Other Puppets

Jump, Jiggle, & Jam CD

Featuring:

• Rockin’ Three Billy Goats
• The Tortoise and the Hare
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Jam
• The Three Little Pigs
• Goldie Locks Story Rap
• The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza
• Johnny Jeremiah

Award Winning Puppets

Among the most celebrated of toys, Folkmanis® Puppets are consistently awarded excellent marks by such independent toy evaluators as Dr. Toy, Parents' Choice and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, and win the country's top toy awards. 

Cleaning Recommendations

DO NOT PUT IN WASHER OR DRYER. This will destroy your puppet. Our plush puppets are surface-washable only. Do not submerge the puppet in water. For spot cleaning, use lukewarm water and sponge with Woolite® or other mild liquid detergent to wet and lather fur. Rinse surface with sponge. Be careful not to wring or twist the puppet, or you may end up with lumpy stuffing. Dry by gently squeezing between towels, or hanging from clothesline to drip-dry. After it’s dry, shake it out. For short pile plush, use a brush to fluff the fur. When brushing face, be careful to avoid scratching the eyes or pulling out the threads in ears, nose, or mouth areas.    

Puppet Care

For long pile fluffy plush, we recommend a vigorous shake-out to freshen your puppet up if it gets flattened or crushed. Do not comb or brush because you will lose the shape of the tufts.

Books to Pair with Folkmanis Puppets

Folkmanis® Puppets work magical wonders at storytime and can make a book come alive for listeners and readers of all ages!

To that end, we've created a list of Books to pair with our puppets. You can download this list, click here for the .pdf file.

Puppeteering Tips

With puppet in hand, proceed to the nearest mirror to try it on for size. By following these few tips, you’ll soon convince friends that you’re a natural puppeteer.

1. Insert your thumb in one paw, and the little finger in the other. This leaves three fingers for the manipulation of the nose and/or mouth. NOTE: even if you’re right-handed, you might find your left hand more relaxed for puppeteering (or vice-versa.) This is a common experience, and one we can’t explain.
2. With the animal on one hand, hold it in the crook of your other arm. This gives your puppet a nice nest and conceals the secret of your participation. Remember that nothing looks more awkward (or unconvincing) than a puppet perched on the end of an extended arm and hand.
3. If your puppet has a snout (bears, beavers, raccoons, skunks) two twitching fingers will produce a wiggling nose.
4. Have your puppet crawl up your shoulder, tug at your sleeve, scratch, twist around, or hide in the crook of your arm.
5. For animals with tails, nest the puppet on your free arm, extending your fingers of that arm toward the elbow of your “puppet arm.” Position your thumb under the base of the tail and move it up and down to swish the tail.
6. The sea otter, small panda, and cats look particularly endearing on their backs, in the crook of your arm. From this position, have them gaze at their audience, occasionally hiding their eyes behind their paws, scratching, or nestling down for a snooze.
7. Props like rubber balls, oranges, small mirrors, cups, or wrapped candy will awaken the natural curiosity of your animal.
8. Insert your whole hand through the hidden sleeve of the larger, cuddly animals for animated head action.

View more puppet demos at Folkmanis' YouTube page. 

Other Resources

• Britannica - Types of puppets
• World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts
• The Henson Foundation - Supports innovation in puppetry arts. The foundation gives out grants and has an email newsletter.
• Center for Puppetry Arts - An organization in Atlanta, Georgia that offers workshops, performances, a museum, and classes via videoconferencing.
• UNIMA - International puppetry organization with funding sources, scholarships, and a monthly magazine.
• Puppeteers of America - A national group holding regular festivals around the country and producing a monthly journal. 

Folkmanis Finger Puppets

Folkmanis Glove Puppet

Bumblebee

Other Puppets

Jump, Jiggle, & Jam CD

Featuring:

• Rockin’ Three Billy Goats
• The Tortoise and the Hare
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Jam
• The Three Little Pigs
• Goldie Locks Story Rap
• The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza
• Johnny Jeremiah

Award Winning Puppets

Among the most celebrated of toys, Folkmanis® Puppets are consistently awarded excellent marks by such independent toy evaluators as Dr. Toy, Parents' Choice and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, and win the country's top toy awards. 

