DIY: Shadow Puppet Theatre

Create your own puppet theatre at home for hours of creative fun with your children.

Materials:

• Cardboard box (even a cereal box will work) • Ruler • Scissors • Tape • Writing instrument • Thin white paper or wax paper (printer paper will also work) • Straws, craft sticks, or skewers • Desk lamp or big sturdy flashlight

Make Your Puppet Theatre:

1. Apply tape to the corners of the box and across the lid to make sure it is sturdy and stays closed.

2. Place the box on a steady surface, lying flat.

3. Using the edges of the front surface of the box as your guide, use a ruler to measure 1 ½ inches in from each of the four edges. Make ticks with a writing instrument.

4. Using a writing instrument and ruler, connect your tick marks to form a rectangle.

5. Flip your box over and repeat these steps on the reverse side.

6. Use scissors to carefully cut out the rectangle on the front of the box and repeat for the other side.

7. Save the cardboard pieces you just cut out for use in making your puppets.

8. Apply tape, as needed, to add strength to the box now that it is missing some of its cardboard.

9. Tape a sheet of wax paper over one side of the box, covering the rectangular cutout. This will be the “front” of your theatre which faces your audience! 10. Leave the rectangular hole open on the other side. This will be the side of the box where your characters enter the “stage.” 11. Decorate the front of your stage with curtains, glitter, stickers, and more!

Make Your Puppets:

1. On the leftover pieces of cardboard (step 7 above), draw simple characters or shapes.

2. Color and decorate your characters for their "theatrical debut" and cut them out.

3. Use glue or tape to attach a straw or a stick to the back of each of your cardboard characters.

Grab a flashlight... it’s Showtime!

1. Have your child hold the puppet by its stick and place it between the lamp/flashlight and the theatre.

2. Have your child retell one of the shadow stories. (This helps with language development and sequencing.)

3. Observe the shadows created by the puppets. Below are some ideas to think about and discuss with your child.

Explore & Discuss:

1. Ask your child to think about why the shadows form. (Light is blocked by a solid object, and a shadow forms.)

2. Experiment! Hold characters closer and farther away from the light source to see how it affects the height of the shadows produced.

Want some more fun activities to try? Visit greenvillelibrary.org/kids/littlelearners-club to explore downloadable lists featuring hundreds of themed activities.