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Written by Amy Stevenson from Primrose Art Club
Amy has loved delving into a range of creative activities since childhood due to her Granny offering space and materials. She opened Primrose Art Club to provide other children with the same opportunities.
Everyone loves making stick and sock puppets so how about making your own puppet theatre to re-tell your favourite stories or make up your own? The Hungry Caterpillar could join the Tiger in coming for Tea or the Three Little Pigs could go on a Bear Hunt. This theatre also includes instructions for creating extra backgrounds to swap and change depending on the setting of the story. You could even make more backgrounds at another time when you get more ideas.
What you will need:
● Shoe box
● Cereal box
● Ruler
● Scissors
● Paints, pens, pencils or collage materials and glue or tape for decorating
● Paper
● String or wool
Method:
To begin with, turn your shoe box onto its long edge and push the lid into the box. The lid will act as the stage for your theatre.
Cut a T shape out of one side of the cereal box. Make the top of the T at least 3 cm thick and 3 cm wider than the central part of the T on each side.
Cut a slot in the top of the shoe box the same width as the middle part of the T. Ensure it is central (get a grown up to cut the slot).
Slide the card in and out of the slot to check it fits properly. Once it does, you can use your T as a template to make another T out of the other side of the cereal box.
The next step is to take everything apart and decorate your shoe box and T shapes. I used paint but you can use collage materials, pens or pencils. Make the shoe box lid (your stage) brown and decorate your Ts and the back of the shoe box with different backgrounds (I made a valley, a forest and an under the sea background). You can also decorate the outside of the box.
Create curtains for your stage by making two paper fans and tying them in the middle with some string or wool.
Once everything is dry, stick your stage back inside the shoe box. You should be able to pop one T at a time in the slot so your theatre has three different backgrounds.
Stick one end of each curtain to the top of the box on the inside, making sure they keep to the sides.
Photos show stages 4, 7 and 8.
Extra idea:
You could get a grownup to film or take photos of the puppet theatre as you tell a story. They could then send these to your family and friends or share them on Instagram @boom_magazine_derbyshire or to Boom Magazine Derbyshire on Facebook.
07387 962150
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