. Truman, became President in 1945. Roosevelt enjoyed swimming and loved reading books by Mark Twain.
You can find more fun facts about each of the Presidents in The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia, written by 10-year-old Noah McCullough.