Resources

  Why Puppets Speak Louder Than Words In a world where children often struggle to name their feelings, puppets offer a voice.
Whether stitched from felt or fashioned from socks, these playful companions become vessels for imagination, emotion, and healing. Puppet theatre isn’t just a whimsical pastime—it’s a powerful tool for connection, storytelling, and therapeutic growth. In classrooms, puppets help children explore identity, empathy, and collaboration. In therapy rooms, they become allies in processing trauma, expressing grief, and rewriting personal narratives. And when paired with narrative therapy—a modality that invites children to externalize problems and reshape their stories—puppets become more than props. They become co-authors in the journey toward resilience. As narrative therapist Michael White once wrote, “The person is not the problem; the problem is the problem.” Puppets help children see that truth in action.

 Puppet Theatre in Schools — Building Voice and Imagination In educational settings, puppet theatre fosters creativity, emotional literacy, and social development. Children who might hesitate to speak in front of peers often find courage behind the curtain. A shy student may give voice to a bold dragon puppet, expressing feelings they couldn’t otherwise name.
Teachers use puppets to:

• Model conflict resolution and emotional regulation.
• Explore themes like friendship, fairness, and identity.
• Encourage storytelling and literacy through character creation.

For neurodivergent children, puppets offer sensory-friendly engagement. Soft textures, rhythmic movement, and predictable scripts can soothe overstimulated nervous systems while inviting imaginative play. As educator and puppeteer Susan Linn (2000) notes, “Puppets provide a safe distance from which children can explore difficult feelings and situations.” In this way, puppet theatre becomes both a mirror and a rehearsal space for life.

 Puppet Therapy — A Safe Stage for Healing In therapeutic contexts, puppets allow children to externalize emotions and experiences that may feel too overwhelming to express directly. A puppet can cry, rage, or tremble in ways the child might not yet feel safe doing themselves.

Therapists use puppets to:
• Facilitate trauma processing through symbolic play.
• Explore family dynamics and attachment wounds.
• Support grief work and identity development.

Bernier & O’Hare (2005) describe how “puppets emerge that embody unconscious dynamics or parts of self,” allowing children to interact with aspects of their inner world in a tangible, manageable way. For example, a child navigating parental divorce might create two puppets—one representing “Angry Alex” and another “Sad Sam.” Through dialogue and play, the child begins to understand and integrate these emotions, often with surprising insight and humor. Puppet therapy also supports sensory regulation. Weighted puppets, textured materials, and rhythmic movement can ground children during emotionally intense sessions.

 Narrative Therapy and Puppets — Rewriting the Script Narrative therapy invites children to view their problems as separate from themselves.
Puppets make this externalization vivid and playful. A child might create a puppet named “Worry Worm” to represent anxiety, then craft a counter-puppet called “Brave Bella” to challenge its voice.

This process allows children to:
• Name and personify problems.
• Explore alternative stories and identities.
• Build agency and resilience through creative dialogue.

According to White & Epston (1990), narrative therapy helps children “re-author” their lives by identifying dominant stories and crafting preferred ones. Puppets become co-narrators in this process. A case study from the Journal of Systemic Therapies (Freeman, Epston & Lobovits, 1997) describes a child who used a puppet to confront “The Bully Voice” inside her head. Through repeated performances, she rewrote the script—giving her puppet new lines, new allies, and ultimately, a new ending. For clinicians, this approach blends play therapy, narrative work, and expressive arts into a seamless, child-led process. It’s not just storytelling—it’s story healing.

  Source: White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. Freeman, J., Epston, D., & Lobovits, D. (1997). Playful Approaches to Serious Problems. Bernier, M., & O’Hare, D. (2005). Puppetry in Education and Therapy: Unlocking Doors to the Mind and Heart. Using Puppets with Children in Narrative Therapy.

 Integration and Inspiration — Puppets as Ritual, Reflection, and Resilience Puppet theatre isn’t just a technique—it’s a ritual. A child choosing a puppet, crafting its story, and performing its voice is engaging in a sacred act of self-expression. For clinicians and educators, integrating puppet work means honoring this ritual and adapting it to each child’s needs.