Why Do Babies Love Puppets?

And How They Help Your Child’s Development (While Being Ridiculously Entertaining)
By Adventure Babies – Experts in Sensory Storytelling & Baby Giggle Inducers

You’re halfway through a nursery rhyme and suddenly – a puppet appears. Your baby locks eyes, grins like they’ve just seen a celebrity, and starts flapping arms like they’ve lost control of their entire body. It’s adorable, hilarious… and kind of magical. But why do babies love puppets so much? Spoiler: it’s not just the funny voices (although that definitely helps). Puppets are one of the most effective, engaging, and joy-filled ways to support your baby’s development – and we are so here for it.

So, Why Do Babies Love Puppets?

Great question – and one we get asked a lot at Adventure Babies.

Babies are biologically wired to respond to faces – especially expressive, animated ones. Puppets offer that in high-def: oversized features, bold gestures, and exaggerated emotion. It’s like baby TV… but interactive and way more beneficial for their little brains.

Plus, puppets break through the barrier of “normal” adult-to-baby interaction. They add silliness, surprise, and storytelling – which babies go absolutely wild for.

What Puppets Teach (While Your Baby’s Having the Time of Their Life)

Here’s why those fluffy little characters deserve their spot in your baby’s toybox:

Language & Communication

Puppets are fantastic for encouraging listening, turn-taking, and copying sounds – all the stepping stones to talking. When a puppet “talks” to your baby, it’s not just play, it’s early conversation practice.

Emotional Development

Puppets help babies and toddlers explore emotions safely. A puppet can be happy, sad, excited, nervous – and your child gets to watch, respond, and empathise.

Imagination & Creativity

Puppets unlock the early stages of pretend play. For toddlers, puppets quickly become characters in their own stories, giving their imagination a big developmental boost.

Fine Motor Skills

Controlling a puppet builds coordination and hand strength – essential for writing, dressing, feeding, and doing anything with buttons (which babies seem to find suspiciously tricky).

Using Puppets at Home Without Feeling Silly

You don’t have to be a CBeebies presenter to get puppets involved in your day. Here are a few ways to work them in effortlessly:

Puppet Storytime
Choose a puppet to be your storytelling sidekick. Let it ask questions or squeal dramatically – your baby will be totally captivated.

Sing with a Puppet
Even the simplest songs feel special when a puppet performs them. Bonus: it makes you look like you’ve got your act together (even if it’s 7am and you haven’t brushed your teeth).

Routine Rescue
Puppets are great during nappy changes, bath time or other not-so-fun routines. They distract, entertain and help your baby stay calm.

Toddler Takes the Lead
As your little one grows, encourage them to be the puppeteer. You’ll be amazed what comes out of their mouth when it’s ‘the puppet talking’.

Meet the Puppet Stars of Adventure Babies

At Adventure Babies, puppets are part of the magic. We use them in every class to bring stories to life, make babies giggle, and support key areas of development – from communication to confidence.

And when your baby sees that puppet pop out of the story sack? Let’s just say, we’ve seen eyes widen, mouths drop open, and full-body baby wriggles of joy. Pure puppet-induced delight.

Come See the Puppet Magic for Yourself

Join one of our Adventure Babies classes and experience the storytelling, songs, sensory activities – and yes, the puppets – that support your baby’s development in the most fun, expert-led way possible.

Learn through play
Bond with your baby
Discover why babies really love puppets
Leave feeling inspired (and maybe with a napping baby too)