Master Class. DIY shadow theater

Shadow theater is magic that can live in your home. You can create it for your child with your own hands.

What we need:

Thick cardboard
White paper
PVA glue
brushes for glue and paint
scissors
steel wire 2 mm
wire cutters and pliers for working with wire
wooden slats approximately 1.5 X 1 cm
Fibreboard approximately 14 X 30 X 40 cm
screws
wallpaper nails
dye
white fabric (cotton) without pattern
cocktail straw
insulating tape
slide projector (lantern, table lamp)
templates (you can take ready-made ones, or you can draw them yourself)

Draw or print templates for puppets and decorations.

Puppets for shadow theater can be small in size - about 5-10 cm, and during the performance the height of the characters can be changed by bringing the figure closer to the screen or, conversely, moving it away.

Glue the template sheets onto cardboard. Try to lubricate the template with glue without gaps, but not too much - the part should fit tightly and not warp the cardboard base.

Press dry the dolls and cover them with a layer of PVA glue for strength. The brush should be semi-dry so that the figures do not warp.

Cardboard dolls are not easy to cut, especially in areas where there are internal or external corners. Instead of scissors, it is convenient to use a stationery knife.

If you have golden hands and a lot of patience, you can use a stationery knife to cut out the kennels of the face, eyes and small parts inside the dolls. If you glue transparent tracing paper onto the figures, they will sparkle with different shades of black and gray. You can also use transparent color film to add color.

To make movable dolls, you need to separately draw and cut out arms, legs and other parts that can move. Dynamic parts rotate on screws or wire, and a wire holder is attached to each of them for control.

If the dolls are still warped, put them under a press for several days.

Holders for dolls and decorations can be made removable for convenience. Glue paper pockets on the back of the dolls. They should be slightly bent outward so that the holder loop fits in easily.

The most suitable material is wire. Make rings on both sides of a piece of wire - one for the pocket on the “back” of the doll, the other so that the holder does not rotate in your hands. We got holders 13 cm long for dolls. The decoration holders turned out to be 5 cm long and with rings on only one side. The diameter of the rings is 1 cm.

If you don't have wire, gluing on popsicle sticks is a quick option for doll holders. But it has a drawback - the sticks roughen and spoil the silhouette of the dolls during the performance.

You can make standard dolls (grandfather, grandmother, granddaughter, animals) and use them in different performances. If you want to stage a new performance, all you have to do is make the missing heroes. It is advisable to put the sets of heroes for different fairy tales in signed envelopes.

The screen for the performance can be wooden or cardboard. You can even use a picture frame instead of a screen.

Cardboard screens are easier to make and decorate, but are less durable.

It is not at all necessary to make the screen traditionally rectangular. If you are seriously interested in shadow theater, then you can make a whole set of screen-scenery in the form of a castle, a forest, a hut...

Our screen is made of wooden slats. Its dimensions are:

total height – 45 cm
height of “camouflage” fiberboard – 15 cm
screen height – 30 cm
frame width – 50 cm
the length of the stands (legs) for the frame is 25 cm.

The frame needs to be painted, and the lower part of the frame can be decorated with a story picture.

A favorite theme for screen design is the starry sky. For our theater, we played up the plot of the fairy tale about the golden key. We made decorations from silver insulating tape.

For strength, parts can be coated with PVA glue or varnish.

The screen is covered with fabric. To measure the fabric correctly, trace the frame directly onto the fabric and cut out a rectangle, slightly away from the edge (about 1 cm around the entire perimeter).

On the back side of the bottom rail of the screen, grooves for decoration holders are glued. We used a cocktail straw, cut into pieces about 3 cm long.

We stretch the fabric and attach it with wallpaper nails. The smoother the canvas is stretched, the clearer the contours of the figures will be.

Behind the screen, at a distance of about 25 cm, a light source is installed - a flashlight, a slide projector or a table lamp.

