Puppet Theatre: Worth the Effort

The girls received a puppet theatre for Christmas 2012 and also some handmade puppets of well-known fairy tale characters. I wasn't sure how well they would play with this b/c it requires a bit of storytelling effort for the show to be really enjoyable.
If It's Pretty They Will Play
They initially loved the look of it and handling all of the puppets but my hesitations proved correct when they didn't seem to know how to really "use" it. So after many, many puppet shows directed and performed by Mom (some better than others depending on my patience level) they finally seemed to get the hang of it.
If It's Working, Invest in It!
We've managed to collect many more puppets in the last year which has broadened the scope of our little puppeteers and has vastly increased the length and variety of storylines--which is appreciated by their main audience (Mom & Dad.)
Storytelling Skills
The best things to come from our experience with the puppet theatre are the ways in which the girls understand story concepts now (plot development, characters, suspense, setting etc.) that they may not have learned without having to work it out using the puppets. And also their ability to think spontaneously and creatively to create a story. This didn't come right away, mind you--but it did development after many attempts and a lot of encouragement. Which therein lies the other benefit we've seen--perseverance. The girls can look back now and remember how difficult it first was to come up with stories and see how much they have learned about how a good story can be crafted.
Now the puppet theatre has become a favorite playtime toy and one that I enjoy seeing them use. (even if I still have to put on a few performances now and again.)