We like traditional toys like puppets as they are probably one of the best toy to encourage children’s natural ability to play. When children are playing with puppets they use their imagination, creativity, senses, talents and skills! We like their simplicity and the fact that they are not lead by fashion or trends. They offer fantastic play value.
Who has ever thrown a puppet away because it’s broken? Puppets are often kept as a childhood memento, as they hold lovely memories of fun and laughter and tender moments of connections between a parent and child.
Indeed, puppets are also passed on to the next generation or friends.
What can go wrong when buying a puppet? Puppets come in so many different sizes, shapes, themes and age suitability. There is a puppet for everyone out there who likes to play, make up stories and love social interaction.
Watching children (and adults) play with puppets is fun and entertaining but there is so much more to it!
Top benefits of playing with puppets:
1 – Playing with puppets opens endless possibilities for creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and curiosity.
2 – With puppets there are no boundaries, we don’t really know what we are going to do when we start, with no solution to work out or right or wrong playing with puppets is genuinely up to the imagination…
3 – Puppets can help children learn rhymes and songs as they imitate the puppet too. Repetition is always good to retain vocabulary and learn new words…ideal to introduce new languages for example.
4 – Puppets create interaction, fun dialogue and even an element of surprise with peek-a-boo puppets for example. A favourite for little ones who like surprises!
5 – Puppets can be the voice who talks about manners or good behaviours, without being the parent or teacher. Children will enjoy listening to a puppet, all the better if it uses a funny voice!
6 – Having a few puppets is great to develop self confidence as children are more than happy to come up with a show and amazing stories in front of their family.
Let’s not forget that puppets are used for therapy and I have had an interesting podcast with Emer O’Brien who is a child psychotherapist and play therapist where she explains how she uses puppets to help children express their feelings and overcome anxieties about their everyday life.
If you are now convinced that buying a puppet is a good idea! here are a few of our best sellers for each of our puppets category:
The Puppet Company Hand Puppet Owl
The Puppet Company Girl Hand Puppet
Learning Resources Feelings Hand Puppets
Fiesta Crafts Big Bad Wolf and 3 Little Pigs
The Puppet Company Nursery Rhymes Story Set
Fiesta Crafts Jungle Book Puppet Set
The Puppet Company Long Sleeved Puppet Rabbit
The Puppet Company Long Sleeved Puppet Puffin
The Puppet Company Long Sleeved Puppet Cat
The Puppet Company Hide-Away Rabbit in a Lettuce
Living Puppets Sammy the Turtle Hand Puppet
The Puppet Company Hide-Away Dinosaur House
The Puppet Company Baby Monster Red
Living Puppets Klops Hand Puppet
The Puppet Company Green Monster
Living Puppets Cookie Monster Hand Puppet
Living Puppets Ernie Hand Puppet 33cm
Living Puppets Elmo Hand Puppets 65cm
Living Puppets Grandma 65 Hand Puppet
The Puppet Company Large Creatures Alligator
Living Puppets Back Tooth Large Hand Puppet
Living Puppets Karl Hand Puppet
Fiesta Crafts Hand Puppet Red Dragon
The Puppet Company Baby Bird Crow
Living Puppets Lischa Hand Puppet 45cm as seen on Late Late Toy Show 2022
Top Finger Puppets - the coolest ones!:
The Puppet Company Incy Wincy Spider
The Puppet Company Yellow Butterfly
Fiesta Crafts Carry Case Finger Puppet Theatre
The Puppet Company Puppet Theatre
Vilac Fairy Tales Puppet Theatre
If you have any questions about our puppets please be sure to contact us. We love hearing from you at Puppets Ireland and always enjoy receiving questions and enquiries. Contact us.
If you have enjoyed reading this article then why not check out another blog post Bringing Puppets to Life
The benefits of playing with Puppets | Puppets Ireland | 2023