Puppet Shows for Early Years and Primary – have fun learning French: Register and watch online and do activities anytime 6th January to 31st March 2026
Join Nathalie Paris online in March for 3 pre-recorded puppet shows for North East Early Years and Primary pupils and their teachers.
Children will learn French words while enjoying a story unfolding with some of her many puppets.
Teachers and adults interested in using puppets to teach languages will get inspiration and ideas of how to use puppets to help children learn French – or any other language.
Registration opens mid-November and the puppet show resources will be available from 6th January to the end of March.
Who is it for?
These are teaching resources for schools in Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead and Durham, which are:
- Early Years – for pupils and their teachers
- Primary School – for pupils and their teachers
- Teachers interested in using puppets to teach languages
There are 3 puppet shows and you can use for children to watch and participate in one or all three:
- For KS1 or children with no French – or next to no French
- For lower KS2 (Y3 and Y4) or children with some basic French
- For upper KS2 or children with a bit of French already
When will it happen?
- The shows have been pre-recorded, so can be accessed via a weblink (sent when schools register, along with teaching resources) for use anytime during the Festival from 6th January to 31st March 2026
- It will take around an hour to complete a session for each puppet show.
What is the activity?
Nathalie Paris is a specialist primary French teacher (Nattalingo) and French native speaker. She has provided recordings of different puppet shows and she performs and teaches with the help of some of her 100+ hand puppet friends.
The aim of the pre-recorded sessions are for the children to learn some French in a fun and interactive way. Teachers can run the recorded shows in the classroom or in community settings.
Teachers/adults can get some ideas of how they too can use puppets to teach languages.
If you own a puppet (finger, hand, or any other type of puppet), then have it handy for the session, If you don’t, you can still take part, so please just come along.
The 3 puppet shows have been recorded and are on YouTube. Teachers use these alongside the guide for teachers, plus notes, video, resources and script links, to make it easier for teachers to run the recordings and fully engage children in the sessions.
There are also extra resources available which help teachers with French greetings, on how to make a puppet and also a blog link about using puppets in the language classroom.
How do I get involved?
To register for the activity, simply email info@expressyourselfne.com with the following information:
- teacher contact name and email
- school name and address
- the number of children expected to participate and their age/year group
The teacher contact will be sent a confirmation email and the the links to the activity.
Teachers and pupils can access the puppet shows online anytime between 6th January and 31st March, but teachers will need to register and will be sent the links when they register.
If pupils are home schooling, the teacher can share the link with their parents or guardians.
Further information and links
- Click here to visit Nathalie’s website and find out more about her wonderful offers for schools and families interested in learning French
- Visit Nathalie’s you tube channel here for the latest free 4-minute French Learning Adventure videos and amazing French challenges for young children
- Follow her on X @Nattalingo
- Join her on Facebook @nattalingo
- Connect with her on LinkedIn parisnathalie
- Click here to find out about all Festival events and activities featuring French, competitions and celebrations, plus French Culture Days and other resources from the Institute français.
Who is organising this?
- All activities are prepared and delivered by Nathalie Paris of Nattalingo
- Durham County Council’s International Relations Team originally commissioned Nathalie to deliver these fun puppet show in French for the North East
