The rod puppet which will be covered in more detail later on, is as the name implies, operated by a rod either from below, behind or occasionally from the top. The marionette, or string puppet, is a puppet suspended from a control by strings. The puppet is then manipulated by the many move parts controlled by a multitude of strings to a very simple figure operated by just a few strings. Hand puppets or glove puppets are used as the term implies on the hand is inserted into the head. Shadow puppets are flat cut-out figures held against an illuminated screen by a wire or rod.

Rod puppets offer a wonderful potential for creativity and imagination in both presentation and design.
They are suitable for small, intricate puppets and for large dramatic processional puppets. The rod puppet is manipulated with wooden or wire rods.
The rods give a great deal of control and offer a large range of subtle and swift movements. The complexity of the puppet determines how many rods are to be used and thus how many operators it is to have.

It is used when a puppet is to be well in front or above the operators, when it is to be used by several people, when it is to be a large puppet, or when performers motor skills are limited a performance is required.