How to Make Shadow Hand Puppets for Kids

Create interesting shadow puppets for your show.

Shadow puppets are an exciting and creative way for kids to put on puppet shows. Use card stock and wood craft sticks to create shadow puppets, which is an alternative to making shadow puppets with your hands. Create a shadow puppet stage by throwing a sheet over a portable garment rack, or any other object that will hold up a sheet. Kids will have hours of amusement entertaining their family and friends with this easy-to-assemble puppet show.

Things You'll Need

• Portable garment rack
• Bed sheet
• Table
• Small chairs
• Desk lamp
• Card stock
• Pencil
• Glue
• Pipe cleaners
• Scissors
• Small jar lid
• Large bowl lid

Instructions

Make the Stage for the Shadow Puppets

1. Place a portable garment rack in front of a table, and throw a bed sheet over the rack. Light solid colors work best for the sheet.

2. Place the desk lamp on the table for a light source, which will illuminate the shadow puppets.

3. Put small chairs behind the table, which will allow the puppeteers to hide most of their bodies during the puppet show. Position the lamp so that the puppeteers can easily reach in front of it. Turn off all of the lights in the room except the desk lamp when you are ready to start the show

Make a Snowman Shadow Puppet

1. Using the card stock and a pencil, trace around the small lid to make three circles. Cut out the circles, then carefully overlap and and glue the circles so they're next to each other. This will make the body of the snowman.

2. Draw the arms and the hat for the snowman on card stock scraps. Cut out the snowman's arms and hat, then paste them to the body.

3. Glue the craft stick to the snowman's body at the end opposite the head, and allow it to dry overnight. Play around with your snowman and make sure it is sturdy enough for the puppet show.

Make a Caterpillar Shadow Puppet

1. Make five circles on the card stock by tracing around the small lid with a pencil.

2. Cut out the five circles and glue these together in a row side by side to create the body of the caterpillar. Allow the body to dry for a few hours.

3. Glue two pipe cleaners to the caterpillar's head, which will be its antennas. Allow the caterpillar to dry for a few more hours after this.

4. Paste two craft sticks on the caterpillar, one on each end. Let the glue completely dry on the caterpillar overnight. Attaching two sticks to the caterpillar will allow the child to easily hold the puppet during the show.

Make a Butterfly Shadow Puppet

1. Fold a sheet of card stock in half and draw a half butterfly.

2. Cut out the the half butterfly and notice how it is symmetrical on both sides when you open the card stock up.

3. Glue two pipe cleaners to the head of the butterfly, which will be its antennas.

4. Attach the butterfly to the craft stick with glue, and allow it to dry completely.

Make a Dog Shadow Puppet

1. Trace around the large lid with a pencil on a piece of card stock to make the dog's head.

2. Draw two floppy ears on the dog's head. On a separate piece of card stock, draw the dog's torso, legs and tail.

3. Cut the dog out of the card stock and glue him to a craft stick. Glue the dog's head to his body and let the dog completely dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Make each child their own special shadow puppet.

• Throw a party to invite all the parents in the neighborhood to watch their children put on a puppet show.

• Teachers can use shadow puppets to teach about puppetry in different regions of the world.

• Classes can put on shadow puppet shows that tie into curriculum units.

• Help small children cut and glue their puppets together.

References

• Indiana University: Chinese Shadow Puppet Play
• National High Magnetic Field Laboratory: Science, Optics and You Guidebook