FORT SILL, Okla., Jan. 15, 2016 -- The normally tranquil Nye Library was a buzz of song and shouting as children attended Puppet Theater at Fort Sill, Okla., Jan. 8. Children gathered on the floor before the puppet-show stage to watch as Matthew, his mother, and Matthew's friend Anna searched for his mittens. The children shouted at Matthew trying to explain that his mittens could be found on his hands, but to no avail. Matthew shrugged them off saying, "That's silly. I'd know if they were on my hands."
Still the children persisted until finally, after searching through his closet, drawers and under his bed, Matthew found his mittens -- on his hands.
"(The children) always like the puppet show," said Joan Oligher, library technician and assistant puppeteer. "They get a nice story and there's always some fun activity they get to do that coincides with the puppet show. This one especially -- they seemed very interactive. There was good interaction."
Jill Manley, Nye Library technician and event organizer, said the audience size was higher than normal with 20 children and 17 adults attending. The result was active participation between the puppets and the audience.
"I always do an interactive portion and sometimes [the children] don't really interact so it really is kind of gratifying when they do," said Manley.
Puppets seem popular with children, she said, however, most simply want to play with the puppets themselves. Manley also said some children respond to the voices she gives to the puppets. One mother told Manley that her infant daughter paid attention to the entire show and attributed it to the "squeaky voice" the puppet had.
Following the puppet show, the children were invited to a book reading and then a craft at the library.
Monthly puppet shows take place the second Friday monthly at 11:30 a.m. with a different plot each time. The event is free and open to the military community.
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