Self-assessment of competencies is a challenge to educators and with some limitations such as our perception of ourselves, as some individuals have lower self-esteem and are assessed as less successful. This thesis presents the results of a study conducted on self-assessment of preschool teachers’ competences in the use of puppets in working with children of early and preschool age. The survey was conducted in July 2020 and involved 139 educators from the Republic of Croatia. Puppets are considered an important didactic tool for encouraging the overall development of children. The use of puppets in working with children of early and preschool age has many positive effects on speech development, socialization - encouraging prosocial behavior, communication, creativity and cognition of the world. The aim of the research was to investigate the attitudes of educators about their own competencies for the use of puppets in work with early and preschool aged children and to investigate the representation of puppets in the work of educators. The results of the research showed that educators mostly use puppets in their work, but, although they have mostly positive attitudes about the importance of puppets, they are not widely represented in their work. Preschool teachers mainly use puppets for plays, sketches and as an aid in telling stories. With regard to previous education, preschool teachers rate their knowledge of the arts as "good". They are generally satisfied with their knowledge of puppetry and performing arts, as well as their children's motivation for puppetry activities and they prefer to consult with their colleagues when researching them. In contrast, respondents in this study do not always find it easy to analyze their own work, methods and approaches they use in working with early and preschool children when it comes to puppetry activities.