• Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Shop

Real Life at Home

  • Family Life
    • Parenting
    • Family Time
    • Teens
    • Travels
      • Disney
  • Recipes
    • Easy Recipes Index
    • Beverages
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Canning/Preserving
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
  • Create
    • Crafts and Projects for Kids
    • Easy DIY and Projects
    • Homemade Gifts
  • Learn
    • Printables and Worksheets by Age and Subject
    • Homeschooling
    • Book Lists for Kids
    • Play
    • Teaching Life Skills
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Lent
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Independence Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Birthdays
  • Catholic
    • Catholic Printables
    • Catholic Activities
    • First Communion
    • Catholic Monthly Activities
    • Catholic Word Search Printables
    • Saints and Heroes Printable Packets
  • Printables
    • Printables and Worksheets By Age and Subject
    • Exclusive Printables for Subscribers
    • Terms of Use
    • Coloring Pages
    • Word Search Printables
    • Catholic Printables
    • Crossword Puzzle Printables
You are here: Home / Art, Music, and Drama / Shadow Puppet Shows: Fun for the Whole Family
advertisement

Shadow Puppet Shows: Fun for the Whole Family

January 28, 2013 By Julianna · Disclosure: This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. {I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.}

346shares
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter

The following is a post from contributing writer, Julianna, of Petunia June.

These dark and cold winter nights just beg for some old fashioned fun — snacking on popcorn near a crackling fire, reading stories while sipping hot cider, or hovering over a jigsaw puzzle to press in that final piece. As the winter wears on, however, you might find that you’ve exhausted your resources and could use a new diversion. Why not try a shadow puppet show?

Shadow Puppets for Family Fun

advertisement

When I was in high school, I was delighted to be invited to the home of some younger friends to see a special performance. I can still vividly picture the white sheet hung in the family room with a shadeless lamp placed behind it. As their mother read a story, the children played out the drama behind the sheet. It was absolutely charming (and hilarious), and I couldn’t wait for the day when I would be able do the same with my own “someday children.”

My “someday children” are now here, and (bless their hearts) they’ve even grown accustomed to humoring me in my dramatic dreams. We often put on a shadow puppet show for Thanksgiving, with our cardboard figures acting out poems such as Over the River and Through the Woods or The First Thanksgiving of All.

These shows are not limited to the Thanksgiving holiday, however. My daughter is currently working on pulling together cut-outs for a brand new feature based on a Little Golden Book story, The Four Kittens. It ties in with a lapbook she’s working on which features animals, and it gives her a chance to interact with the story in a fun and different way.

Shadow Puppet Shows: Fun for the Whole Family

Now, the word “show” may make this activity sound like a big undertaking. But it doesn’t have to be a huge production!

Here’s how your family can pull together your own shadow puppet show:

1. Choose a poem, song or story to act out. You can really let your imaginations go anywhere on this one. Run with your kids’ latest interests, focus on a historical character or unit that you’re studying in school, or let an older child write the script.

2. Make the puppets. Read through the story to find the characters and props that will be featured. Look for simple black-line drawings online that can be printed (clip art works well). Include some setting pieces to add to the look, such as a tree or a house.

The puppets should be printed or mounted on card stock in order to hold their shape. Cut out the shapes and attach some sort of holder to the back. We usually use chopsticks or rulers taped to the backs of the cut-outs. (It also works to have the kids themselves be the actors. Use fun hats and props to distinguish the characters.)

3. Create the stage. A solid, light-colored sheet draped over a rod or chairs creates an instant stage. Place a light behind the sheet so that the shadows can be cast onto the sheet. In order for your puppeteers to be hidden, consider placing a table, bench or blanket-covered chairs as a barricade between the sheet and the light.

4. Practice your show. It takes just a bit of practice to get used to the placement when using these puppets. Your children will enjoy experimenting with this! The closer they hold the image to the sheet, the smaller and more crisp it becomes. As they pull it away from the sheet toward the light, it becomes much larger and more blurry. (If your children are acting themselves instead of using puppets, remind them to stand so their profile is always visible.)

This is a great time to practice projecting voices, too, for those who will be reading or reciting aloud. You may even want to include music or pull together materials for sound effects!

5. Gather an audience and . . . action! Assemble the family for your show. It can be as simple as your immediate family or as involved as inviting extended family or neighbors for a special occasion. Just make sure that it’s comfortable and fun for your kids. Now, turn off all of the lights in the house except for the spotlight, and be prepared for lots of giggles and whispers and laughs along the way. The hearty applause that follows will assure your children that they’ve done a super job with their shadow puppet show!

 

When not cutting out kitten shapes, draping sheets or assembling audiences, Julianna can be found at Petunia June where she writes about family, faith and the fullness of joy.

Join 25,000+ Other Awesome People

Subscribe to the Real Life at Home weekly newsletter to get our latest content, exclusive free printables, learning activities, and ideas for celebrating with your kids all year

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. P.S. It's important that you confirm or you won't receive any more emails with free printables, fun tips, and other helps to make your life just a tiny bit easier.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
346shares
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter

Filed Under: Art, Music, and Drama, Crafts and Projects for Kids, Family Time

Previous Post: « 10 February Activities for Catholic Families {Free Printable}
Next Post: The Night My Teaching Career Ended: The Job that Ended it All »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Connect with Real Life at Home

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Meet Angie

Angie, mom to three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  With degrees in elementary education (B.A.) and special education (M.S.Ed.), as well as being a former homeschooler, she is passionate about supporting both parents and teachers by providing printables, crafts, and activities to help children learn and grow. Read More…

Search

Today’s Trending Posts

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Coloring Book and Reader Printable for Preschool - 1st Grade
Martin Luther King Jr. Worksheets Packet {Free Printables}
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Printable Book for 2nd - 5th Grade
Free Martin Luther King Jr. Word Search Printable
Martin Luther King Jr. Crossword Puzzle Free Printable
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Printables, Worksheets, and Resources for Kids

Footer

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms of Use and Conditions
  • Disclaimers

Amazon Affiliate Statement

Real Life at Home is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Categories

© 2006 - 2021 Real Life at Home / Tiny Owl LLC. All Rights Reserved. | Built using the Genesis Framework and hosted on WPEngine.