Puppet Theaters for Kids - Hours of Fun and Creative Play for Toddlers and Young Children

Even the youngest of children love watching the antics of puppets as they act out a scene from a favorite fairy tale – or just make up a story as they go along. But puppet theaters are not just about drama – they also serve an important educational function. Dramatic play can help young children to develop important social skills and build problem-solving abilities; puppet theatres can even serve a therapeutic purpose for young children to work out difficult issues that they are unable to verbalize for themselves.

Whether you are looking for a puppet theatre for your own kids to use at home, or you need dramatic play equipment for a daycare center or preschool, one of the theaters listed below is sure to suit your needs.

Guidecraft

Guidecraft has always had an outstanding reputation for high-quality educational toys, and with good reason. All of their kids’ products are carefully designed, with plenty of attention to detail. Guidecraft offers a few different options for puppet theaters: a tabletop model with “velvet” curtains that recalls the early days of theatrical production; a colorful modern tabletop theater, and a free-standing setup that allows kids to sit behind the stage, out of sight of viewers. All models are constructed of high-quality wood and fold for easy storage.

Alex

The Alex Floor Standing Puppet Theater is perfect for use with hand or finger puppets. Easy to assemble, it comes with a write-on “marquee” where kids can add the name of the next production and the upcoming show times; while the lightweight but sturdy Alex Play House Puppet Theater comes with a chalkboard front and doubles as both a puppet theatre and a play house.

Lisa LeLeu

The all-in-one Lisa LeLeu Super Star puppet theater has everything your kids will need to put on a hit production. This deluxe theatre is constructed with a lightweight fiberglass frame that is easy to put together and take down for easy storage. The “main stage” comes with a detailed backdrop, a backstage door, a wipe-off marquee, a ticket “window,” and plenty of other extras that make it seem just like the real thing. This theater comes with three hand puppets, admission tickets, and even a script for a play – as well as many other accessories that will help to get their creative juices flowing.

Where to find Puppet Theatres for Kids

A Kid Place online offers a charming selection of puppet theaters that have everything your child needs to put on a fabulous production. And while you are checking out these adorable dramatic play accessories, be sure to look at the rest of the great pretend play toys from the huge inventory of over a thousand items designed for kids of all ages for a one-stop holiday shopping experience. All items sold here meet or exceed government safety standards and come from award-winning manufacturers who specialize in quality products for children.

Why Kids Play Dress-Up

When my daughter was three, she "inherited" a fleecy, hooded dragon costume from a cousin. For weeks, she was obsessed with it - she insisted on wearing it wherever she went and even slept in the thing (I gave up trying to get her out of it except at bath time, when I put my foot down). While the costume was on, she was not only dressed as a dragon - she was the dragon; she would stomp around the house, claws bared and growling, until the cat would run away at the sound of her footsteps. Fortunately, the obsession faded, but was quickly replaced with an equally fierce devotion to a princess costume.

As adults, a child's need to play dress-up can be as puzzling as it is amusing - what is your little one really thinking about when he or she spends days at a time dressed in a ballerina costume or police uniform? In fact, this type of dramatic play helps young children to learn some important life skills.

What kids get out of dramatic play and dress-up

When kids engage in imaginative play, they aren't just having fun - they are developing some vital social, intellectual, and manipulative skills. Dressing up in costumes, or in their parents' clothing, teaches them not only to zip, button, snap and tie, but to empathize with others; dressing up as a fireman, for example, helps a child to put himself in the fireman's shoes - so to speak. Research has shown that kids who engage in dress-up games tend to have a better understanding of other people's feelings and points of view later on.

Role play helps kids to create imaginary scenarios that put their problem-solving skills to the test (how does the fireman rescue the kitten?); kids who play dress-up together also learn to cooperate as they work out their imaginary scenario.

Another important aspect of dramatic play is learning to think symbolically; a child who pretends that her chair is a throne is actually developing the intellectual areas of the brain that will allow her to comprehend writing, reading, and mathematics.