The direction of light is from above and behind, so the puppeteer’s hands will be invisible, and the shadows will be the clearest. The puppeteer's hands are located between the screen and the light source, and the puppeteer himself is located behind the light.

Tips for a puppeteer

For the first performances, choose simple stories from folk tales.
Rehearse well and learn the secrets of shadow theater before performing.
If you want a puppet or decoration to disappear or appear unnoticeably, turn it so that its edge is facing the screen and move it.
Arrange the dolls in order, and then during the performance the audience will not have to wait long for the “artist” to come out.
During the performance, play appropriate music.
Voice each doll with “her” voice.
By moving the light source, you will achieve different effects - depict wind, storm or snow.
Shadow theater can be played anywhere there is bright light and a flat wall. Instead of dolls there are finger figurines.

Children immediately fall in love with the shadow theater. First, they enthusiastically watch the performances, and then begin to invent the plot themselves. Let, regardless of whether the child has directorial abilities or not, an ovation always awaits him at home.

Any theater is a mystery, and shadow theater is the most exquisite and poetic mystery. There is an opinion that this type of art appeared on the basis of the ritual of ancestor worship - according to legend, the souls of the dead were infused into special figurines. With the help of these figurines, the exploits of their ancestors were sung and their life was described. But there is another version of the origin of shadow theater, a more romantic one.

The Legend of the Shadow Theater

In ancient times, around 200 BC, the Chinese emperor lost his beloved wife. The inconsolable ruler was sad, abandoned state affairs, and stopped talking. The affairs of the empire were in decline. The courtiers invented a variety of methods, but any attempts to force the emperor to leave his chambers were unsuccessful.

But one day the chief courtier asked the ruler to go into the rooms of his wife, who had died of a serious illness. In the chambers, the emperor saw the silhouette of his beloved sitting behind the curtain. Suddenly she stood up, her profile clearly emerged against the background of the sun behind the thin fabric. So, with the help of shadow theater, the courtier was able to cure the ruler of melancholy.

The emperor liked the performance shown to the courtier so much that he asked to repeat it every evening. He even invited spectators. The doll, which was a unique copy of the wife, walked, played musical instruments, and sat by the window. Suddenly the emperor realized: the fabric was only a temporary barrier between them, and his beloved was waiting for him in another world. A little time will pass and they will be together again. Realizing this, the sovereign became cheerful and again took up state affairs. And shadow theater began its march across the earth, it spread to Asian countries: India, Turkey. Together with the army of Genghis Khan, this art reached Europe and Russia.

First performances

Initially, the shadow theater could only be seen at night. Usually performances took place right on the street. The productions could involve up to a thousand figures and no less scenery. Oil lamps were used as a light source.

Puppets for shadow theater

The material for the first dolls was animal skins. They were made so thinly that they were almost transparent. Figures were cut out of skins and paint was applied to them. Traditionally, the height of theater puppets did not exceed 30 centimeters. All figures were movable. With the help of thin long rods, the dolls were controlled by a person hiding behind the screen.

How to make a shadow theater?

Shadow theater does not require bright costumes and complex scenery. To create it, you can use any available materials. Therefore, it is not difficult to make a shadow theater with your own hands. It is worth noting that this type of creativity is extremely useful for children - after all, it combines music, literature, crafts and painting!

Cardboard screen for shadow theater

Any theater begins with a hanger. But shadow theater begins with the screen. You can do it in different ways.

The first (and easiest) way is to make a screen out of a box. To do this you will need a cardboard box, colored and parchment paper, glue and scissors:

It is necessary to trim the high walls of the box and carefully cut out the bottom. This will create a base for the screen.
The base must be covered with colored paper.
Cut out a rectangle of suitable size from parchment paper. It needs to be glued to the inside of the base, thus covering the bottom.

The front side of the screen can be decorated - beads, colored stones, feathers and much more are suitable for this.

