What types of puppets are there?

EDIT: I don’t know what it is but a certain percentage of you readers don’t get this. The below list is just that, a list. If you would like to learn more (ie. read a description of that type of puppet, find links to other articles about them, lists of free patterns, tutorials, etc.), then click on the corresponding link to read more. SERIOUSLY, THERE’S MORE INFORMATION IF YOU’D JUST CLICK THE LINKS BELOW. For those puppet types that have no links, I have yet to write a description of them and will do so in the future.

I realised I don’t actually have a comprehensive list of the types of puppets, so here goes (it should be mentioned that many puppet designs can fit in one or more categories, that the categories below are not definitive, and that indeed there are designs out there that are so unique as to not fit any category. Numbering the types of puppets is therefore useless)… :

Find out what kinds of puppets are used in Australia here. And which are the easiest to make is discussed here. What is the best is discussed here.

Animatronics (robotic puppets)
Blacklight puppets (UV, puppeteers invisible). Blacklight puppets now available here!
Bunraku (Japanese rod puppets)
Caricature or portrait puppets (puppets made to look like real/famous people or yourselves/friends/family)
Costume puppets (puppets you wear)
Finger puppets
Found puppets (also known as object manipulation or object theatre)
Glove puppets (aka hand puppets)
Javanese Wayang Golek (wooden rod puppets)
Javanese Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets)
Light curtain staging (puppets seen, puppeteers ‘invisible’ )
Marionettes (string puppets)
Marottes (a type of rod puppet)
Mouth puppets (puppets that talk)
Muppet-types (a version of mouth puppets). You can now buy patterns and parts at my online store!
Non-typecast puppet
Outdoor puppets
People puppets
Rod puppets
Shadow puppets. You can now buy shadow puppets and patterns from my online store!
Shoulder puppets
Sock puppets
Table-top puppetry (a version of rod puppets/bastardised bunraku)
Toy theatre
White light theatre (puppeteers visible)
Ventriloquist puppets/ventriloquism
Vietnamese water puppetry

Have I missed one? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Want more? Help build a puppet!

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6 comments

Comment from: Katherine Green [Visitor]

I was looking at www.ask.com for different types of puppets for my homework and i looked on here and it gave me loads of useful information. Thanks guys :green:

If i didn't use this website i wouldn't have got very good marks for my homework because i'm a bit dumb :crazy:

thanks again :!:

31/10/08 @ 04:44

Comment from: Puppets in Melbourne [Member]

Hi Katherine, I'm so glad you find my site useful; hope you get really good marks on your homework! Do pop back to the site if you need any help. Cheers, Naomi

04/11/08 @ 15:47

Comment from: Steph [Visitor]

Hve you heard about Jig Puppets? Went to a local International Puppet Festival, and they look so simple to operate and make that I would like to have a go, but have not found anything about this style of puppet on net yet. If you know more, please let me know, apart from that, a great site.

13/10/09 @ 21:45

Comment from: Puppets in Melbourne [Member]

Hi Steph, I haven't heard of these types of puppets before. I asked around, but the only thing other puppeteers could come up with was this: http://img26.yfrog.com/i/nfnq.jpg/ Is that what you meant? If not, do describe the puppet a bit more and I'll see if I can track down some info about it. It's quite likely that a Jig Puppet is a brand name or the name an independent puppet maker gave a particular puppet that they have invented. (It may also help to know what festival you went to) Thanks for the compliments on the site! Cheers, Naomi

14/10/09 @ 15:43

Comment from: Kaity Tsaousoglou [Visitor]

Thank you so so so much!!! I have been looking for ages for a great website to get all my information off of for my year 9 drama!! our teacher has only given us one week to create a puppet and do a 3 page essay on puppetry. Great site!!! Keep up the good work :D Kaity