How to encourage your child's creative side

If your child loves dressing up and pretending, you can encourage him by providing old clothes, costumes, plastic "jewelry," hats, last year's Halloween costumes, and anything else you can think of. Create a dress-up space in your child's bedroom or playroom; the Guidecraft Dress-Up Carousel - available at A Kid Place - is the perfect way to store all of your child's dress-up items for easy access and quick clean-up when it is time to move on to a new activity. The Guidecraft Dress-Up Carousel comes in Natural and Pastel.

New at A Kid Place - Kidkraft Princess Dress Up Unit 76138

The little princess in your life is sure to love our KidKraft Princess Dress Up Unit!

Large enough for multiple kids to play at once, the Kidkraft Princess Dress Up Unit swivels 360° and features five convenient storage compartments, four crown-shaped knobs for hanging dress-up clothes, purses, coats and hats.

The tall, shatterproof mirror is perfect for girls to model their dressup costumes.

Finished in cheerful pink, the Kidkraft Princess Dress Up Unit will make a great addition to any little girl's room.

The KidKraft Princess Dress Up Unit is part of the Kidkraft Princess collection

Some assembly required.

Recommended for ages 3 and up.

All paints and finishes used on Kidkraft furniture and toys are lead-free and non-toxic.

Kidkraft Fun Explorers Rocket Ship Wins Kidkraft Another Award

Kidkraft wins again! NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Awards) has awarded Kidkraft's Fun Explorers Rocket Ship an Honors winner in the 2010 NAPPA Children's Products competition.

The deluxe Kidkraft Rocket Ship Set lets kids explore outer space without even leaving the house. Young astronauts will love imagining themselves flying through space, meeting aliens and using the ship’s special computers to do important research with the Kidkraft Rocket Ship Set.

Features include:

• Over 25 colorful pieces, including astronauts, robots and even aliens!
• Two glow-in-the-dark moon craters
• Two space vehicles for exploring uncharted planets
• Removable ramp lets the astronauts drive their vehicles onboard
• Working elevator
• Smart, sturdy construction
• Packaged with detailed, step-by-step assembly instructions
• Made of wood

Dimensions:

23.74" x 15.67" x 29.21", 25 Lbs.

Click on picture to be taken to main site where you can view a video of this awesome rocket ship.

Kidkraft’s Pink Vintage Kitchen Wins the Creative Child 2010 Product of the Year Award

Kidkraft's marvelous Pink Vintage Kitchen has been honored with the Creative Child Creative Toy Awards 2010 Seal of Excellence. Creative Child Magazine's Awards Program is a unique program, being that all products submitted are reviewed by moms, music educators and early education professionals, and not just by any one person. This way you know it is an unbiased review.

The Kidkraft pink vintage kitchen is made of wood and features:

• Sturdy construction


• Doors which open and close


• Oven knobs that click and turn


• Cordless phone


• Removable sink for easy cleanup.

Dimensions: 33" x 11.7" x 35.7", 50 lbs.

This tends to sell out in October for the holidays, so it is highly recommended to order this as early as possible to ensure you will have it in plenty of time for holiday gift giving.

Guidecraft’s All In One Kitchen a Winner

Guidecraft wins again! Creative Child Magazine has presented Guidecraft with the 2010 Preferred Choice Award for the newly released All In One Kitchen.

Guidecraft’s All In One Play Kitchen is the perfect canvas for kids to practice pretend play skills. This sensational kitchen by Guidecraft combines all the amenities in one space for the ultimate dramatic play experience:

Range top, Microwave, Oven, Refrigerator, Sink, Dishwasher and Double Cupboard.

Features include turning knobs, clock, dry-erase board & more.

This fabulous kitchen will provide children with hours and hours of imaginative play and the colors are gender-neutral so it’s perfect for both boys and girls! Great for the classroom, daycare centers and children’s rooms or playrooms at home.

The Guidecraft All In One Now Kitchen is now available here at A Kid Place. This is sure to be a huge seller for the holidays so be sure to order early enough to avoid disappointment, should it sell out.