Best Hand Puppets of 2025

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Hand puppets are a versatile and entertaining form of play that has been popular for generations. Made from soft materials such as felt or plush, these puppets fit over the hand and allow the user to bring characters to life. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs, from animals to people, and can be used for imaginative play, storytelling, or even educational purposes. Hand puppets are a great way to encourage creativity and communication skills in children, while also providing hours of fun for adults too.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Hand Puppets
Melissa & Doug Safari Buddies Hand Puppets
The Safari Buddies Hand Puppets offer a delightful way for children to engage in imaginative play. This set includes six soft puppets themed around safari animals, making storytelling fun and interactive. The high-quality, washable fabrics ensure easy clean-up after playtime. These puppets also help in developing various skills, such as vocabulary and emotional expression, while building confidence in young ones. Ideal for children aged two and above, they encourage hands-on, screen-free experiences that foster creativity.
JOYIN Animal Friends Deluxe Hand Puppets Set
The JOYIN Animal Hand Puppets are perfect for sparking your child's imagination with six delightful animals: an Elephant, Unicorn, Puppy, Pig, Tiger, and Cow. Made from washable, child-safe fabric, these durable puppets ensure endless fun while maintaining safety. The movable mouths add a realistic touch, making puppet shows even more engaging for you and your little ones. Additionally, these puppets promote creativity, communication, and motor skills, allowing children to create captivating stories through interactive play.
Melissa & Doug Farm Hands Animal Puppets Set
The Farm Hands Puppets by Melissa & Doug includes four delightful soft hand puppets: a cow, a horse, a sheep, and a pig. These puppets are designed for children and adults alike, making them perfect for interactive play. Your child will develop important skills like hand-eye coordination and communication while enjoying engaging storytelling. Suitable for kids aged 2 to 6, these puppets make a fantastic gift. Pair them with the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Puppet Theatre for a complete imaginative experience, promoting screen-free fun.
Melissa & Doug Farm Hands Animal Puppets Set
The Farm Hands Puppets set by Melissa & Doug offers an entertaining collection of four soft hand puppets: a rabbit, parrot, kitten, and puppy. Made from plush material, these puppets are perfect for cuddling and are washable, ensuring easy cleanup after playtime. Designed for both children and adults, they help improve motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and communication abilities. These puppets make an excellent gift for children aged 2 to 6, promoting engaging and imaginative play that is free from screens.
The Puppet Company My First Bear Hand Puppet
The My First Bear Puppet from The Puppet Company is a delightful addition to story time. With its realistic embroidered eyes and charming features, it captivates children's imaginations. Made from high-quality, machine-washable materials, this puppet ensures easy cleaning and longevity. Safe from birth with adult supervision, it provides peace of mind for parents. Remember to remove all packaging before gifting it to a child, ensuring a safe and enjoyable play experience.
Hand Puppets Dinosaur Toys for Kids
The JUSTQUNSEEN Dinosaur Puppets are designed for both adults and children, making them easy to operate with a moderate size that fits comfortably in your hands. With various styles featuring colourful and detailed designs, these puppets are perfect for both play and as collector's items. Made from safe and comfortable materials, you can wash them easily, ensuring they remain hygienic for your little ones. Additionally, these delightful puppets encourage your child's language development, fostering creativity while they engage in imaginative play.
Purple Monster Hand Puppet by Silly Puppets
The Purple Monster Puppet by Silly Puppets is a delightful hand puppet that features a high-quality moving mouth, perfect for engaging children during playtime. Designed for child-sized hands, it will also fit smaller adult hands, making it versatile for all users. You will appreciate the ease of movement for both the mouth and arms, allowing for interactive performances. With a height of 35cm and a lightweight design of just 125g, this puppet is easy to handle, ensuring hours of fun without fatigue.
CreepyParty Soft Cotton Zoo Animal Puppets Set
The CreepyParty Animal Puppets are made from soft PP cotton, ensuring they are gentle against the skin, making playtime enjoyable for children. Their vibrant zoo animal designs are not only eye-catching but also help in capturing your child’s attention during story time. The robust stitching allows for repeated washing, ensuring these puppets remain clean and durable for long-lasting fun. With a size suitable for both adults and children, these puppets encourage shared play, fostering bonding moments between parents and kids.
Learning Resources Feelings Family Hand Puppets Set
The Feelings Family Hand Puppets are a fantastic way to help children understand their emotions. With five unique puppets representing happy, sad, surprised, angry, and scared, each puppet's colour and expression aid in exploring feelings. The soft, high-quality fabric and crinkly hair on some puppets provide a tactile experience, making emotional learning engaging. These puppets are perfect for storytelling and can be used in guided play, helping you encourage emotional expression in both classroom and home settings.
The Puppet Company My First Elmer Hand Puppet
The My First Elmer Puppet is a delightful addition for both children and adults. Its vibrant rainbow patchwork colours and friendly face make it visually appealing and engaging. This puppet is easy to use, allowing everyone to bring the beloved character of Elmer the Elephant to life during playtime. It also makes for a thoughtful gift, perfect for birthdays or special occasions, catering to fans of Elmer of all ages. Plus, it's suitable from birth with adult supervision, ensuring safe play for the youngest fans.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a hand puppet called?
Hand Puppets: Also known as a glove puppet, first puppet and Guignol (after a character in a famous French puppet show), the hand puppet is worn over the hand like a glove. Usually, the hollow inside the puppet allows for a hand to control the head, arms and body.
2. What is a human hand puppet?
Human-arm puppet One puppeteer places their dominant hand inside the puppet's head and operates the puppet's head and mouth, while putting their non-dominant arm into a glove and special sleeve attached to the puppet. ... This is a form of glove or hand puppetry and rod puppetry.
3. What is a glove puppet?
Definition of glove puppet British. : a puppet that fits over the hand like a glove and is moved by the fingers and hand of its wearer : hand puppet.
During our hand puppet research, we found 287 hand puppet products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 58,982 customer reviews through our big data system to write the hand puppets list. We found that most customers choose hand puppets with an average price of £22.63.
The hand puppets are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of hand puppets, including Melissa & Doug, JOYIN, The Puppet Company, JUSTQUNSEEN, SiLLy puppets. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 155 consumers with an average rating of 4.8.

Edward's family owns a retail store in Edinburgh for toys and games. He grew up taking a very active part in the family's business. Edward earned his first income from writing web content on a toy related gig for an online company. When he was 18, he took over from his father, and since then, he has been in charge and management of the store and several others around England.