Mudpuppy Cardboard Finger Puppets
(Mudpuppy Press $6 Score:)

Unlike the small fabric variety, these two-sided cardboard finger puppets use you child's fingers to do the walking. Slip two fingers into the puppet and your ready for action. Puppets are great for language and story telling development. Before kids read stories they really grow from making up their own stories or retelling familiar stories. These are inexpensive, but appealing tools for that kind of creative play. Each set has five puppets: Forest Animals, Pirates, Princesses, or Ballerinas.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Folkmanis Nibbling Mouse Puppet
(Folkmanis $13.99 Score:)

Bigger than most finger puppets, this white mouse with a very long pink tail, has cheese in its paws and a rod that moves its head from side to side. There's room for two fingers to grasp the rod to active the mouse. A unusual little puppet for special effects in any drama...it could even be the narrator! This is about as loveable as a mouse can be.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Little Hare Puppet
(Folkmanis $12.95 Score:)

This small hand puppet will not overwhelm the hand of a small child. It looks amazingly lifelike - not the usual pastel Easter bunny. A lot more like the ones in the garden that nibble, nibble. Also in the same collection, a Little Raccoon and a Little Chipmunk that would make good companions in scale and authentic looks. For extra dramatic moments, add the swampy green Little Alligator, a scruffy looking jungle Little Lion or for woodland adventure add the Little Bear.

SNAP Adaption: for kids who cannot manipulate hand puppets, put them on top of cans or plastic bottles that can be slid around a table top. This group of puppets is made smaller than many and may be easier to use on the hand or over containers.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Educational Insights Puppet-on-a-Stick
(Educational Insights $24 Score:)

Three zany looking puppet heads are on rods with levers that make their mouths move. They have googly eyes, three colors, and odd-looking head shapes. These may in fact be easier for kids to manipulate than the usual hand glove puppets and with their strange look may lend themselves to original story telling. 4 & up.

SNAP AWARD: Given their rod holding design, these may be easier for kids with physical challenges to operate. They can be held in one hand and the mouths made to move with the other hand. So these may be real find.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

North American Bear Nesting Puppets- Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
(North American Bear Co. $40 Score:) Here's a great gift idea! The Mama Bear and Baby Bear all fit inside the big Papa Bear. The big brown Papa has Goldilocks, a finger puppet with yarn pigtails, tucked in the pocket of his red overalls. Mama is in a pink flowered dress and Baby in blue gingham checks. This wonderful set is ideal for encouraging kids to retell a familiar story in their own words. With so many puppets more than one player can take a role and help in the story telling. Just as they like rehearing a tale, they will enjoy retelling it with these props. You can also encourage them to tell the further adventures of these familiar characters. Being able to sequence the story and put it in their own words is an important pre-reading skill that develops language and recall. A good story needs a beginning, middle and end and this one has a strong storyline with room for all that someone's been eating my porridge, sitting in my chair, sleeping in my bed! Kids love the repetition and the drama is sure to get more powerful as they grow into their roles. Also available, a charming set of the 3 Pigs and the Bad Wolf from the same maker. 4 & up.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

North American Bear Nesting Puppets 3 Little Pigs
(North American Bear Co. $40 Score:)

What great gift idea! The mid-sized pig and littlest pig do nest inside of the biggest pig puppet. All are done up in pink velour. The big guy has 'I love bricks' embroidered on the front of his overalls. The middle one has 'I love sticks' on her overalls and the littlest one has 'I love straw' stitched on his. As for the bad wolf, he's a finger puppet stored in the big pig's pocket. This wonderful set is ideal for encouraging kids to retell a familiar story in their own words. In the recall department the embroidered images will help them retell the events. With so many puppets more than one player can take a role and help in the story telling. Just as they like rehearing a tale, they will enjoy retelling it with these props. Not only that, you can encourage them to tell the further adventures of these familiar characters. Being able to sequence the story and put it in their own words is an important pre-reading skill that develops language and recall. A good story needs a beginning, middle and end and this one has a strong storyline with room for all that huffing and puffing to make telling it good fun! Also available, a charming set with Goldilocks and the 3 Bears from the same maker. 4 & up.

 

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Manhattan Toy Koala Bear Puppet
(Manhattan Toy $22 Score:)

A full-bodied grey and white Koala Bear with furry white chest, long legs and paws with long (but soft felt) claws. The player's hand will fit inside the koala's body and small fingers may be able to move the arms and head for extra movement. Pair this with any other puppets or with the other new Wildlife puppet in the collection, a Lion.  Also special in this line, a Walrus puppet and a Raccoon.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011.

Manhattan Toy Lion Puppet
(Manhattan Toy $22 Score:)

A full-bodied lion with mangy mane, long legs and padded paws. The player's hand will fit inside the lion's body and small fingers may be able to move the arms and head for extra movement. Pair this with any other puppets or with the other new Wildlife puppet in the collection, a gray and white Koala Bear. Also special in this line, a Walrus puppet and a Raccoon.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011.

Manhattan Toy Peter Pteranodon Puppet
(Manhattan Toy $30 Score:)

Get ready for a whole lot of growling when this oversized soft puppet is unleashed for action. It has an orange ruff on its head, a bright red face with a green beak-like snout, a huge red mouth that opens to revel a long red tongue, but no teeth! He has big scary eyes half covered in the metallic gold and orange. Peter Pteranodon's chest is covered with the same metallic gold and down its back is a patch of leopard-like spots plus a pair of bright orange wings. Pair this with any other puppets or bring home the other colorful dinos in their line, such as Trip Triceratops or Dave Dimetrodon.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Manhattan Toy Dave Dimetrodon Puppet
(Manhattan Toy $30 Score:)

Get ready for a whole lot of growling when this oversized soft puppet is unleashed for action. It has a blue ruff on its head, a bright yellow face with green freckles and a huge red mouth that opens to revel a row of razor sharp teeth ( not really sharp--they just look that way.) He has big scary eyes half covered in the yellow face. Down his back is a mane of creamy long hair and a metallic chin and neck that will cover a good sized arm. Pair this with any other puppets or bring home the other colorful dinos in their line, such as Trip Triceratops or the fearsome Peter Pteranodon.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.