Cleaning Recommendations

DO NOT PUT IN WASHER OR DRYER. This will destroy your puppet. Our plush puppets are surface-washable only. Do not submerge the puppet in water. For spot cleaning, use lukewarm water and sponge with Woolite® or other mild liquid detergent to wet and lather fur. Rinse surface with sponge. Be careful not to wring or twist the puppet, or you may end up with lumpy stuffing. Dry by gently squeezing between towels, or hanging from clothesline to drip-dry. After it’s dry, shake it out. For short pile plush, use a brush to fluff the fur. When brushing face, be careful to avoid scratching the eyes or pulling out the threads in ears, nose, or mouth areas.    

Puppet Care

For long pile fluffy plush, we recommend a vigorous shake-out to freshen your puppet up if it gets flattened or crushed. Do not comb or brush because you will lose the shape of the tufts.

Books to Pair with Folkmanis Puppets

Folkmanis® Puppets work magical wonders at storytime and can make a book come alive for listeners and readers of all ages!

To that end, we've created a list of Books to pair with our puppets. You can download this list, click here for the .pdf file.

Puppeteering Tips

With puppet in hand, proceed to the nearest mirror to try it on for size. By following these few tips, you’ll soon convince friends that you’re a natural puppeteer.

1. Insert your thumb in one paw, and the little finger in the other. This leaves three fingers for the manipulation of the nose and/or mouth. NOTE: even if you’re right-handed, you might find your left hand more relaxed for puppeteering (or vice-versa.) This is a common experience, and one we can’t explain.
2. With the animal on one hand, hold it in the crook of your other arm. This gives your puppet a nice nest and conceals the secret of your participation. Remember that nothing looks more awkward (or unconvincing) than a puppet perched on the end of an extended arm and hand.
3. If your puppet has a snout (bears, beavers, raccoons, skunks) two twitching fingers will produce a wiggling nose.
4. Have your puppet crawl up your shoulder, tug at your sleeve, scratch, twist around, or hide in the crook of your arm.
5. For animals with tails, nest the puppet on your free arm, extending your fingers of that arm toward the elbow of your “puppet arm.” Position your thumb under the base of the tail and move it up and down to swish the tail.
6. The sea otter, small panda, and cats look particularly endearing on their backs, in the crook of your arm. From this position, have them gaze at their audience, occasionally hiding their eyes behind their paws, scratching, or nestling down for a snooze.
7. Props like rubber balls, oranges, small mirrors, cups, or wrapped candy will awaken the natural curiosity of your animal.
8. Insert your whole hand through the hidden sleeve of the larger, cuddly animals for animated head action.

View more puppet demos at Folkmanis' YouTube page. 

Other Resources

• Britannica - Types of puppets
• World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts
• The Henson Foundation - Supports innovation in puppetry arts. The foundation gives out grants and has an email newsletter.
• Center for Puppetry Arts - An organization in Atlanta, Georgia that offers workshops, performances, a museum, and classes via videoconferencing.
• UNIMA - International puppetry organization with funding sources, scholarships, and a monthly magazine.
• Puppeteers of America - A national group holding regular festivals around the country and producing a monthly journal. 

The LEGO StoryTales Set is a fantastic resource for fostering early literacy and storytelling skills in young children. It's designed to help children engage in imaginative storytelling, understand narrative structure, and express themselves creatively. Here are some book suggestions that pair well with the LEGO StoryTales Set, building on the learning objectives it supports: 

