Make your characters. Take a little bit of time to fashion your finger puppets. If you do a good job, the puppets should last for several months. Just remember not to get rough with the puppets while you are telling your stories. To make the puppet, cut a piece of colored paper 3-inches by 3-inches. Roll the paper around your index finger. Add a dot of glue to the end of the rolled piece of paper to glue the paper into a tube. Cut a small, round circle of skin, scales or fur-colored paper, and add on eyes, nose and mouth. Glue on strips of hair or head appendages to the edge of the face for the hair or other facial features, and glue it to the top of the tube. This will be the head. Cut two 1/2-inch by
2-inch long pieces of colored paper for the arms. Cut two small, skin-colored half-circles for the hands, and glue them on the arms. Add any decorations--wings, claws, tails or other body parts--that are needed to create your character. Make all of your basic characters before you start telling your story.
Pick out a story, or make up one of your own.
Put together a puppet box. Cut a hole out of the bottom of a cardboard box that is big enough for your scenery. Remove the lid flaps so the back is open. You will need the back to be open so that you can put your hands inside to tell the story. Make scenery out of construction paper and scrap cardboard.
Start telling your story. Put your characters on your fingers, and wiggle them as you tell the story. Speak in silly voices, make the characters move and play as you tell the story. Children love when you add effects. Throw in storm sounds, wind sounds, animal noises, sing silly songs and any thing else you can add to the atmosphere. Use the scenery to allow the children to get more involved in the story. Make sure they know you are enjoying telling the story because they can tell if you don't like what you are doing. If they see your excitement, then they will enjoy it even more.