Wooden screen

A wooden screen is much more reliable than a cardboard screen. To make it you will need: chipboard, a jigsaw, a ruler or tape measure, a pencil, a drill, sandpaper, small canopies, a screwdriver, screws, white paint and a brush, thick fabric (preferably white), Velcro, four flashlights, loops for wiring, cardboard, black gouache.

How to make a shadow theater using these items? Very simple. You need to start with the screen. To do this, you need to draw a sheet of chipboard - leave small edges and mark the center, which will then be cut out. Using a drill, you need to drill holes in the corners of the future screen. You can cut out the “window” using a jigsaw. The next stage is the manufacture of the side parts of the screen. They should be the same height as the screen. It is important to sand all parts. Then you need to attach the awnings and paint all the parts.

The screen for such a screen is best made of fabric so that it can be removed and washed. Regular Velcro will help secure such a screen! It is sewn along the edges of the fabric and glued to the back of the screen.

Small lanterns that need to be attached to the sides of the screen will help make the screen mobile. Children's shadow theater is ready!

Large screen for shadow theater

The previous manufacturing options are suitable for small theaters, in which the roles are “performed” by small figures. What if the actors are people? We need to make a big screen! The most budget option is white raincoat fabric. Of course, its density varies. But choosing the right material is not so difficult - you just need to take a flashlight and check how the shadow is transmitted. Then you just need to stretch the fabric onto a frame made of metal or wood. You can start rehearsals.

Theater of hands

The simplest shadow theater is the theater of hands! With their help, you can show different characters, just by folding your fingers in a certain way. You just need to move your fingers - and the bunny will move its ears, the bird will fly, and the crocodile will close its jaw! In addition, you can teach your baby to depict animals using his hands - this will develop his motor skills and spatial thinking!

Paper "actors"

A large number of animal figures are extremely difficult to depict using hands. Shadow theater for children can be diversified with the help of “actors” made of paper. With such figures you can stage complex plays based on fairy tales, fables and short stories. The performance will work if several people read the text (by role), and several more show illustrations of the work on the screen.

To make puppets for a shadow theater, you will need thick cardboard. You can find ready-made templates, or you can use your imagination and creativity and make them yourself. The finished figures need to be painted with black gouache. A shadow theater in a kindergarten can quickly wear out, so you need to laminate all the figures. A wooden stick or drinking straw is glued to the finished characters. It is more convenient to do this with tape.

Be careful - if the doll needs to be guided from below, the stick must also be glued from below. If you want to lead the character from above, then you need to glue the stick on top. For birds and ships, it is better to use fishing line - this will give them special mobility.

Shadow People

Have you made templates of characters, have you played a large number of performances and want something new? Try being an actor yourself! Of course, taming your shadow is not so easy, but the result will exceed all expectations!

It is best to use tight-fitting clothes as a costume for shadow theater actors. For such a robe, it is enough to select one or two characteristic details to create an image. For example, a cardboard sword and crown combined with a fabric cape create the image of a king. And if you replace the crown with a fluffy hat, you will get a brave musketeer!

You have already made a shadow theater, the templates for the fairy tales are ready, the scenery is cut out. How to stage a performance that will not leave anyone indifferent?

Here are some helpful tips:

To create a real theatrical atmosphere - mystical and mysterious, you need to dim the lights in the room and drape the seats for the audience with soft fabric. You can even make a real curtain, draw tickets and even have an intermission!
In the first performances, it is better not to involve more than two or three characters. Only after having practiced properly should you proceed to more complex pieces.
The most advanced puppeteers can use movable figures. You need to attach arms, legs, tails, wings and other movable parts to the body using thin wire. You will also need to glue sticks or straws for drinks to each part.
Please note that the actor must be between the screen and the light sources, and the screen must be between the lamps and the audience. During production, lighting fixtures can become very hot, and therefore it is better not to touch them.
In order for the shadow on the screen to be as clear as possible, the light should fall directly on the figures or people, and the lamp should not be placed next to the screen.
The size of the figures can be adjusted: to make the image smaller, you need to bring the character closer to the screen. And, conversely, you can enlarge the image by placing the figure near the lamp.
Making the scenery motionless is also quite simple. You just need to secure them to the screen using tape or buttons.
Colored light bulbs or special filters will help you “colorize” the performance. For night scenes, blue is suitable, and for morning scenes, pink or red.

