Puppets make great educational toys for infants and toddlers, thus providing fun and learning in on fell swoop. Especially suitable are hand puppets, finger puppets, and even plain old sock puppets. These are both non-threatening and silly, a good combo for very small kids.

Specialty puppet shows often serve as tourist attractions for specific localities, so keep this in mind next time you're traveling. For example, Palermo, Italy hosts the International Puppet Museum, and Hanoi has a one-of-a-kind water puppet show.

If you'd prefer to create your own puppet shows rather than attend someone else's, the Internet is a great way to find all kinds of tips. Among other things, you can learn which materials work best, how to create good cartoon eyes, how to stage a puppet show, and more.