Sock Puppets

Review: Sock Puppets

Sock Puppets is an app that allows students to record videos with digital sock puppets. It is an inexpensive app; initially free, but offering many more options for $1.39. Using this app, students can use their own dialogue to create a puppet show. Users can choose from a variety of puppets, backgrounds, props and sound effects to suit the story they are telling. When recording their sock puppets on the iPad, the speaker's voice causes the lips on the sock puppet they are touching to move. The app will also automatically alter the voice of the speaker in the video. Students can also move the puppets and props around the screen while recording.

Overall, I really liked this app and would highly recommend it. Along with being inexpensive and very simple to explain/use, it can be easily incorporated into the teaching of students at any age level, especially in the puppetry unit in High School level Theatre Arts. I also liked that once the video was created, it could be very easily uploaded to YouTube and social media.

Grade Level

All

Strengths: Inexpensive and easy to use.

Weaknesses: I only had a couple of issues when using this app. The first is advertisements. When using the app, there will be an occasional pop-up add, disrupting your work. Along with this, I had an issue with the length of the video recordings. Without paying the 1.39 for an upgrade, you can only record a video for 30 seconds. Even after paying for the upgrade, you can only record for 90 seconds. This short time can limit the story or project that students are presenting.

Effie P. (Spring, 2016)