ABSTRACT

In this chapter, the authors focus on how they use puppets in the Incredible Years Dinosaur Program to teach children emotional management and problem-solving skills. The puppets in this curriculum are large, child-size puppets dressed according to the different cultures and gender they are working with. The puppets in this curriculum are large, child-size puppets dressed according to the different cultures and gender they are working with. Puppets can facilitate pretend play that helps children experience the feelings of other characters. Puppets act out stories with children and explore feelings and ways to cope with uncomfortable feelings. Clinicians can use puppets to help children understand that an uncomfortable feeling such as anger, frustration, sadness, fearfulness, or loneliness is a "signal" that they have a problem that needs to be solved. Puppets are an extremely effective teaching technique for modeling these first problem-solving steps and for engaging children in practices that bring problem-solving discussions to life.