The best puppet theatre toys for kids

This wooden table-top puppet theatre gives your child no-bounds to their backstage area, and with a chalk board on the front, they can add showtimes and their show name. This sturdy stage also comes with a red silk effect curtain so they can truly perform.

Review: "For a nearly 6 year old with a great imagination this was an instant hit with a few bought hand puppets and a few home knitted finger puppets. Big cousin (8) also enjoyed making up stories and 'performing'. The whole fits together easily for transportation and storage, very strong and well made.
The curtains can be fixed back with knobbed ties and draw across well. Very very satisfied all round!"

If little ones would prefer to keep their backstage area more hidden, this doorway puppet theatre lets them hide of sight below the stage and to the wings. This funky fabric puppet theatre can be suspended from doorways up to 100cm in width and can even be personalised with your child's name for that extra special touch.

Review: "I am delighted with this puppet theatre. Its beautifully made and great quality. I cannot wait until Christmas morning to see both my girls little faces. Would highly recommend, will provide hours of entertainment. Fast delivery."

Part of the multi-award winning Honeybake collection, the Le Toy Van Showtime Puppet Theatre is for seriously superb showtimes. The interactive wooden theatre has three different play windows for extensive imaginative play, a unique, retro design with a 'live' and 'interval' reversible sign, a stage door, and two chalkboards.

If you want to spark your child's imagination without a theatre taking up too much space, the Fiesta Crafts Puppet Theatre can neatly pack down into a wooden carry case, great for taking on holiday or for visiting the grandparents too. On the smaller side, it's best for finger puppets and measures 47cm high when built.

Review: "This is a great idea, a theatre that can be packed away and brought out when required. It was easy to build and the children enjoyed helping. As a family with love taking turns making up strange and funny stories so it seemed a great idea to buy a theatre and get some puppets to bring them to life. I particularly like the ease of packing it away (when the grand children go home) and the children enjoy the setting up and creating their little adventures."

This big, sturdy wooden puppet theatre provides plenty of space for a single puppeteer or two thanks to the open back design. This theatre features a sturdy, non-tip base, plush curtains, a clock, and a chalkboard and is pretty simple to pack down when not in use.

Review: "Fantastic - looks great, good quality and sturdy. My two year old loves it and I can see this lasting many years to come. We have it in the front room at the moment and she does little shows and warbles little songs. We have a good time with this as a family - lovely!"

The Bloomingville Bertine Puppet Theatre provides another solution for space saving in the playroom. With a reversible design, it can be used as a puppet theatre with curtains and a large chalkboard to add showtimes on one side, and as a play shop on the other. The shelving can be used to store props during the show or it can be used as the shelves in their pretend store selling their wares.

For shadow puppetry, we'd recommend the Moovie Tabletop Shadow Puppet Theatre with optional Famous Fairy Tale puppets at extra cost. Designed to look like a TV screen, this provides a stage for your shadows for fun and engaging storytelling for kids and adults alike. It has a special light-scattering screen, but you can remove this to project larger onto an entire wall.

Review: "This is such a great shadow theatre! Great design, excellent attention to detail, and ingenious idea to add the magnets to the little figures. I am very happy with this purchase and can't recommend it enough. Thank you very much again!"

The Melissa and Doug Farm Hands Animal Puppets set includes four soft hand puppets including a cow, a horse, a sheep, and a pig. It's sized to fit children and most adults and fits well with the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Puppet Theatre.

Review: "Bought for my little nephew. He absolutely loved them. Excellent quality product. Soft and keeps him entertained!"

Most fairy tales include a dragon, right? This soft and friendly dragon has legs and feet so it can be animated to 'walk' and 'run' with the shiny fabric on the wings and tummy adding an engaging touch.

Review: "My 9 month old girl is mesmerised, fits perfectly and very expressionate in its features. Shininess in the chest and wings is certainly noticed by my daughter. So happy with it, I've ordered a second for a friends little one."

This little mermaid hand puppet is a much-loved character and perfect for kids to retell the classic story or create a new underwater tale. Measuring approximately 30cm tall, it's made of a soft fabric with embroidered details and moveable arms and head.

Review: "Fantastic quality, my girl loves the characters."

How cute are these Woodland Finger Puppets? With five furry friends for each finger, these will encourage hours of imaginative play. The set includes a squirrel, hedgehog, fox, badger and rabbit, each measuring about 8cm long.

Review: "Excellent quality puppets, my 6 month old daughter loves them, great fun to play too."

This wacky baby monster is bound to make plenty of noise with your little one in control! The large mouth can be moved to 'sing', 'talk', and 'shout' and the air filled squeaker adds a fun touch for a 'squawky' voice. Full of personality, you can also get Baby Monster in pink and orange.

This classic fairy tale princess is a must for little fans of princess stories - you could use this puppet for everything from Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty. Measuring 38cm tall, it fits children and adult hands with the ability to move the head and arms.

We couldn't resist this Peppa Pig Play & Say Hand Puppet, perfect for use in a large puppet theatre or for just playing and cuddling with. This super soft hand puppet comes with fun phrases and songs from the Peppa Pig show that kids will adore singing along with.

You could make your own sock puppets, or try on one of these larger than life characters for size! This fabulous, fun, knitted sock puppet has a large moveable mouth and a squeaker in its tongue, and is brightly coloured to encourage tots to play along.

Review: "My goddaughter absolutely loved this, she was is fits of giggles as her Mummy and Daddy entertained her with it and they said it was the best gift she has had. Lovely big bright face and great quality."

As well as their Farm Hand Puppets, you can tell fun and fascinating stories with the Melissa & Doug Blue's Clues & You! Hand & Finger Puppets. Featuring three hand puppets, Josh, Blue and Magenta, and two finger puppets, Mr Salt and Mrs Pepper, this is going to be a hit with fans of the show.

Review: "This is a rather adorable, nicely made set of puppets featuring characters from Blues Clues and You. The set is a mix of full hand puppets (Blue, Magenta, and Josh), and finger puppets (Mr Salt and Mrs Pepper). The puppets are well-made and were readily recognisable to my little nephew.

"All 5 characters are made from a fine-pile, printed plush fabric with internal padding – though Blue and Magenta both have embroidered noses, Magenta has embroidered-on glasses, and the finger puppets have felt arms. Soft, cuddly, and very sweet."

Another story children will love to bring to life, is The Gruffalo's Child. These finger puppets featuring the main characters from The Gruffalo's Child book are perfectly sized for children's fingers, and they'll love telling their own stories or playing with these as you read the modern classic book. Alongside the puppets, there's also a tree carry case, ideal for storing or using as a prop in their storytelling adventures.

Review: "Bought this for my grandchildren. As they love the Gruffalo Child book they adored these finger puppets. They are well made and I particularly like the sturdy tree house to store them in."

Whilst shadow puppets may seem easy to make, what you try to make with your hands may not be so easy to distinguish when projected onto a wall.
This pack of six animal fabric bracelets will help turn your child's hand into a hedgehog, deer, turtle, snail, bunny, or giraffe, instantly recognisable for effective storytelling. All you need is a lamp and a wall.

Review: "These are very effective and fun! The felt is quite stiff so they hold their shape very well."

For extra creativity and imagination, get your kids to create their own puppets! You can do this with bits and bobs around the home, but this set provides great value and everything you need to make fun and friendly characters from scratch. There's googly eyes, decor felt shapes, colourful pompoms, and more.

Review: "Me and my 18months old had a great fun creating puppet animals. So easy to use and so much entertainment once they were made! There is so many different pieces so we ended up creating some other animals."