Puppets can show a character — Art, 4–6
A puppet becomes a character through the way you move it, speak for it and let it react. Art, 4–6 years.
A puppet acts through you
A puppet is still cloth, paper or wood, but your hand can make it seem alive. Small movements, such as turning its head or lifting an arm, can show what the character notices or wants. Your voice and pauses help the audience imagine thoughts inside the puppet.
Why move a puppet?
A puppet lets one person show a character without becoming that character completely. Long ago and today, people use puppets when a real animal, giant or faraway person cannot be on stage. The problem it solves is making an imagined character visible, while the performer stays partly hidden.
Make a shy puppet
Put a sock on your hand and call it Pip. First, keep Pip’s head low and make tiny movements. Next, give Pip a quiet voice and let the puppet hide behind your other hand. When a friend says hello, lift the head slowly and answer in a small voice. The movement, voice and pause together show shyness.
Do not shake it all the time
You may shake a puppet constantly because you want everyone to know that it is there. That makes sense: a still puppet can look like an ordinary object. But endless movement gives it no clear action or feeling. Let it be still sometimes, then move it when the character looks, speaks or reacts.
Where it appears
You can find puppets in theatres, television shows, classrooms and family games. A hand puppet can explain a safety rule, ask a question or welcome someone because people often listen closely to a character. Try giving a puppet one clear action rather than making it move for no reason.
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