As parents, guardians and teachers one of our goals is to help our children develop self confidence needed for social interaction.  For some children this is not always easy, they may be shy.  It becomes necessary for the adults in the shy child’s life to improve on the self esteem and confidence of the little one. Toysferry recognizes the value of using puppets to achieve those goals as well as a good opportunity for the child to open up.

Puppet play lets children engage in the art of storytelling and performance which is just as much a social skill as it is a creative skill. By telling a story through puppets a child can increase their comfort level in using their voice and having attention focused on them. In other words they increase their comfort level as a speaker but they can do this behind the safety of their puppets or puppet theatre. Also, as storytelling comes into so much of our social interaction (whether it is telling stories about our day, or relating something we read about, etc.), telling stories through puppets gives children a great way to practice this social skill as well.

One recommendation for getting a child interested in the storytelling aspect of puppets as well as to give them the initial confidence when starting into this style of play is to get them a puppet set from a familiar story. Toysferry can provide you puppet sets for retelling any number of classic fairytales or fables (such as Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc.). Beginning by retelling a familiar tale helps lift the pressure off of the child as to what to say or what happens next, giving them a safe way to practice storytelling and to gain confidence in speaking. Toysferry can provide you with many different puppets in all sizes, and characters.  We have many hand and finger puppets.

In many ways a puppet in the hands of a child can be a passport towards extraversion from introversion. Through puppetry, children can practice different personalities, different voices, and different approaches to social interaction as well as find their own unique voice. Through this safe form of social practice, children may find themselves feeling more confident and better prepared to speak when called upon to. Remember, we can support our little ones in this venture as well by joining in on the play and of course nothing helps build confidence more than an enthusiastic and receptive audience.