So what exactly is a puppet?

A puppet is a lot more than you probably think. Most likely you’re either imagining something really simple that kids make from a sock or paper lunch bag or something really complex like you see on Sesame Street or The Muppet Show.

A puppet is basically any object manipulated in a form of theater. And theater isn’t always on a stage. It can be in your living room, in front of a mirror, or sitting at a table with a friend.

We like to think of puppets as vehicles to tell a story or convey thoughts and emotions. These can be scripted or impromptu. Puppets are often placed on your hand, but can be any object on a stick, or even like a marionette and manipulated with strings.

While puppetry has been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks, we focus on a style of puppets that has been made popular since the 1970s. These primarily include sock puppets, monster puppets, and a less-official “Muppet-style” puppet.

Sock puppets are typically a sleeve placed over one hand and often have a mouth that can be manipulated.

Monster puppets are furry creatures modeled after Jim Henson’s creations seen on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Typically with a more elaborate body, the hand controls the mouth and often the arms are manipulated with arm rods (think Elmo, Grover).

Muppet-style puppets are fleece-covered characters modeled after Jim Henson’s creations seen on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. These puppets are usually made with vibrant colors, although sometimes a skin tone color is appropriate. They (usually) have eyes and ears and a nose, and resemble a human or animal (think Kermit the Frog, Ernie and Bert).

And there are tons of other styles including hand puppets (Punch and Judy); live-hand sack/bag puppets (Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Count von Count); finger puppets (coverings that go over a single finger); shadow puppets; pull string puppets; and more.

Our focus is on the type of puppet you might want to use in a play, performance, or presentation but may not have the time or supplies available to make on your own.