Puppetry is an ancient form of entertainment and over the years, puppets have become toys that provide young children with hours of interactive fun. Nowadays, hand puppets are simple and inexpensive, yet very effective toys that can be used from a young age and they can keep babies entertained whilst encouraging early years development. Most hand puppets for babies are suitable from birth with adult supervision.

If you’ve never played with hand puppets before and you’re keen to learn more about them, keep reading today. Below we have looked into why this particular type of toy is great for little ones, how you can use puppets during play time and the best hand puppets for babies.

Why should you use hand puppets with your baby?

Using hand puppets with your little one won’t just keep them entertained, improving their attention span and focus, but it will support their development and help them to reach their early years' milestones. Whilst you’re playing with hand puppets, you will be aiding the development of important skills, including; language skills, motor skills, hand-eye coordination skills, listening skills, social skills and imagination skills.

This type of toy is also brilliant for teaching children about their emotions and how to express them, which can be really useful as your little one gets older. Commonly, hand puppets will be played with by babies, toddlers and young children, and they will be used in different ways depending on the age and developmental stage of the little one.

How can you use hand puppets?

One of the easiest ways to incorporate hand puppets into play time is to use them when you’re reading books or telling stories. Bringing the puppet to life and using the characters to assist with storytelling is a great way to ensure your little one is actively engaged in play time, and they will be more interested in this activity when you use a hand puppet. Whilst playing with puppets, you will be bonding with your little one too which is always beneficial.

Hand puppets are also an excellent toy to use during imaginative play and they’re frequently used by babies and toddlers whilst they’re playing independently. Lots of young children will use puppets in a similar way to any other soft toy and they will bring the character to life themselves, creating different scenarios as they play. Puppets can stimulate your little one’s imagination and help to develop their creative skills. Regardless of your baby’s interests, they can easily incorporate hand puppets into their solo play time.

As your baby gets older, they can use hand puppets whilst they’re playing with other children too. Using puppets during play time can encourage your little one to interact with others and it will help to improve their communication and social skills. Through these interactions, your baby or toddler will become more confident and sociable.

Which hand puppets are best to purchase?

There is such a vast selection of hand puppets available to purchase, yet the most simplistic are usually the best to play with. When you’re purchasing a hand puppet for your little one, their age will be an important factor to consider. Often, contrasting colours or bright colours are ideal for babies and easily recognisable animals are great for toddlers.

Traditional hand puppets generally have a plain fabric body and the characters' arms can be moved with your fingers. There are lots of different animals to choose from, such as; elephant hand puppets, chimp hand puppets and lion hand puppets. You can also buy full-bodied hand puppets that are designed to be as beautiful as a cuddly toy, but with all the functionality of a puppet. A couple of great options include; rabbit hand puppets and T-rex hand puppets.

The best hand puppets for babies will be made from high-quality materials that are soft on the skin. Ideally, you should look for durable hand puppets that are machine washable too, these are perfect for babies and they can frequently be played with without any concerns.

Finding the best hand puppets for babies

If you’re interested in purchasing some hand puppets for your little one to play with, take a look at the My Little Goody Box online store. We stock a brilliant selection of puppets that are perfect for little hands and on our website, you will find well-known and trusted brands such as The Puppet Company. No matter how old your baby is, the hand puppets we supply can help you to create lots of fun and educational/developmental experiences for them. Should you have any questions about the toys on our website, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We will be happy to provide you with the additional information you require.