Puppets

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Act out workplace or community dynamics using character proxies to explore differing perspectives on a shared problem.

Use it when: Use during training, review sessions, or team retrospectives when participants need an indirect, low-stakes way to examine communication barriers or challenging interactions.

Skip it when: Skip when the group lacks space or crafting supplies, or when a literal, data-driven analysis is required instead of narrative role-play.

Group arrangement: Small teams of 3 to 5 participants. For 4 people, form 1 team. For odd numbers, adjust group sizes so everyone is placed: 13 divides into one group of 4 and three groups of 3; 17 divides into two groups of 4 and three groups of 3. A fifth member in any group serves as stage manager.

Timing: Participatory Methods suggests 60 to 90 minutes. This 60-minute schedule provides 20 minutes for crafting, 15 minutes for story prep, and structured time for performances and debrief.

Materials and tools

• Craft materials per team: 4 clean socks or paper lunch bags, 6 sheets of colored cardstock, felt scraps, markers, and buttons
• Tools per team: 2 pairs of scissors, 1 roll of masking tape, and 2 glue sticks
• 1 prompt sheet per team defining the scenario challenge
• 1 pad of chart paper and 2 dark markers for recording takeaways
• 1 countdown timer displayed for the room

Before participants arrive

1. Group chairs and tables into team stations for 3 to 5 people each.
2. Divide crafting supplies evenly onto each table station.
3. Set up an open space or table edge at the front of the room to serve as an improvised puppet stage, placing chart paper and markers nearby.

Say this to open

Welcome. Today we will examine a common scenario by stepping outside our everyday roles. First, I will explain the scenario challenge and help your teams assign roles. Please leave the craft supplies on the tables for now. Once roles are set, each team will build puppets to enact a short scene that shows a friction point and a practical way to resolve it.

How to run it

1. Introduce scenario and roles 5 minutes

   State the scenario prompt clearly, such as a handoff delay between two teams. Outline team roles: character designer, puppet operator, scriptwriter, and stage manager or timekeeper. Teams self-assign roles so anyone uncomfortable performing can write, manage time, or build. Distribute the scenario prompt sheets.

2. Construct character puppets 20 minutes

   Start the 20-minute countdown. Teams use socks, bags, paper, markers, and glue to build two or three character puppets representing key viewpoints in the scenario. For example, one puppet can represent a client waiting for answers and another a technician facing system downtime. Give verbal time checks when 10 minutes and 5 minutes remain.

3. Draft the narrative scene 15 minutes

   Direct teams to plan their scene. The narrative must clearly present the initial friction, dialogue between characters, and a concrete attempt at resolution. Teams rehearse lines and puppet movements quietly at their tables. Remind stage managers to keep rehearsals focused and brief.

4. Perform puppet scenes 12 minutes

   Invite each team to perform in order. All teams present. If running 1 to 4 teams, allow up to 2 minutes per team. If running 5 to 6 teams, enforce a strict 90-second limit. If running 7 to 8 teams, enforce a strict 60-second limit. Keep transitions under 30 seconds.

5. Reflect and debrief 8 minutes

   Facilitate a whole-room discussion using the debrief questions. Ask for two or three volunteer observations per question. Record three to five key practical takeaways or resolution ideas directly onto chart paper for the group.

Debrief questions

• How did speaking through a puppet change the way characters expressed tension or disagreement?
• Which solution presented during the scenes showed the most realistic path forward?
• What did the performances reveal about the unstated assumptions of each character?

Finished output: A set of enacted scenarios demonstrating practical resolutions to a shared problem, recorded on chart paper as key takeaways.

Remote

Distributed participants craft puppets using everyday items at home, such as socks, envelopes, or wooden spoons with marker faces. Breakouts plan a two-minute scene. During presentations, performers hold puppets up to webcams while speaking. The facilitator spotlights each performing team in turn.

Hybrid

In-person teams craft on site while remote participants form their own virtual breakout using household items. During performances, remote teams broadcast video and audio to the room projector and speakers. In-person teams perform directly in front of the room webcam and microphone. The facilitator alternates questions between room and chat during the unified debrief.

Access and participation choices

• Non-acting roles: Participants may choose scriptwriting, sound effects, timekeeping, or puppet construction without handling puppets or speaking on stage.
• Physical accommodations: Use paper lunch bags or cardstock mounted on rulers if sock puppets pose motor or dexterity challenges.
• Opting out: Participants may pass on performing and instead act as silent scene documenters taking notes on resolutions.

If the session gets stuck

Participants spend all their time decorating and have no story prepared.

Give a strict 10-minute warning during crafting, and instruct teams to stop decorating and begin scripting dialogue immediately.

A team creates a caricature of a real colleague that causes discomfort.

Remind the room that puppets represent functional roles or abstract challenges, not personal parodies. Redirect the script to focus on system problems rather than individuals.

Terms used here

• Proxy: An object or figure that stands in for a real-world role, person, or perspective during an exercise.