Puppets
The earliest and most popular use for puppets was to tell a story, but if you have no room or time to set up a full-scale 'production' you can still involve everyone by combining the telling of a story with finger puppet interaction. LFC stocks a big new range of themed finger puppets. A set of Monkey Finger Puppets includes a gibbon, a colobus, a tan gibbon, a lemur, a chimpanzee and an orangutan. There is also a wildlife set and a countryside set and all the puppets are made from soft 'easy clean' fur fabric, priced from 8.99 per set.
* Telephone 08458 506507
If you are looking to use puppets in a realistic context you might want to consider the set that has been specially designed and made for The Festival Shop (see cover). These puppets are intended to represent six of the world's faith communities and include a Sikh boy, a Chinese girl, a Jewish boy, a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy. Each puppet is designed to fit comfortably on an adult or child's hand, they are machine washable and measure 25cm high, priced Pounds 39.95 per set.
* Telephone 0121 444 0444
Marionettes are often overlooked because they are harder to control than glove or finger puppets but they also have a broader range of movements which makes them ideal for Christmas plays and other special productions.
Letterbox has revised its range of marionettes and added a prince to the collection of king, queen, princess, witch and wizard. The wooden marionettes have jointed arms and legs with a handling length of 33cm, priced 6.99 each.
* Telephone 0870 6007878
End-of-term entertainment might come easier if you let the puppet provide the voice for you. Part of the Basil Brush 'comeback' is a new soft plush glove puppet from Golden Bear that comes complete with its own 'voice unit'. You can manipulate the mouth to open and operate the voice unit to say 'boom, boom' and he will even laugh at your jokes, hopefully at the right time. Basil measures 25(h) x 18(w)cm and is priced 15.99.
Other hand puppets from Golden Bear include Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Scampi.
* Telephone 01952 608308
Puppets plus
Increasingly, puppets are being designed specifically to support learning for children with disabilities and to encourage language and speech development. LDA's Molly has been around for quite a while now - Molly is a large, soft puppet whose mouth and tongue can be manipulated and whose fingers can be moved for signing. The puppet can also have a hearing aid fitted. Molly has recently been joined by Pip, a 'masculine' version of the puppet with all the teaching features already mentioned. Both puppets are surface washable and measure 660mm, priced 89.95 each.
* Telephone 01945 463 441
Make A Face Puppets from Active Designs are designed to be tactile and easy to manipulate to enable children to create lots of different faces and expressions. Each pack comes with two different felt faces that fit on to a child or adult hand. Each face also comes with ten Velcro parts and six appropriate labels. Each puppet measures 22cm in diameter and the pack of two is priced 21.95. A new Face Puppets Features Pack is also available and this contains a set of assorted additional features and accessories to encourage children to talk about emotions and feelings and develop their language skills. The Features packs also include five blank labels, which can be used to name the new features as you choose. Priced 5.95. Nursery Equipment readers can purchase both sets for the special price of 24.95; simply quote NE0603 when you order.
* Telephone 01327 858522
NES Arnold's Out-of-School catalogue features a new Make a Monster pack that is intended to help increase hand/eye co-ordination in younger children and those with special needs. Each pack contains two hand puppets and 40 Velcro attachable pieces. The height of the main head and body measures 26cm and these puppets are suitable for three-year-olds and upwards, priced 13.95 per pack.
* Telephone 0845 120 4525
Puppet theatres
Traditional in appearance, but easy to assemble and store away, Dawson & Son's Puppet Theatre comes with a backdrop to keep the performer out of sight. The cloth border and front is attached to a sturdy wooden frame, which can be folded away into the bag provided when not in use. The theatre measures 117(h) x 59(w)cm, priced 32.99.
JTelephone 08700 367 869 You could make your theatre multi-functional with Asco's Theatre and Shop.
This comes with 'blackboard' front, top and side borders for you to label, a counter top and side shelves and detachable striped curtains. The unit comes flat-packed and measures 120(h) x 77(w) x 56(d)cm, priced 155.
* Telephone 0113 270 7070
If space is at a premium or your theatre is competing for attention with other activities you might want to consider Pintoy's Tabletop Theatre. This is designed to be erected and put away very quickly and consists of four panels that bolt together and workable curtains. The theatre measures 700(w) x 200(d) x 600(h)mm when erect and the base of the theatre doubles up as a storage box measuring 690(l) x 182(w) x 130(h)mm, priced 25.99. Pintoy also stocks a larger size, wooden frame theatre with working curtains and which has a 'blackboard' front. This measures 300(w) x 700(d) x 1150(h), priced Pounds 45.99.
* Telephone 01604 774949
Still on the space-saving theme Mulberry Bush has a Doorway Theatre that is large enough to fill the average classroom doorway and can be easily hung above the open space to provide a setting with an instant theatre. The stage is fixed at a height that can be used comfortably by both children or adults and the theatre comes in striking colours of royal blue with pink satin curtains and gold stuffed satin masks and stars. The theatre measures 178(h) x 72(w)cm and rolls away when not in use, priced 24.99.
Mulberry also stocks a varied range of finger and glove puppets and new for this autumn is a Musketeer and Black Knight hand puppet which are designed to have a realistic appearance and come with glamorous garments. The puppets measure 31cm in length and are priced 10.99.
* Telephone 01403 754 400
