Last
week, a great injustice was set right. After 17 years, the National Toy Hall of
Fame in Rochester, NY, finally inducted ... the puppet.
The
two other inductees this year were the game Twister and the water-blasting Super
Soaker. Brand-name finalists that didn’t make the cut included American Girl
Dolls, Battleship, Jenga, PLAYMOBIL, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Wiffle
Ball; generic toys that were passed over included the coloring book, the
scooter and the top.
As
Children’s Fairyland prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of
our historic puppet theater—the longest running in the nation—we couldn’t be
happier that puppets were finally honored. But we are scratching our heads as
to why this recognition took so long.
Puppets
have been used for thousands of years and in nearly every culture. From the
telling of folktales to the performance of religious morality plays, from
political satire to vaudeville, puppets made of every type of material have
been ubiquitous. More recently, and closer to home, a teenage Frank Oz was an
apprentice in Fairyland’s puppet theater; his later work with the Muppets and
as Yoda in the “Star Wars” movies helped catapult puppetry to popular culture
on television, in movies and on the stage.
At Fairyland
we have seen firsthand the magical effect puppets have on kids, both as
performing objects and as toys of individual children. Our puppet shows
captivate even the youngest audience members; they’re fascinated by the figures
that are at both real and not real. In kids’ own hands, puppets allow children to
create imaginary voices, plots and purpose.
To me, the
best thing about hand puppets for kids is that the play is open-ended: It helps
children develop coordination and manual dexterity, and the puppets become
snuggly friends as well.
We’re so
lucky to have the makers of the most innovative and engaging specialty puppets in the world
right next door, in Emeryville. Since 1976, Folkmanis’s nature-themed puppets
have won nearly every child-development, kid-tested and industry award. Right
now, in our gift store, we carry the Folkmanis octopus, a little eagle, a baby
sea otter, a zebra, a little porcupine, a honeybee and a screech owl.
Fairyland’s master puppeteer, Randal Metz, has observed the
power of puppets over his 46-year stint at our park. Randal once saw a young
girl who’d been terrified by dogs lose her fear after spending time with one of
our friendly dog puppets. Last month, another girl wanted to come backstage to
see, up close, a puppet that represented death. She and her father talked
quietly about what death means. We’ve also seen many examples of autistic kids
who are inspired by puppets to become more verbal.
Of course Randal is pleased about the puppet’s belated induction
into the Toy Hall of Fame. “They’re toys—but come to life,” he says. There was
only one time Randal adamantly refused to bring puppets to life: when a company
wanted to hire him to do a special puppet show to be recorded and shown to
employees who were being fired. Apparently there are a few places puppets
shouldn’t go.
To
see the complete list of Toy Hall of Fame inductees, including Fairyland
favorites bubbles, blanket, stick, ball and cardboard box, go to www.toyhalloffame.org/toys.
-C.J. Hirschfield
C.J. Hirschfield has
served for 13 years as Executive Director of Children’s Fairyland, where she is
charged with the overall operation the nation’s first storybook theme park.
Prior to that, she served as an executive in the cable television industry.
C.J. is former president and current board member of the California Attractions
and Parks Association, and also serves on the boards of Visit Oakland and the
Lake Merritt/Uptown Business Improvement District. C.J. writes a weekly column
for the Piedmont Post and OaklandLocal, where she loves to showcase the beauty
of her city and its people. She holds a degree in Film and Broadcasting from
Stanford University.
