Ringo is a bold and characterful ECO Sockettes hand puppet from The Puppet Company, made from 99% recycled materials. Measuring 38cm tall, Ringo features a signature golden earring, a brightly coloured headpiece, a vibrant blue and yellow design with contrasting fur, and little teeth for extra character. A built-in squeaker in his tongue and a wide, expressive mouth make him an interactive and engaging tool for imaginative play, communication development, and creative language work. Suitable for children aged 18 months and above and loved by adults too, Ringo is a standout character bursting with personality in the ECO Sockettes collection.

How Ringo helps with communication and learning

For children with dyslexia, speech and language difficulties, or other learning differences, puppets offer a low-pressure route into spoken language. When a child speaks through or to a puppet, the anxiety of direct communication reduces, making it easier to practise words, sentences, and ideas. Ringo's vivid, eye-catching design and bold personality make him a natural conversation starter - children want to know who he is, where he is from, and what he thinks, which creates a self-motivated context for language development that feels genuinely playful rather than structured.

The little teeth and wide mouth are useful for phonics and mouth-awareness activities, providing a visual reference for sound formation that children find easy to engage with. The built-in squeaker and bold blue and yellow colouring make Ringo hard to ignore, which is particularly valuable when working with children who need a strong stimulus to sustain engagement during communication sessions.

Why Ringo works well in schools and early years settings

• Highly distinctive character with immediate personality: Ringo's golden earring, coloured headpiece, and bold colouring give him a strong, memorable identity that children respond to quickly. A character this vivid tends to prompt extended storytelling, character questioning, and imaginative play with very little adult prompting.
• Supports phonics and mouth-awareness work: Like Rainbow, Ringo's visible little teeth and wide mouth make him a useful visual reference during phonics sessions, helping children connect mouth position with sounds in a concrete and engaging way.
• Reduces speaking anxiety: Puppets create a safe distance between the child and the activity, making participation more accessible for reluctant speakers and children who find direct communication challenging.
• Outstanding eco credentials: Made from 99% recycled materials, Ringo is among the most sustainably produced puppets in the ECO Sockettes range, making him a strong choice for schools and settings with environmental procurement policies.
• Suitable across EYFS, KS1, and SEND settings: With an age range starting from 18 months, Ringo works across Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, and older SEND support groups where puppet-based activities remain an effective communication and literacy tool.

At home

Ringo is just as effective at home as he is in school. Parents supporting children with dyslexia or communication difficulties will find that his bold, characterful design tends to inspire conversation and storytelling naturally. Children who resist more structured activities often engage readily with a puppet as visually striking as Ringo, and the built-in squeaker reliably draws even reluctant participants in.

Why puppets support children with learning differences

Research and classroom experience consistently show that puppets reduce anxiety around speaking and reading tasks. For children with dyslexia, the cognitive demands of reading aloud or retelling a story can feel overwhelming. When a puppet mediates the activity, children typically find it easier to engage, take turns, and experiment with language without fear of making mistakes. Ringo's bold character makes him particularly effective at generating the kind of self-motivated, child-led language activity that has the strongest evidential support for children with dyslexia. His 99% recycled construction makes him a responsible, durable choice for settings that use puppets regularly.

Ready to add Ringo to your setting?

Ringo the ECO Sockettes hand puppet is available now at The Dyslexia Shop. If you are buying for a school, nursery, or organisation and would like to discuss a bulk order, please contact the team directly.

• Made from 99% recycled materials: One of the most sustainably produced puppets in The Puppet Company's ECO Sockettes range, supporting environmentally responsible purchasing for schools and families.
• Built-in tongue squeaker: Encourages interactive play and draws children into vocal and communication activities naturally.
• Wide expressive mouth with little teeth: Supports voice exploration, sound play, and phonics work, with visible teeth providing a useful reference point for mouth-awareness and sound-formation activities.
• Highly distinctive character design: Signature golden earring, brightly coloured headpiece, vibrant blue and yellow body with contrasting fur - bold, memorable, and immediately engaging in group and one-to-one settings.
• Dimensions: Height 38cm x Width 14cm x Length 13cm.
• Age suitability: Suitable for children aged 18 months and above; appropriate for adults in professional and therapeutic settings.
• What's included: 1 x Ringo ECO Sockettes hand puppet.
• Brand: The Puppet Company
• SKU/MPN: PC007026

• What is the Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet?
  Ringo ECO Sockettes is a 38cm hand puppet from The Puppet Company, made from 99% recycled materials. He features a signature golden earring, brightly coloured headpiece, vibrant blue and yellow design with contrasting fur, little teeth, and a built-in tongue squeaker, and is suitable for children aged 18 months and above.
• How does the Ringo puppet help children with dyslexia or communication difficulties?
  The Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet helps children with dyslexia and communication difficulties by creating a self-motivated context for language development. His bold, distinctive character naturally prompts children to ask questions, invent stories, and develop character voices without the pressure of a formal activity. The little teeth and wide mouth also make him a useful visual reference for phonics and mouth-awareness work.
• What age is the Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet suitable for?
  The Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet is suitable for children aged 18 months and above. He is used by early years practitioners, Key Stage 1 teachers, and SEND support staff, and is equally appropriate for adults using Ringo in a therapeutic or professional context.
• Is the Ringo puppet suitable for classroom or school use?
  Yes, the Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet is well suited to classroom use. His distinctive character works across circle time, storytelling, literacy interventions, phonics sessions, and speech and language support, and his vivid design tends to prompt extended, child-led language activity with very little adult prompting.
• Is the Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet eco-friendly?
  Yes, Ringo is made from 99% recycled materials, placing him among the most sustainably produced puppets in The Puppet Company's ECO Sockettes range. He is an excellent choice for schools and settings with environmental or sustainable procurement policies.
• Can the Ringo puppet help with phonics?
  Yes. Ringo's wide mouth and visible little teeth make him a useful visual reference during phonics sessions, helping children see how sounds are formed and connect mouth position with the sounds they are practising. This adds practical phonics value alongside his broader use for storytelling and communication support.
• How big is the Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet?
  Ringo measures 38cm in height, 14cm in width, and 13cm in length. This size makes him comfortable to fit over an adult hand and visible enough for group storytelling and classroom activities.
• Does the Ringo ECO Sockettes puppet have a squeaker?
  Yes, Ringo has a built-in squeaker in his tongue. The squeaker encourages interactive play and is particularly effective at engaging younger children and drawing reluctant speakers into vocal and communication activities.