What is It? PuppetTools by Mr. Jeffrey Peyton is a company offering a website membership for the purpose of encouraging the use of puppets as self-directed learning aids for children.
What's included: For the price of membership ($99/year), you have unlimited access to the website including the puppet hinge pattern (one pattern) samples, forums (inactive), videos, and articles written by the author/creator. The hinge pattern included is simply a method to create a puppet for your hand without the paper sack -- using either cardstock or construction paper. Puppets made with this patented hinge construction and cheap paper do not hold up to use. Heavier construction paper or cardstock is desirable.
What I like: My children could be endlessly creative with this one puppet hinge pattern. They will certainly get lots of use from that idea. I have very artistically inclined children -- give them a box of construction paper, blue, scissors and colored pencils and they will sit and create for two hours or more. (All four of them!) This will give them one more option for crafty creativity.
What I don't like: $99 for a puppet pattern and endless articles full of rhetoric about evolution of the brain through puppet play and the need for educators to get out of the way and let children play? I don't believe in evolution, and one of the reasons I homeschool is so that my children can study less and play more. I really, really did not like the evolutionary content and "new age" content in the articles on this site. I think $5 for the puppet pattern, and maybe $11 for the pattern, some samples, some ideas for implementation -- all in one ebook *might* be reasonable. (I wouldn't pay for it myself though!) You can purchase a two month subscription for $20; I don't recommend anyone pay more then this.
My Bottom Line: This membership site is not worth the price of membership or trial membership to me, others might disagree. If you are even thinking about buying, purchase the trial first. Here are some great examples of how others are using puppettools in the classroom. Sunday School teachers, cooperative groups, and others *might* enjoy the full year subscription if the cost is being split between many educators if you don't mind supporting the evolutionary content included in Mr. Peyton's science of play material.
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
