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Folkmanis® Puppet Demonstrations
Bringing your puppets to life – “Oh, but I could never do that!”
Creating the illusion of life is easier than you think with Folkmanis® Puppets. The number one rule is that there are no "rules" to puppeteering our puppets. Just have fun! But in case you'd like some tips from the pros, we have lots of them. You can visit the Folkmanis Youtube to see more even puppet demo videos.
Transcript: Bringing Your Puppets To Life
[Music]
There are many simple ways that you can incorporate puppets into your classroom lessons or your library story time. Before sharing specific examples, this video demonstrates general techniques for making puppets move effectively.
Folkmanis produces many kinds of puppets that function in different ways and serve different purposes. This introduction focuses on common hand puppets.
Introducing the Puppet
When presenting, it is helpful to clearly say that it is a puppet. Young children are often learning the difference between real and pretend, and may interrupt to ask. This does not reduce the magic of the experience.
At the same time, treat the puppet as if it is real. If you handle it with care and intention, it becomes more believable and enjoyable for the audience.
Focus and Attention
Watch the puppet while animating it. The audience will naturally look where you are looking. Avoid competing with the puppet for attention unless it is part of the performance.
Watching the puppet also helps you monitor its movement and realism.
Basic Hand Puppet Movement
A common hand puppet allows movement of the head and arms, but not the mouth. The puppeteer places fingers inside the head and arms to control motion.
Movements can include tilting the head, rubbing eyes, scratching, or gesturing. Some features like tails may require external manipulation.
Eye Contact
Eye contact is essential. The puppet should appear to look directly at audience members.
If the audience is seated lower, angle the puppet downward so it appears engaged. Lack of eye contact makes the puppet feel unnatural.
Talking Puppets (Mouth Movement)
Some puppets have moving mouths. A common mistake is opening and closing the mouth continuously, making it appear like the puppet is "eating" words.
Instead, the mouth should open only when releasing a word or syllable, then close again. This creates more natural speech.
Technique for Natural Movement
Keep your hand and wrist relaxed. Use small forward motions to simulate speech.
The lower jaw should move more than the upper jaw (about 70% lower, 30% upper). This helps maintain eye contact and prevents exaggerated head movement.
Practice Exercises
Practice by counting:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Then try simple phrases:
I love books.
As you improve, practice longer phrases while combining syllables naturally instead of over-animating every sound.
Voice and Character
Giving the puppet a unique voice helps define its personality and engage the audience.
Be consistent with the voice. Switching voices can confuse the audience.
Final Notes
Puppets often feel like they take on a life of their own. The puppeteer’s role is to bring them to life for the audience.
Fully embrace the character and focus on the audience experience. That is what makes the performance effective.
[Music]
With puppet in hand, proceed to the nearest mirror to try it on for size. By following these few tips, you’ll soon convince friends that you’re a natural puppeteer.
- Insert your thumb in one paw, and the little finger in the other. This leaves three fingers for the manipulation of the nose and/or mouth. NOTE: even if you’re right-handed, you might find your left hand more relaxed for puppeteering (or vice-versa.) This is a common experience, and one we can’t explain.
- With the animal on one hand, hold it in the crook of your other arm. This gives your puppet a nice nest and conceals the secret of your participation. Remember that nothing looks more awkward (or unconvincing) than a puppet perched on the end of an extended arm and hand.
- If your puppet has a snout (bears, beavers, raccoons, skunks) two twitching fingers will produce a wiggling nose.
- Have your puppet crawl up your shoulder, tug at your sleeve, scratch, twist around, or hide in the crook of your arm.
- For animals with tails, nest the puppet on your free arm, extending your fingers of that arm toward the elbow of your “puppet arm.” Position your thumb under the base of the tail and move it up and down to swish the tail.
- The sea otter, small panda, and cats look particularly endearing on their backs, in the crook of your arm. From this position, have them gaze at their audience, occasionally hiding their eyes behind their paws, scratching, or nestling down for a snooze.
- Props like rubber balls, oranges, small mirrors, cups, or wrapped candy will awaken the natural curiosity of your animal.
- Insert your whole hand through the hidden sleeve of the larger, cuddly animals for animated head action.
Want to see the video demos? Visit the Folkmanis YouTube channel.
