Using Puppets For Self Expression

Puppets are one of those wonderful inventions thatKids love performing puppets too, and there is
have been around for aeons but continue to delightsomething magic, even for the shyest child, to be
and engage kids centuries later.able to put an element of their personality into
Who would think that putting a couple of buttons onanother character, particularly one whose
a funny sock, sticking it on your hands and makingmovements can be controlled intimately by the child.
funny noises could be so fun. But kids love puppets.Puppets like those put out by Folkmanis are full of
They love watching puppets and they love playingcharacter and are just waiting for a child to impart
with puppets.their own sense of personality and they become fully
The success of Children's Television Workshop hasalive creatures. Once people start interacting with the
much to do with the entertaining nature of itspuppet rather than the child, the concept of the
educational content but also its engaging characters,puppet being a separate personality can start to kick
most of which are performed by people you neverin.
see.Once this happens the child may then feel free to
I remember watching an interview with Kevin Clash,express things they would not have felt
the man behind the voice and performance ofuncomfortable voicing themselves. Puppets (and
Sesame Street's beloved Elmo. He noted that whenmasks) have been used in many situations to help
kids come behind the scenes of Sesame Street, theykids relate to the emotions they feel but cannot fully
don't notice the puppeteers manipulating the Sesameunderstand.
Street character. Indeed most kids just think thatNot only that but there's just something very
the humans performing the puppets are simply thereappealing (for adults and kids)about speaking in a
to carry their "friends" around.funny voice.