Ways to Use your Puppets (for Teachers, Therapists & Parents)

What can I actually do with my puppet?

Hello, I'm Myriam, founder of Puppets Ireland. One of the things I enjoy most is talking to teachers, therapists, librarians, early-years professionals and parents about how they use puppets in their work. This page is a growing collection of the practical ideas, activities and creative approaches that they have shared with me over the years.

A woman and a young boy smile while brushing their teeth at a bathroom sink. The woman uses Rocco The Dragon Hand Puppet with a toothbrush to entertain the child as he holds his own toothbrush.

So here are a few ideas:

Puppets are incredibly versatile. They can bring stories to life, encourage conversation, help children explore emotions, introduce new vocabulary, support imaginative play or simply make everyday routines more engaging and fun.

This page is a growing collection of practical ideas gathered from teachers, therapists, librarians and other professionals who use puppets in real settings. Whether you’re looking for a quick ice breaker, an early-years activity, a storytelling idea or a simple way to encourage communication, I hope you’ll find plenty of inspiration here.

Every activity on this page starts with play, because children often learn, communicate and connect best when they’re engaged and having fun.

Early Years & Circle Time

Simple ways to use puppets during group activities, songs, routines and shared play in preschool and early-years settings. Read more...

A smiling boy in glasses and a green hoodie plays with the Living Puppets Bernie the Bird Hand Puppet, an orange and green character, while sitting on a wooden crate against a white background.

Storytelling & Literacy

Ideas for using puppets to bring stories to life, encourage imagination, build narrative skills and make reading more interactive. Read more...

Language & Communication

Activities that use puppets to encourage conversation, introduce new vocabulary, support language development and build confidence in speaking. Read more...

Emotional Literacy

Gentle ways to use puppets to explore feelings, relationships, worries and everyday situations through play and conversation. Read more...

Ice Breakers & Group Games

Fun puppet activities to help children get to know one another, join in, take turns and feel more comfortable in a group. Read more...

Transitions & Daily Routines

Practical ideas for using puppets to support tidy-up time, transitions between activities, greetings, goodbyes and other everyday routines. Read more...

This is an ever growing page so please get in touch to add more fun ideas...

Myriam