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Beautiful Stuff

Shadow Puppets

Pre-K - Kindergarten

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Shadow Puppets

In this activity, you will tear shapes to make a shadow puppet.

You will need:

Black construction paper

Glue in a cup

Craft sticks to spread the glue and for puppet handle

Optional: a hole punch

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What is a Shadow Puppet?

What is a shadow puppet?

A shadow puppet is a puppet that makes a shadow when you put it in front of a light.

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Tearing a Head Shape

What kind of puppet do you want to make? You can make an animal, a creature, or anything you like.

�To make a puppet, we need to make shapes. We can tear the paper using our hands.

What shape should we make first? Let’s make the shape of the head. You can make any shape you want!

To make a circle, you can turn the paper and tear slowly.

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Tearing a Body Shape

What should we add next? Let’s make a shape for the body!

The body can be than the head.

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Adding Legs and Features

What shapes will you make for the legs? ��What else will you add to your puppet? Does it need wings, horns, ears, spikes, or a tail?

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Arranging Your Shapes

Arrange all the shapes for your puppet before you use the glue to attach them.

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Gluing Your Shapes

Glue the big shapes first and the little shapes last.

Dip, dip, dip the stick into the glue.
Wipe, wipe, wipe the drip on the edge of the cup.
Spread the glue only on the edge of each shape.
Press each shape down where it was.

Glue a stick to the bottom of your puppet to make a handle.

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Making Eyes

Optional: If you have an adult with a hole punch, show them where to make holes for the eyes, and any other area.

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Reflection

Now its time to share your puppet!

What kind of puppet did you make?

What shapes did you use to make your puppet?� �Find a place where light is shining on a wall to make a shadow with your puppet!

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Extension:

Try cutting the shapes to make a shadow puppet!�

How can you use scissors to cut the shapes for a puppet? What new shapes will you be able to make? Remember to be careful with scissors.

Extension

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Shadow Puppets

Written by Andrea Burgay, Director of Curriculum and Programs

Lesson Development

Julie Applebaum, Senior Director

Sassy Kohlmeyer, Director of Early Childhood Programs

Lia Zuvilivia, Artist Instructor