At Tillys W2 the toddler children in the Galah room have been enjoying acting out stories using puppets.
Playing with puppets is one of the most educational activities you can expose to children. Watching a child play with a puppet may seem like fun and entertainment, but play with puppets is so much more.
There are great developmental benefits that are embraced when you encourage playing with puppets.
1. Language Development
Children love to have ‘conversations’ with a puppet. Each verbal interaction with their puppet will encourage language development.
2. Social Development
The shy child, or the young child still learning social skills, has an opportunity to be more sociable through the medium of a puppet. The puppet becomes the spokesperson for the group.
3. Emotional Development
Puppets can teach children about their emotions.
Children can interact with the puppets as they share their ability to be happy, sad, angry, funny or jealous.
4. Listening Skills
Puppets are great tutors.
The puppet on your hand can encourage your child to listen to it as it gives instructions or tells a story.
5. Motor Skills
There are a number of motor skills that children can improve through playing with puppets.
6. Building Self Confidence
Putting on a kids’ puppet show often happens quite spontaneously when children have access to puppets.
7. Creativity
Puppets encourage creativity on several different levels.
8. Story Telling and Sequencing
Storytelling comes alive with puppets. Retelling favourite fairy tales can make it easy to think of puppet show ideas when starting out.
9. Travel Companions
Packing a puppet in your travel bag or even popping one in your handbag is a wonderful way to provide entertainment when you need it. A hand or glove puppet and a storybook are all you need for some holiday travel fun.
