Puppets can help children develop emotionally in a number of ways, including:
- Expressing emotions: Children can express emotions through a puppet character without upsetting others. Puppets can also help children learn to name and manage their emotions. For example, children can guess what emotion a puppet is physicalizing and then help the puppet manage it.
- Normalizing emotions: Puppets can help normalize emotions by allowing children to discuss them safely and flexibly. This can help reduce anxiety and stress around emotional topics.
- Developing empathy: Puppets can help children develop empathy for themselves and others.
- Resolving conflicts: Puppets can help children understand and resolve conflicts respectfully.
- Expressing needs: Puppet play can help children who have difficulty speaking or socializing, are autistic, or have other additional needs express their needs and wants more easily.
- Modeling social and emotional skills: Puppets can be proxies on sensitive topics, expressing feelings and acting out scenarios that humans might not be able to.
Research Articles
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Effectiveness of the Kids on the Block Puppets: An Examination.
Snart, Fern; Maguire, Tom
B. C. Journal of Special Education, v11 n1 p9-16 1987
A 6-month follow-up study examined children in 10 grade 3 classes, six of which had received the “Kids on the Block” puppet presentation, to determine if their knowledge and attitudes toward handicapped peers had improved. Experimental subjects demonstrated significantly greater knowledge concerning handicapping conditions, but attitudinal differences were complex. (Author/DB)
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