The Best Puppets | 2023
Why Trust The DWYM Score?
DWYM is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to.Learn more.
Our Picks For The Top Puppets
- The Best Puppet
- 1. Silly Puppets Lightweight Removable Clothes Tommy Puppet
- 2. Lacroky Foldable The Muppet Show Kermit The Frog Puppet
- 3. Gund Plush Surface-Washable Elmo Puppet
- 4. Melissa & Doug Soft & Cuddly Barn Buddies Puppets, 6-Pack
- 5. Fun Express Multi-Ethnic Diversity Collection Puppets, 8-Pack
- 6. Cate and Levi Eco-Friendly Reclaimed Wool Dog Puppet
- 7. Cate and Levi Fleece Sock Hand Puppet
- 8. JOYIN Classroom Animal Friends Puppets, 6-Pack
For Children and AdultsThe clothes on this puppet are removable, allowing for additional outfits and accessories as desired.
Familiar, Beloved and GreenYou will definitely want to introduce this huggable and classic “celebrity” puppet to your family!
A Favorite Among Furry MonstersYou'll find this puppet is easy to wipe clean with a wet rang and a drop of a mild detergent.
Friendly Farm PalsThese well-made puppets fit both kid and adult hands and will spark imaginations for hours of playtime.
Old-fashioned toys can’t be beat. Hand puppets, for instance, are wonderful teaching tools that help children with their communication abilities, motor skills, self-confidence and hand-eye coordination. Puppets also fire up the imagination and aid with emotional and social development.
You’ll find several major styles of puppets available, including finger puppets, mitt puppets and sock puppets. You’ll also find common themes when shopping for puppets, such as animals, popular TV or movie characters and different professions: nurses and teachers, for example, are often represented in puppet form. Puppets are usually made from soft materials like cotton, velour and polyester, with some offering plush, stuffed profiles.
These educational toys also make terrific gifts. Plus, they’re not usually very expensive and do not require batteries. Puppets are made for different age groups, and most will specify the appropriate age in their product descriptions.
Some puppets are washable, while others can only be spot cleaned; check the product description for details. You will pay more for licensed characters, but most puppets and puppet sets are less costly than many other toys with more limited uses.
The Best Puppets
Silly Puppets Lightweight Removable Clothes Tommy Puppet
If you're searching for a beginner-friendly puppet, this cartoon character is the way to go. The puppet reaches 14 inches in height and provides hand entry through the bottom. This allows for better control over the puppet. The puppet is an adorable little boy named Tommy, who has straight brown hair and bright green eyes.
Features
Specifications
Lacroky Foldable The Muppet Show Kermit The Frog Puppet
Everyone loves Kermit the Frog! This flexible and fun character hand puppet looks just like the original Jim Henson creation. He comes with a moveable mouth, measures 23.6 inches and is made from 100% polyester microfiber for easy cleaning.
Features
Specifications
Gund Plush Surface-Washable Elmo Puppet
Kids will instantly recognize that this puppet is their beloved Elmo from Sesame Street. The red furry monster is both soft and huggable and perfect for little ones age 1 and up. Kids can imagine they are Elmo and use the puppet to act out scenes from the show.
Features
Specifications
Melissa & Doug Soft & Cuddly Barn Buddies Puppets, 6-Pack
This Barn Buddies set features six adorable hand puppets made from soft, washable plush material. They're perfect for teaching about farm life and will provide children (and their parents) with hours of imaginative, rewarding play.
Features
Specifications
Fun Express Multi-Ethnic Diversity Collection Puppets, 8-Pack
This collection features eight soft plush 14-inch puppets in a variety of hair colors and skin tones, all with embroidered features, sewn-on clothing and working mouths. They're good for small hands and for teaching values like friendship.
Features
Specifications
Cate and Levi Eco-Friendly Reclaimed Wool Dog Puppet
Each one of these reclaimed wool hand puppets from a family-owned Canadian business has a unique color combination, with no two alike. They are 12 inches tall and come in 15 different varieties from elephants and butterflies to unicorns.
Features
Specifications
Cate and Levi Fleece Sock Hand Puppet
This cute-as-can-be dog hand sock puppet is warm and welcoming. It's made from 100% USA-produced polar fleece and designed for telling stories. Kids and adults alike will love its bright colors, great hand control qualities and durable softness.
Features
Specifications
Our Puppet Buying Guide
Old-fashioned toys can’t be beat. Hand puppets, for instance, are wonderful teaching tools that help children with their communication abilities, motor skills, self-confidence and hand-eye coordination. Puppets also fire up the imagination and aid with emotional and social development.
You’ll find several major styles of puppets available, including finger puppets, mitt puppets and sock puppets. You’ll also find common themes when shopping for puppets, such as animals, popular TV or movie characters and different professions: nurses and teachers, for example, are often represented in puppet form. Puppets are usually made from soft materials like cotton, velour and polyester, with some offering plush, stuffed profiles.
These educational toys also make terrific gifts. Plus, they’re not usually very expensive and do not require batteries. Puppets are made for different age groups, and most will specify the appropriate age in their product descriptions.
Some puppets are washable, while others can only be spot cleaned; check the product description for details. You will pay more for licensed characters, but most puppets and puppet sets are less costly than many other toys with more limited uses.
DWYM Fun Fact
When the TV show “Sesame Street” was testing its concepts with Head Start children, it found that while kids were watching humans, their attention wavered. However, that wasn’t the case with Jim Henson’s Muppets, which transfixed young ones.
Children can really open up to a puppet, sharing information they might not otherwise divulge to an adult. Clever parents and caregivers can use puppets to help their kids in this way, all while encouraging learning and creativity.
Puppets are often used in therapy to help people visualize the thinking process and create an avenue for expression. Because puppets sometimes look human without being human, they can personify and reflect emotions or behaviors in a safe way.
The Puppet Tips and Advice
- It often makes sense to buy more than one puppet, so the original one will have another “friend” to communicate with. You will find many that are sold in sets, which can be more cost-effective — and fun!
- Sets of puppets can be easily used to put on home puppet shows, which kids and adults both love.
- Hand puppets are not just for play. Caregivers use puppets to read stories, and professionals use them in classrooms, daycares, and other settings.
- Puppets are lightweight and portable and are great to bring along on car trips and vacations and into waiting rooms.
Related Categories
About The Author
Danielle Smyth is a writer and content marketing expert based in New York. She has been writing on business and finance, home and garden, DIY, travel and tourism, and a variety of other topics for over a decade, and she holds a Master of Science in Publishing from Pace University. Danielle loves working on product reviews and helping others find the highest quality items and the best values. As a parent, she appreciates the importance of choosing the right kid and baby items at the right price, and hopes to help other parents do the same.