The most popular shadow theater

Shadow theaters are very common in Asia and the Middle East. Most often, epic and folklore scenes are shown on their stages. Shadow productions are popular in the USA, Greece and Czechoslovakia. In Russia, they have not gained much popularity; elements of shadow theater are used only as an addition to productions.

The most popular shadow theater is Javanese. Puppets for the Wayang Kuli theater are still made from buffalo skin. It is processed so that it becomes thinner than paper! Despite this, they are very durable and bright - the figures, stored in one of the German museums, are still in perfect condition, although they are over a thousand years old!

The performances of this theater have a mystical, sacred character. They are not shown for the sake of entertainment - they accompanied important events in the life of both society and the average person!

The performance is performed by a puppeteer called a dalang. His speech is accompanied by a unique orchestra - gamelan. By the way, not everyone can find harmony and beauty in Javanese music.

or Psychocorrection of fears

Along with finger puppets and marionette dolls, which are easy to make with your own hands, shadow puppets are also used in psychotherapy.

Shadow dolls are special dolls. There is nothing difficult or unique about making a shadow puppet.

All the power lies in the scenario that you, the Presenter, will lead.

To make a shadow puppet, you need basically three items: sheets of black cardboard, strong thread, and a screen.

How to make a Screen for a shadow puppet

To make the Screen, a very large box is taken. Its bottom is removed (cut out) and instead of the bottom, thin, translucent white paper, for example, tracing paper, is glued in.

Now place the box so that its screen is facing the audience. And behind the screen, on the back of the box, place a light source - a burning candle or lamp.

How to make a shadow puppet + script

All participants take a black-black sheet of cardboard in their hands and listen to the voice of the Leader, who tells them the following:

“In front of you is not just a sheet of cardboard. Before you is Darkness Itself. Actually, the darkness is scary, but on a holiday we managed to tame her, make her obedient and tame.

You can take the darkness into your own hands. Today and only today we will see who is hiding in this darkness and we will catch them all one by one.

With our own hands we will bring our worst fears out of the darkness.”

Now each participant must cut out their “Fear” from black cardboard. Here are some observations:

There may be several fears, or there may be only one,
Fears can have a clear form (they can be fairy-tale characters), or they can simply be ugly, aggressively cut out shapes without meaning,

Working with fears. What must be discussed during psychotherapy:

It is important for all of us to take each of our fears “outside”, for example, by making a doll.
After finishing work with the shadow doll, fear is overcome.

After the shadow puppet is cut out of black cardboard, a thick thread is attached to the back - a leash. Some fairy tale therapist psychologists call this thread a “chain” on which we plant our fears.

This thread is an important nuance of psychotherapy. It is very reassuring to those who work with their fear.

We will “drive” the fear doll using the same thread, carrying it in front of the screen in a suspended state.

Driving a shadow puppet in front of a glowing screen

The presentation of a fear doll is no different from the presentation of any other self-made psychotherapeutic doll.

At the same time, naming your fear is not at all necessary. You can come up with a fabulous name for him, a pseudonym, or encrypt it.

However, the Leader must constantly emphasize that each participant in puppet psychotherapy CONTROLS his shadow doll, and therefore controls his own fear.

Working with fears. End of scenario

How is work completed with fear dolls?

The presenter tells the participants that the shadow puppets have done their job. Namely, they showed us all how strong we are. Now these “horror stories” can be destroyed.

As a rule, there are two types of reactions from the participants.

Some people take pleasure in destroying the shadow puppets they make. Some people keep these shadow dolls because they no longer perceive them negatively, having managed to become friends with them and develop sympathy for them.