1. Books Focused on Narrative Structure and Elements:
   • The Princess and the Pea: This classic story is a great example for focusing on plot and events. You can use the LEGO set to build a scene from the story and discuss the beginning, middle, and end.
   • The Three Billy Goats Gruff: This story helps children understand the sequence of events and introduces them to simple narrative structure.
   • Little Seed: This story can encourage children to express their thoughts and opinions as they follow the journey of a little seed.
   • Different Ending This type of story can help children understand how changing elements can impact a narrative and allow them to get creative with their own versions.
   • Vacation Stories: These books can help children recount and describe familiar experiences or events, and then translate them into building scenarios with the LEGO set. 
2. Books for Creative Storytelling and Building Inspiration:
   • From Head to Toe by Eric Carle: Children can act out the actions described in the book and build mini-figures that represent different body parts or poses.
   • Don't Push the Button by Bill Cotter: You can encourage children to press buttons (either drawn or represented by LEGO bricks) as they follow the story.
   • LEGO Cute Ideas: This book offers a variety of adorable building ideas, perfect for inspiring creative builds with the StoryTales set.
   • The LEGO Ideas Book: A treasure trove of ideas for building with LEGO bricks, encouraging imagination and creative problem-solving.
3. Books with Animal-Themes:
   • The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright: gentle social-emotional themes.
   • Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson: strong rhythm, great for retelling with LEGO animals.
   • Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae: encourages kids to build characters and explore personal expression.
   • The Mitten by Jan Brett: wonderful for sequencing and collaborative storytelling.
4. Books That Inspire Dramatic Play & Retelling:
   • There’s a Dragon in Your Book by Tom Fletcher: interactive, imaginative, and perfect for building a scene.
   • This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen: simple but effective for retelling and exploring character motives.
   • Chalk by Bill Thomson: wordless picture book that invites storytelling through images (great for open-ended builds).
5. General Considerations:
   • Age Appropriateness: Choose books that are suitable for the targeted age group (Pre-K to K)
   • Engagement: Select books that are engaging and encourage active participation.
   • Open-ended Questions: Pose questions that encourage children to think about the story and how they can recreate or extend it with the LEGO set, such as "What would happen if the character made a different choice?"

By combining the LEGO StoryTales Set with these types of books, you can create exciting and educational experiences that enhance language and literacy skills while sparking creativity and imagination. 

Animals by Lego Education

• Plants and Animals
• Getting Started Card in English
• Getting Started Cards in other languages
• Animal Inventory List

StoryTales Resources

• StoryTales Teacher Guide
• StoryTales Lesson Plans
• StoryTales Inventory List

Ukulele Strap

These straps attach by hooking onto the bottom of the sound hole and extending under the body before looping around your neck or chest. While the strap provides support, you’ll still need to keep a hand on the ukulele to prevent it from flipping over. Even so, it can make playing more comfortable.

Types of Ukulele Picks

The classic ukulele pick is the felt pick, which comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and hardness. The softer the felt, the mellower the sound. SCSL Musical Instrument Kits come with a variety of picks to choose from.

1. Felt picks 

• A classic pick that comes in many shapes, sizes, and thicknesses
• Softer felt produces a mellower sound
• Good for strumming
• Can help build fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination

2. Leather picks 

• A classic material that's flexible and has a hole that you can pinch
• Plastic picks
• Thin plastic picks are good for louder strumming and lead-guitar picking 
• Alaska picks are made to fit under your fingernail 

3. Rubber picks 

• Modern picks that come in a range of thicknesses and degrees of hardness

4. Thumb picks 

• Puts the picking surface on the side of your thumb, allowing for a more natural hand position

5. Plectrums or Flat picks 

• Can be made from plastic, wood, or metal
• Thinner picks are easier to use at first
• Heavier picks can lend more bite to the sound

6. Homemade picks

• use a coin
• DIY a pick by cutting a shape out of a plastic card, a piece of felt, or a piece of leather. If you chose a flimsy type of material, glue it to a think weighted paper or cardboard.

Clip-on Tuner for Ukulele

Printed instructions

Ukulele capo

What is a capo?

A capo, short for capotasto (Italian for "head of the fretboard"), is a small tool that clamps around the neck of your ukulele, pressing down all the strings at a specific fret. This allows you to effectively "bar" the strings without using your finger.

What can you do with a ukulele capo?

Using a capo raises the pitch of your ukulele, making it easier to play in different keys without retuning or transposing chords.

Do I need a ukulele capo?

This is entirely a personal preference. A capo is not essential, but it can be a useful tool for expanding your playing options.

Are there different types of capos?

