DIY Paper Puppets and a Living-Room Puppet Show

Materials and safety prep

Collect cardstock or heavy paper, popsicle sticks or cardboard handles, markers, glue sticks, tape, and scissors. For younger children, pre-cut puppet shapes to avoid handling sharp blades.

Adult-only steps: cutting more complex shapes, scoring folds, and attaching small hardware. Store sharp scissors out of reach of toddlers and use rounded-tip scissors for older preschoolers.

If using strings or skewers for movement, keep them away from children under three and supervise their use for older children to avoid entanglement.

Making simple paper puppets

Hand puppets from folded paper: fold a sheet of cardstock over a popsicle stick glued inside to create a two-sided character. Decorate with markers and glued-on paper features. Use a glue stick to avoid drips.

Stick puppets: cut character shapes and tape or glue them to a stick. Reinforce the back with an extra strip of cardstock so the handle is sturdy during play.

Finger puppets: for older children, make small tubes from paper and decorate them as animals or people. For toddlers, keep finger puppets simple and larger so they won’t slip off fingers unnoticed.

Staging the living-room show

Create a simple stage by draping a sheet over two chairs and leaving a gap for puppeteers. Alternatively, cut a large box to make a small tabletop theatre. Position the audience a short distance back and keep walking paths clear to avoid trips.

Rehearse a short story: choose a beginning, middle and end and let each child control one character. Older children can write simple cue cards and younger ones can improvise with established character traits.

Lighting and sound: use a lamp behind the puppet area for soft backlighting or natural daylight. Avoid candles or open flames. Use household items like a pot and spoon for simple sound effects.

Further reading