Captivating Puppets Shows Give Lessons on Preventing Bullying

“Thanks SO much for coming to our school. Something I loved was the song and the puppets. I learned that you shouldn’t judge someone by what they do or how they look.” – Victoria, student

October was National Bullying Prevention Month, sponsored by StompOutBullying.org. On October 1 this year thousands of schools across the country participated in Blue Shirt Day. Students and teachers spread the word about bullying, and worked in various ways to help put an end to racism, hatred, homophobia, digital abuse, bullying and cyberbullying.

At Assistance League® of the Chesapeake, our Kids on the Block puppeteers have been entertaining second graders in Anne Arundel County for nearly ten years. Nine to twelve times a year they present a series of plays about bullying, cultural differences and learning disabilities. Captivating life-size puppets help children accept individual differences and learn valuable social skills.

A typical script for the puppet show depicts students chattering about being bullied. They discuss the ways they could respond to it, and the dilemma of reporting the problem to an adult and then being tagged a “tattletale.”

“Nobody should have to put up with a bully all by themselves,” says puppet Clare. “Other kids, grown-ups, everybody has to stop it. For every kid getting pushed around on the playground and every kid that gets scared on the way home from school, it’s gotta stop!”

Based on their enthralled faces, this hits home with our audiences.

Our Kids on the Block team volunteers their time and talents, motivated by a knowledge of the profound difference this is making in the lives and futures of the children. Requests for the program are continually increasing.

Our puppeteers include Sue Armbruster, Elaine Atkinson, Nancy Ciccone, Linda Halterman, Rose Houghton, Myrna Siegel, Grier Smokovich and Chris Spain.

Each of them, whether consciously it or not, is directly responsible for empowered children and changed lives.

Assistance League® of the Chesapeake is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults through community-based philanthropic programs.