Marionette

Do you remember watching marionettes when you were a child? While watching a puppet show, the marionettes seemed curiously alive, transporting you to a world where magic really did exist and anything was possible.

Fantasy helps a child look at problems and mysteries in a way that is more easily processed. Talking to a child about the importance of telling the truth, for example, though important in itself, is taken to heart better when placed in the context of story.  

Pinocchio's growing nose is an image we all, at least in Western countries, have tucked somewhere in the backs of our minds.

And sharing is an easier lesson to learn when puppets and marionettes act out what happens when people don't learn to share. 

On this page, I have brought together many different marionettes for which you may find a home. They are fun for the classroom or for family gatherings. Marionettes are useful for telling stories in a library setting or in Sunday schools and playgroups. 

Maybe you'll find some marionettes here that will work for you! 

Any of the animal marionettes below would be a great beginning to a folk tale in which animals take a leading role. With a whole world of stories from which to choose, there's sure to be one or two animal tales that will delight your audience.

Part of the fun of storytelling is in exploring the world's folk tales and choosing one that moves you. When a story moves the storyteller, then he or she can tell that story in a way that moves the audience.

If that storyteller is also a puppeteer -- look out, world!

Some of the stories I think of when looking at these animals are:

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Little Pigs

Some of the Indian folk tales for the monkey

The Three Kings for the camel

Any number of dog stories for the shaggy dog

Which stories come to your mind?

Little Red Riding Hood will come alive for your child with these fairy tale marionettes. The Big Bad Wolf can be reused for telling other tales as well, such as the Three Little Pigs, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and many other folk tales and fairy tales. 

As the list of marionette in the animal marionette list includes a pig, you can create your own combination of marionette pig and wolf puppets to tell the Three Little Pig story.

Adding one boy puppet and a couple of townspeople and you can perform The Boy Who Cried Wolf, too.

Can you think of any other tales you can tell using the puppets on this page? Please add your story ideas to the comment section below. 

It’s amazing what a change in backdrop can do to transform one character into another. Children often enjoy helping with the creation of colorful backdrops. 

By drawing large trees, the audience is immediately transported into the forest.

A few waves and seagulls, and they are on the high seas. 

Simple large shapes work best and, of course, bright colors. These are seen from a distance -- important if your audience needs to see the stage from several feet away.

You can add nursery rhymes and children’s songs to your puppet shows as well. Some generic boy and girl marionettes can be used in a variety of tales. You can add props or a little extra fabric to change the character of your marionette. 

Sometimes I have studied a professionally made marionette to see where and how the strings are attached to create the effective movements. If you have even one commercially made marionette, you can create a few homemade marionettes, too, using a head and some colorful fabrics. 

You could reuse an old doll head as beginning to making your own marionette. Or you can make your own head with papier mache or a styrofoam ball.

Marionettes are easier to make than a doll because you don’t have to worry about stuffing and other details. Getting the movements right is more important than having highly detailed costumes. As a result, your marionette’s clothes can be made from cast-off clothing or from any fabric you choose.

Although some people are content to use any old string for their marionettes, I think the best thing to use is clear, see-through nylon string. Fishing line is a good choice because it’s inexpensive, transparent, and strong enough to last a long time.

Another important element in making your marionette is having the right feet or shoes for your puppet. Balsa wood or recycled plastic lids are good choices, as they are both light weight, yet they make a noise like footsteps if you tap them on the stage. Whether or not the marionette’s footsteps make a noise is under your control. You only need to vary how hard they hit the stage.

Practicing making movements using your marionette is the key to whether or not your puppet show will be a success. The more you practice, the better you will be at getting the marionette to have a life of its own. 

Start with the basic movements -- walking, waving, etc.-- and then add the more subtle movements -- dancing, scratching the nose, expressive tilts of the head. 

In no time, even you as the puppeteer will be fooled into thinking your marionette is a separate little person.