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Can children be part of a puppet team?

I’ve directed several puppet teams over the years, but most of them have involved teenagers or adults. The only exception was when our boys were young and became part of our team.

We were ministering at a church when the boys were about ten years old. Our custom was to have them sit on the front pew while my wife and I did the puppets. As we were working our puppets in one of the recorded plays, we could hear the two of them repeating the lines word for word. One took one of the characters and the other took the second and went through the whole play. They had heard the plays so many times; they had most of them memorized.

We decided that if they knew the plays that well, it was time to see if they could join the team. We asked them if they wanted to start working puppets to which they gave an enthusiastic “Yes.” With a little bit of training, they were on their way and served on our traveling team for the next five years.

Today, as young adults, they still have an interest in puppet ministry. In fact, one of them is the one who has drawn all the clipart for the website and puppet courses.

Children as young as 10 or 12 can successfully be part of a puppet team, but often require a little more work. It is important to communicate with them that being part of a puppet team is not a game but a ministry. Have specific things for them to do during practice time so they don’t become bored. Also, don’t expect them to have the maturity of an 18 year old. With some patience and work, children can work well as part of a puppet team.

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