The following suggestions were originally posted in our "Help I Have a Question" forum, and have been moved here and formatted by a volunteer.
SHADOW PUPPETS - "HOW TO"
Compilation of posts by members:
Deborah Diehl
SheilaB
Jaymie Derden
Amy Crane
Luanne Payne
WHY USE SHADOW PLAYS:
- Kids really like this one -- it is really different and is good for younger kids who can't handle much dialogue and for kids who are shy about speaking parts.
- And it's SO MUCH FUN!
SCREENS:
- Plastic Shower Curtain: stretched on a frame and attached with big black office binder clips .
- I have a puppet theater and I just taped white paper over the entrance and clipped a light so that it shone on the paper.
LIGHTING:
- Shine a bright light on the sheet. The actors stand behind the light because they used cut outs for the shadows.
- Position church's overhead projector behind it for the light.
- Clip a light to a puppet stage so it shines on the paper.
CHARACTERS - USING CUTOUTS
- We use black posterboard for the shapes and tape on covered floral wire sticks for the handles. Sketch the basic shapes onto the black posterboad --don't get too elaborate--and then the kids cut them out during class.
- Make cutouts from stiff black poster board and attached sticks that could swivel to the backs.
- For the plagues my teacher took clear plastic and made a frame from core board and attached the plastic with whatever plague drawn on it with markers. SheilaB (posted August 22, 2002)
