A little history
Puppets have always existed. In fact, some puppets have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 3,000 BC, some dating back to Classical Greek and Roman times and others in Chinese and Indian funerary temples.

Later, in the Middle Ages, puppets enjoyed something of a golden age when the Catholic Church begun using them to teach the Bible to those who could not read. Many of the puppets of that era are made of gold and ivory.

Nowadays, puppet theatres are making a comeback, as their benefits to children become obvious. Not only do they help to develop the creative capacity of children, but also their corporal and, in some cases, artistic expressiveness. Above all, it introduces them to the marvellous world of theatre.

A subtle difference
The most common term to describe these dolls is puppets. However, puppet and marionette are not the same. Puppets are made of dough or other materials and are moved with strings. Marionettes, on the other hand, can also be moved with strings, but not always.

There are also the more grotesque puppets known in Spanish as 'fantoches'.

Types of puppets
There are many diverse types: hand, string, sock, stick...

The glove puppets are those manoeuvred by hand, with an index finger for the head and the middle finger and thumb for the hands.

String and stick puppets are more complex: the head and hands and legs are joined via strings and sticks to our own hands, which give the puppet the movement we desire. The movement is determined by the puppet master's dexterity with the strings.

Sock puppets, as their name indicates, are made from socks decorated with card to make a mouth which we move with our hands.

Make your own sock puppet

This one of the easiest puppets to make.

Material: newspaper, kitchen paper, card, sellotape, glue, pens or paints, wool for the hair, material for the dress.

The head and neck:
- Make a paper ball with the newspaper, which should not be too big as it will be the head.
- Cut a small cylinder from the card, which should be slightly wider than the index finger of your child and will be used to move the head. Once cut, sellotape it to the head as if it were the neck.
- Make small balls from the newspaper for the eyes, nose and ears. Stick them on to the main ball with sellotape.

Cover the whole surface with paste:
- Pour the same amounts of glue and water into a bowl and mix them.
- Using this mass as glue, stick on small strips of kitchen paper on to the head.
- Cover it with various layers and leave to dry 24 hours.

The uniform:
- Draw an outline of your child's hand on to the card without marking the fingers.
- Draw two small lines either side for the arms. You now have the plan measured to the right size.
- Copy it on to the textile material twice leaving a centimetre and a half for sewing.
- Draw some small hands to the size of the puppet on to the card and copy the mould on to the textile.

Paint and dress the puppet:
When the face has dried, check that all the features (eyes, ears, nose) are clearly seen.
- Cut various strings of wool and stick them on to the head as hair.
- Now is the most creative time for your child. Consult with him or her and decide what expression the puppet will have: angry, sweet, a girl, a wolf, a king, a prince�
- Paint the puppet with pens, crayons or paint.
- Once the face has been painted, all that is left to do is stick glue the uniform on to the cylindrical neck. Leave to dry a few minutes and check the result.

Your first puppet is ready! You should now make a few more before building the small theatre. Enjoy!