Absolutely! The South Carolina State Library has included a spring-loaded capo with your kit. Other types of capos, not included in this kit, include C-clamp capos, elastic or toggle capos, and the NS Ukulele Capo Pro, just to name a few.

Ukulele resource links:

• Ukulele Notation Guide
• Free Chord & Lyric Sheets from Live Ukulele
• HOW TO UKE: Tips and  tricks  for learning  the ukulele by Katya Herman & Heather McClelland
• Ukulele Basics from ukeeducation.org

Ukulele magazine articles and links:

1. The Birth of the Ukulele by Sandor Nagyszalanczy
2. Your First Ukulele Lesson: A Beginner’s Guide to Playing Ukulele by Heidi Swedberg 
3. Getting Started on Ukulele: Learn Your First 4 Basic Chords by Ukulenny
4. Lessons and Advice
5. Uke Basics
6. Your Guide to Ukulele Picks & Why You May Want One by Gary Peare
7. How to Read Ukulele Music: Your Guide to Understanding Musical Notation by Adam Perlmutter
8. Play Like Iz! What You Can Learn from the Unique Ukulele Stylings of Israel Kamakawiwo’le by Steven Espaniola
9. How to Choose and Install a New Set of Strings for Your Ukulele by Gordon Mayer

Programming Ideas

Early Childhood (Ages 0-5)

• “Strum & Sing Storytime”: Pair simple songs like The Wheels on the Bus, You Are My Sunshine, or Old MacDonald with ukulele accompaniment. Let children strum open strings while singing along to encourage sound exploration.

• “Musical ABCs”: Introduce letters and phonemic awareness through songs played on the ukulele. Example: “A is for Apple” with a catchy melody.

• “Instrument Petting Zoo”: Create a music exploration station. Kids rotate through instruments in the kit, strumming ukuleles with adult help and experimenting with rhythm using egg shakers or bells (borrowed from percussion kit for cross-kit use).

Tweens and Teens (Ages 6-18)

• “Learn to Play: Ukulele Basics”: Teach teens basic ukulele chords and progressions.
• “Teen Jam Sessions”: Create an informal club where teens bring the kit to life. Use the collapsible stands and tuners to give it a real “band practice” feel. Let them learn songs together or create their own.
• “Musical Expression & Songwriting” Workshop: Partner with a local musician or use online tutorials to teach songwriting basics. Encourage teens to write a short song and perform it solo or in groups using ukuleles.

Adults

• Start a Ukuklele Club!
• “Beginner Ukulele for Adults”: Teach 3–4 basic chords, how to tune, and how to play a few simple songs. This can be offered as a one-time workshop or weekly class.

• “Coffee & Chords”: Host a casual ukulele meet-up where adults can bring their own instrument or use the kit to practice and play together in a stress-free setting.

• “Music & Mindfulness”: Combine beginner ukulele practice with guided breathing or gentle movement exercises to explore how music can support emotional well-being.

Programming Ideas

Early Childhood (Ages 0-5)

• Use instruments to enhance interactive songs and rhymes.
• Let children shake egg shakers or play bells while reading books with rhythmic text. Example: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom with percussion sounds for each letter.
• Focus on simple rhythm patterns using maracas, egg shakers, and castanets.
• Introduce the difference between fast/slow beats and high/low sounds.

Tweens and Teens (Ages 6-18)

• Have kids form mini-bands using different instruments.
• Pair instruments with poetry readings.
• Let kids create percussion-based sound effects for stories.
• Create a puzzle-based game where solving music-related clues (like recognizing a rhythm pattern) unlocks the next step.

Adults

• Explore percussion styles from different cultures. Demonstrate Latin beats with bongos, Spanish flamenco with castanets, etc.
• Use familiar songs from the 1950s-1970s. Encourage participants to play along with shakers, tambourines, or bells.

Basic Bongos for Beginners by World Drum Club

How to Tune Bongos - Tutorial

Helpful Apps

• Loop2Learn - Loop a part of any video (either from Youtube, or your device) and watch it over and over again to learn from it.

• Metronome Beats - A free interactive metronome app, Speed Trainer, and Drum Machine designed by musicians.