Jim Henson: He Made a Puppet From an Old Coat… Then Made the World Smile
A young man took his mother's old coat and a ping-pong ball, and he made a new friend: Kermit. Jim Henson was Kermit's voice for 35 years. Learn five A1 words and how to use made … from … with the true story of Jim Henson.
Coming 25 December 2026, 3:00 pm New York time
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
A young man took his mother's old and a .
He made a friend from them.
This is the story of Jim Henson.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A moving pictures.
When he was a boy, his family got a .
. A is a toy you move with your hand.
He worked with on .
. A is warm clothing for outside.
He took his mother's old .
. A is a small jumping animal.
Years later, Kermit became a .
. is the colour of grass.
Today, Kermit is a .
Now, one pattern: made this from that.
He made Kermit from an old .
Ready? Let's begin.
Jim Henson was born in America in 1936.
When he was a boy, his family got a .
At 17, he worked with on .
At 18, he had a : just five minutes long!
He needed a .
He took his mother's old .
He made Kermit from an old .
He made the eyes from a .
Years later, Kermit became a .
Today, Kermit is a .
In 1969, Kermit was on "Sesame Street".
Jim was his for 35 years.
Let's review. When he was a boy, his family got a .
He worked with on .
He took his mother's old .
Years later, Kermit became a .
Today, Kermit is a .
And remember: he made Kermit from an old .
Jim Henson's story teaches us: old things can become wonderful.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
TV noun
a machine that shows moving pictures
“When he was a boy, his family got a TV.”
puppet noun
a toy you move with your hand
“He worked with puppets on TV.”
coat noun
warm clothing for outside
“He took his mother's old coat.”
frog noun
a small jumping animal
“Years later, Kermit became a frog.”
green adjective
the colour of grass
“Today, Kermit is a green frog.”
ping-pong ball noun
a small, light white ball for table tennis
“He made the eyes from a ping-pong ball.”
show noun
a programme on TV
“He had a TV show.”
voice noun
the sound you make when you speak
“Jim was Kermit's voice.”
Grammar in the story
made + noun + from + noun
We use it for: to say what something was before
- He made Kermit from an old coat.
- He made the eyes from a ping-pong ball.
From the story
- He made Kermit from an old coat.
- She made a bag from old jeans.
Find it in the story 6 times
Your turn
He made Kermit an old coat.
He the eyes from a ping-pong ball.
She made a bag from old .
Step 4
Story Challenge
7 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Did you have a favourite TV show when you were a child?
After you watch: Write three sentences with made … from …. For example: I made a hat from paper. My grandmother made a bag from old jeans. We made a boat from a box.
Think about it: Jim made a famous friend from old things. What could you make from something old at home?
