Guidecraft Center Stage Puppet Theater Review + Giveaway

Guidecraft started as a small woodshop in 1964 and has grown to include more than 580 educational educational toys and furnishings. Despite the growth and expansion, Guidecraft is owned by the same family and maintains the same mission: stay true to the tradition of smart, beautifully crafted wood products, which allow children’s minds and imaginations room to truly wonder and grow.

Center Stage Puppet Theater

Interchangeable marquee signs can turn this floor puppet theater into a store, a post office, or using the blank chalkboard sign, anything a child can dream of! Sturdy, non-tip construction from environment-friendly wood. Front curtain slides open and closed for performances or can be tied with Velcro loops for an open counter appearance. Dark rear curtain hides puppeteers or encloses. Material: Hardwood, cloth. 35.5 x 14 x 52.5 – 26 lbs

Quick Assembly

The Puppet Theater arrived in a tall and thin box and I imagined I’d have lots of pieces to put together. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The Puppet Theater was nearly completely put together. I really only had to assemble the finishing touches – the red finials on the top, the playing ledge on the bottom level, the theater and red background curtain and the bottom feet for stabilization. I had it assembled and ready for play in literally 15 minutes. The most difficult part was keeping my kids away long enough to get it all put together.

Solid Construction

Made of environmentally-friendly wood, the Puppet Theater is pretty solid but light enough to move around. Actually, given that the Theater can fold for storage and is easy to move around, it’s surprisingly sturdy. The two sides of the Theater fold behind the front making it very thin and easy to put in a closet or under a bed when not in use. The wood used isn’t particularly thick, but it does seem very well constructed and definitely seems to exceed the price tag.

In the following picture you can see some of my favorite details about the Puppet Theater. The ledge is perfect for setting up shop, and I love the large chalkboard. You can see the two “feet” that slide onto the bottom of the unit to keep it from tipping over. While they certainly do work – we haven’t had the theater fall over – I do wish they were thicker. The theater does still tip a bit forward when my kids lean on it.

Imaginative & Dramatic Play

Ideal for imaginative play, the Puppet Theater is more than just a theater. It comes with different signs so you can easily switch from a theater to the Post Office, General Store or something else (there’s a blank sign you can customize to your kid’s imagination). The large blue front area of the Theater is actually a chalkboard so you can create a message or announce the latest production or store opening.

I’ve been treated to a puppet show featuring fish.

I’ve mailed packages with the bored post office worker. And I’ve visited the General Store to buy planes.

It’s safe to say my three year old has really enjoyed the Puppet Theater. At his age, the play has been primarily as a shop. He’s not quite ready to put on a puppet show, but has has watched me try. Obviously the ability to “transform” the theater into other sets for dramatic play is a big plus and I really like that we’ll use it differently as the kids get older. I think they’ll grow into the puppet aspect and that will be lots of fun. It is recommended for children 3 and older, but my son did recruit a shop assistant.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… The Puppet Theater has been a real treat and has already provided hours and hours of fun. I really look forward to continuing to enjoy it as my kids grow and their ability to role play develops. The construction is very good, especially considering the price tag, and the finishing touches like the chalkboard, signs and finials really add to the nice, quality feel.

Or Not to Buy… My prime area for improvement is the stabilizing feet that slide on to the bottom. I think they should be a bit wider to steady the theater a bit more.

Shop! The Guidecraft Center Stage Puppet Theater is $120. In addition to tools for dramatic play, Guidecraft has a huge (huge!) selection of educational toys and manipulatives, colorful furniture, classroom furniture and doll house furniture. Here are some of my favorite things that are new for spring 2010.

Win! A Guidecraft Center Stage Puppet Theater!

How to Enter: Visit Guidecraft, take a look around and leave a comment with something else that catches your eye.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

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Disclosure: Giveaway ends May 13. Open to US residents only. Thanks to Guidecraft for providing a sample for review and the giveaway prize. Others may have a different experience. Opinions are 100% my own.