The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

You have a puppet.

Tomorrow, you’re meeting a new child for the first time.
When does the puppet come in? 🤔

Do you introduce it right away?

Or do you wait until the child knows you better and feels more comfortable with you?

It sounds like a simple decision.
But I think there’s a really important question underneath it:
Does the relationship with YOU need to come first… or could the puppet actually help you build it?

That’s what I explore in my new video. 👇
🎥 Why I Introduce My Puppet Before a Child Feels Comfortable With Me

4 days ago | [YT] | 0

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

There’s a question I’ve started asking myself more and more when I work with children:

“Who can do this better - me or the puppet?”

Sometimes a puppet can approach the same child, and even the same goal, from a completely different position.

I’m curious about your experience:

Have you ever noticed a child respond differently when something came from a puppet rather than directly from you?

I explore why I think that happens in my latest video. If you think it's valuable for others too, please help me share it.

#EarlyYears #PuppetsWithChildren #ChildCommunication

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

I had a puppet.

I had absolutely no idea what to do with it. 😅

So I did what I thought I had to do: make up a story.

I thought about who Doki was, where he came from, why he was there…

Within a few minutes, the children completely turned my carefully prepared story upside down. They had different plans than I did.

They had questions.
They made drawings for him.
They brought him things.
And they wanted to know when he was coming back.

It took a while before I understood what they were showing me.

I wanted Doki to achieve something.

They wanted a friend. 🧡

Knowing that changed my approach.

🎬 This is the story of how I began discovering a completely different way of using puppets with children

Do you use a puppet in your work with children?

#EarlyChildhoodEducation #ChildCommunication #PuppetsInEducation

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 0

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

You ask a child a question.

They look away.
They laugh.
They don’t answer.
They seem to disappear from the interaction.

So you try harder.

You become more patient. Give them more space. Try to show them there’s nothing to worry about.

I did exactly that.

But then I started noticing something that changed the way I worked with children. The harder I tried to make some children feel safe, the more tension I seemed to see.

That observation started a journey that has shaped my work for the past 30 years.

🎬 This is where the story begins


If you work with children, I’d love to know: do you recognise this child?

#EarlyChildhoodEducation #ChildCommunication #ChildParticipation

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

Who feels like the bigger hurdle when you think about using a hand puppet

2 months ago | [YT] | 0

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

A while ago, I posted a video about how a puppet makes eye contact, and the first comment was: "Yeah, but you can do this-you can tell by everything; with you, everything looks natural."

How many people don't even try something because they think they'll never reach the level they want to be at (or the level they envision for themselves)?

What a waste.

I've set myself a new challenge-one that's just as uncomfortable for me as picking up a puppet is for many people, but one I need to tackle to get where I want to be. Standing in front of the camera as myself to talk about everything I saw and didn't see-the questions, the doubts, the frustrations-all part of the process.

If I want to challenge children to do something that feels unsafe to them, shouldn't I show them that you can overcome your fears? That nothing goes perfectly the first time? That it's okay to have doubts, to make mistakes, and that it won't be the end of the world?

Let me know if knowing where it all started is motivating or demotivating for you.

2 months ago | [YT] | 0

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

You set up the puppet. You waited for the right moment.

The moment came. The puppet sat there on your hand. And you had no idea what they were supposed to say.

So you put them away.

This is the most common story I hear from professionals who work with children. Not "I tried it and it didn't work." But "I tried it once, felt lost, and never picked it up again."

Here's what I've learned after 30 years: the puppet is about 5% of the equation.

What does the other 95% look like?

It's who the puppet is. What they care about. How they move through the world.

A puppet with character is a bridge. A puppet without one is a prop.

And the question that changes everything isn't "what do I do with this puppet?"

It's: given what I want this child to experience - who does my puppet need to be?

That question works backwards from the child. And it changes how you build everything.

If you have a puppet sitting in a drawer somewhere - this is worth thinking about.

🔗 Learn more → Give Your Puppet a Story to Tell

#RelationalPuppetry #ChildProfessionals #HandPuppet #BuildingBridges #PuppetTip

4 months ago | [YT] | 3

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

What to do when you introduce a puppet? I tell you in this video

9 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

What if the perfect puppets is already in your closet?

I get this question all the time:
“Which puppet should I choose?”

There’s just so much to choose from.
Some puppets are funny.
Others are cute.
Some look like someone you know.
Others are socks with eyes or fuzzy little creatures from another planet.

But in the end, it comes down to one thing:
The right puppet isn’t the prettiest.
Not the most expensive.
Not the most popular.
It’s the one that feels right for you.

That means:
– one that speaks to you,
– that makes you smile,
– that sparks ideas or stories in your mind,
– and that you can imagine children really connecting with.

Here’s what I always tell people:
-Choose a puppet you click with. If you don’t feel that click, a child will feel it too.
-Choose one with a mouth that moves. It makes conversations so much easier.
-And pick one that already makes you smile a little — right now.

That’s usually a good sign.
Still unsure?
Start small. Start simple. Start today!

Just walk to your closet, grab an old sock, and turn it into a simple puppet — something like this. If you want to know how I made this ones, check out this video, it really was easy peasy.

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

The Puppet as a Way In - Helen Meurs

How do you help a child take a step… when you're stuck in your own head?

One of my students told me about a little boy who desperately wanted to connect with other children but kept trying in all the "wrong" ways.
She wanted to use her puppet to help him. But she wasn’t sure how.

What should the puppet say?
How do you gently guide a child?
How do you help them walk the path that will actually help?

She kept thinking, doubting, overthinking.
And trying the same thing over and over again.
Just like the boy.

I asked her, “How well does he know your puppet?”
“Well,” she said, “I introduced him, said he’s a friend, and that he could ask him anything.”

That explained a lot.
There was no relationship.
No bond. No trust. And that’s the foundation.

Think of it like building a house — you can’t place the roof before the foundation is solid. If you try, the whole thing crumbles.

In other words: if you want to use the power of puppetry to help a child take steps forward — which is a beautiful idea — the first step is always building a connection between the child and the puppet.

They need to get to know each other.
The child needs to feel: this puppet is on my side. This puppet is a real friend.

Friendship isn’t a word — it’s a feeling.

And that’s where the key lies.
For both the puppet and the child’s behavior.

It all starts with the relationship.
If that’s not real, everything else feels hollow.

So if you want a child to open up,
don’t start with your goal.
Start with connection.

To help you do just that, I created a short, playful course all about building relationships and sparking real friendships — between you and your puppet, the child and the puppet, and between children themselves.
Because play always starts with connection.

Check out Let’s Play — I think you’ll agree: for that price, it’s well worth trying. This is the link: www.helenmeurs.com/puppet-course-for-beginners/

1 year ago | [YT] | 0