Puppet Show With Character Voices

2-3 stuffed animals, sock puppets, or paper bag puppets

A couch cushion, overturned box, or table edge for a "stage" (optional)

Gather 2-3 puppets or stuffed animals. Give each a name.

Set up a simple stage — behind a cushion, a turned-over table, or your lap.

Introduce characters with distinct voices: deep for Bear, squeaky for Mouse.

Start a simple story: "Bear was walking in the forest and met Mouse."

Hand your child a puppet: "What does Mouse say back?"

Create a simple problem: "Bear lost his hat! Can Mouse help?"

Follow your child's lead wherever the story goes.

End with puppet bows: "The end! Take a bow, everyone!"

Puppet shows build narrative skills (beginning, middle, end), conversational skills (dialogue between characters), and expressive language (using different voices). All that learning packaged in pure fun.

Keep stories to 2-3 minutes with this age. Short and silly beats long and complicated.

You don't need to be a performer. A stuffed bunny held up with a funny voice is theatre gold for a 2-year-old.

Let your child redo the same show multiple times. They'll add new details each time, and the repetition builds confidence and fluency.

As your child gets more comfortable, hand them two puppets and let them run the whole show while you become the audience.