droolicious : puppets

Bindi Irwin's Zoo Babies Crocodile Puppet

AmandaHill — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Bindi Irwin picks up where her late father Steve left off with spreading the message of nature conservation and wildlife preservation with these little Zoo Babies Plush Puppets for kids. The adorable stuffed Crocodile comes wrapped in a cozy blanket, and it even comes with a bottle.

The Crocodile Zoo Baby Puppet is available from FAO Schwarz, and a the collection by Wild Republic features many other animals.

Classic Wooden Toys Collapse and Spring Back To Life

Chris Ford — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

You know what they say, "What's old is new again." I'm not that old, but when I was a kid I used to be fascinated with these types of little wooden toys - the kind that seem to collapse when you push the bottom but then spring to life again when you let go. Now you can get a few of them for your kids too - and at a price that won't break the bank.

The Petra Toys Press Puppets come in a Rhino, Giraffe, Red Dog and Elephant version. They would be great for an inexpensive little gift or even a party favor. Actually, it's kind of a pricey party favor, but they're cool nonetheless.

Petra Toys Wooden Press Puppets, $18 from BlackWagon.com

Stupid Sock Creatures Stomp Out the Winter Blahs

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

So the kids got a boatload of new socks this Christmas and you're wondering what to do with the old, ratty pairs they've been scurrying around in since last year. Start making puppets, of course -- although if you really want to put a fun spin on the old sock monkey, try hunting down John Murphy's Stupid Sock Creatures: Making Quirky, Lovable Figures from Cast-off Socks. The book's been around for a while (you can even probably find it at a well-stocked library), and its weird, wiggly creations are a great cure for the winter doldrums.

$10.36 (normally $12.95) from Amazon.

Sesame Street Puppets

Cathy Hale — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Sesame Street Puppets. Need I say more? Thanks to Gund, your child's favorite Sesame Street characters are interactive and cuddly, even on the inside.

On a personal note, I'm glad these puppets are much cuter than they used to be. Back in the day, Bert was a bit creepy. My younger sister loved Sesame Street and for her 8th birthday she got the big Bert puppet. See photo. Yep, he only had four fingers. And there wasn't anything cuddly about him. Anyway, Bert sat right beside her bed at night until he got a bit handsy. My sister swears he pinched her on the butt. In fact, if you asked her about it today, she'd still tell the same story. Needless to say, Bert lived in a box for the rest of his days in our home.

Have a funny story about one of your childhood toys? Fashion Plates? Barbies? GI Joe? Please share it!

Mini Finger Puppets

Erin Behan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:11:00 GMT

Why not just make it a hedgehog kind of day. To accompany that hedghog board book, you're gonna need a hedgehod mini finger puppet. Folkmanis makes all breeds of finger puppet, and the hedgehog is just pretty darn cute. Get just the hedgehog for $3.99, or order a whole family--choose from a mini beaver, chipmunk, fox, more than 30 in all.

Dwell Studio Finger Puppets Are Low Tech But High Style

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:39:00 GMT

When you’re tired of making faces to entertain your baby, slip on a few of these Dwell Studios Finger Puppets. The set of five animals includes a raccoon, moose, rabbit, owl and bear that opt for bright, contemporary patterns rather than fur or feathers. Each puppet fits over two fingers and is made of cotton and polyester felt.

Available at Oompa for $31.99.

7 Days of Feeding - Puppet Club Dining Set

SunnyChanel — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:57:00 GMT

You don’t know what I understand? Why, when a set of parents are hardcore foodies, how the offspring of said parents could show such distain and dread at the dinner table? My husband and I, well, we like to eat…a lot. Our kid? Not so much. That’s why we try to make meal time an event. Music, lights, action. Having an attractive and fun dining set helps make dinner time much alluring than just food on a simple plain plate. Enter the Puppet Club 6-piece Dining Set. This set includes a versatile bowl/cup, a easy to scoop out plate, a bonus piece that can be an egg cup or condiment holder, and best of all the smiley face donning silverware doubles as finger puppets. When you’re sick of telling your kid to eat their veggies, have the fork tell them. $50 here.

The Mice Got Your Cheese

Heather Kuldell — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:56:00 GMT

Give your mug a break from twisting into funny faces to entertain your baby and try a hand puppet. Furnis makes some particularly creative versions, including “Five Mice in Cheese.” Normally the thought of five mice in a hand would be less than appealing, but when you know they don’t bite, it’s not so bad.

Available at Monkey Bean Toys for $19.99.

7 Days of Getting Crafty: Make-Your-Own Puppets

Erin Behan — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:14:00 GMT

Sure, the more crafty among us could probably help their kids make these puppets sans kit. But there's something nice and easy about pulling a ready-to-go craft project out of a bag, setting up shop and watching intently quiet kids concentraing on their unique creations. Yep, the Zoo Animal Lace-Up Puppet kit ($9.95) saves you some headaches and makes 12 puppets. And when the puppets are done, you can insist on a puppet show.

Hand Made: Zebra Hand Puppets

Erin Behan — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:34:00 GMT

If there's one toy I think I enjoy as much as children, it's puppets. This zebra puppet, one of several available at Branch for $22, is hand-knit by women as part of a knitting collective in rural Kenya. Branch is a sustainable design website, and as such, they offer assurances that the puppet is dyed only with natural dyes, is safe for kids, and its makers are treated and compensated fairly. There's also a cutie-pie lion, dog, monkey and click through to see an uber-groovy $78 octopus (complete with scarf!).

Hand Made: Monsters on Your Fingertips

chrisjordan — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:30:00 GMT

Entirely hand sewn monster finger puppets. The set somes with five different monster pupptets, one for each finger! These would be a great addition to any stocking this Christmas.

Available at Mahar Dry Goods for $20

Cool or Tasteless? BigGame Trophies

Erin Behan — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Probably a little cool and a little tasteless, but better a stuffed animal BigGame trophy than a real one. And keep in mind these expensive beauties (between $159 and $249) from BigGame double as hand puppets, albeit rather large ones. If you can't bear the thought of having a stuffed trophy of a non-extinct animal hanging on the wall of Jr's room, consider that there's a wooly mammoth in the mix that's been safely out-of-commission for a few years now.

Me and My Shadow: Yeti and Tooth Fairy Puppets

Meredith Broussard — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:16:00 GMT

Watch out-- this fearsome yeti might eat you. When he's done snacking on the Tooth Fairy, that is.

These laser-cut Owly Shadow Puppets will delight any kid who's fond of monsters, shadows, puppets, or-- heck, they'll delight any kid. You, too. The yeti has fur, the Tooth Fairy's dress is trimmed with molars, and both are mounted on bamboo sticks. Best of all, young puppeteers can make the yeti wave his arms and the Tooth Fairy flap her wings. These shadow puppet characters put on a spectacular show, making your barking dog or flapping seagull pale in comparison.

Yeti and Tooth Fairy Shadow Puppets, $36 at Mahar Drygoods