Some destroy their fears - selectively.

You yourself can come up with several options for ending the scenario - from the ceremonial burning of all the dolls at once, to renaming and remaking the “fear dolls” into “good-natured dolls.”

Well, save the screen until the next holidays.

I'll start with a short excursion into history.
Puppet theater has existed for a very long time. Ancient peoples believed that various gods, devils and sacred animals lived in heaven, on earth, underground, and even in water. To pray to these gods, people made their images: large and small dolls made of stone, clay, bone or wood. They danced around such dolls, carried them on stretchers, carried them on chariots or on the backs of elephants, and sometimes they made all sorts of cunning devices and forced the dolls depicting gods, devils or dragons to raise their arms or paws, open their eyes, nod their heads, and bare their teeth. Gradually, such spectacles became more and more like theatrical performances.

For thousands of years, in all countries of the world, with the help of dolls, legends about gods, demons, werewolves, genies were played out, and in the Middle Ages in European countries, dolls depicted the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, devils and angels, played folk tales and satirical scenes ridiculing human vices: stupidity, greed, cowardice.
Nowadays puppet theaters stage folk tales and plays written by playwrights. Most puppet theaters perform for children, but some also stage performances for adults who love puppet theater as much as children.
Puppet theaters are the first to introduce children to theatrical art. They not only bring joy to understanding the art of theater, but also cultivate artistic taste and teach understanding of the world around us.
And the main characters of the theater are, of course, dolls.
At first glance, all theatrical puppets seem the same, but yet they are different. The main difference is in their design.

Bibabo

The simplest are glove puppets, or bibabo. Many of you are familiar with glove puppets. This is the famous Parsley, various bunnies, bears, dogs, that is, all those dolls that fit on the hand like a glove, only not on five fingers, but on three. One finger is inserted into the doll's head, two more into the sleeves of the suit, that is, into the doll's hands.

Cane puppets

Cane dolls are controlled by special wires or cane sticks, which can be disguised in the dolls' clothes. The doll's head is mounted on a special rod - a gapit; shoulders and arms are attached to it. The size of the cane doll is larger than the glove doll. In its proportions it resembles a person. The cane puppet is the most common puppet in the puppet theater.

Puppets

The most difficult doll to make and control is the marionette. It is controlled by threads or thin wires. In the actor's hand there is a vaga (a movable cross-shaped holder). It contains threads that go to various parts of the doll’s body. The actor alternately pulls the strings and the doll comes to life.

In our country, puppets are not widely used. The puppet theater operates in Tbilisi, in Leningrad - the puppet theater named after E. S. Demmeni, some theaters have one or two performances with puppets in their repertoire. The State Puppet Theater of the BSSR staged the play “The Nightingale” based on Andersen’s fairy tale with puppets.

Mechanical dolls

Mechanical puppets are also used in puppet theater. They are controlled using various mechanisms: levers, rubber bands. This is how galloping horses, marching soldiers, and monkeys climb trees are made.

Mimic dolls

There are dolls made of soft materials: tricotine, rubber. The actor's fingers are in the doll's head, contracting or straightening, they give the doll's face different expressions. These are miming dolls.

Shadow puppets

A shadow puppet is a flat image of a person or animal that casts a shadow on the screen, which, in fact, is the stage of a shadow theater. Shadow theater is widespread in many Asian countries, where it is parodic in nature.

Nativity scene dolls

For vertep dolls, there is a special kind of puppetry technique - these are dolls attached to a pin that comes out from the bottom of the doll like a handle - they are held along the cracks in the floor of the stage. Since ancient times, only one play has been played in the nativity scene: the Christmas mystery.

Dolls that peek out from behind the screen speak in their mother’s or father’s voice; isn’t this a wonderful sight for a child? Children enjoy watching the performances and then put on their own performances for their parents.

You can buy puppets for the theater, you can use ordinary toys, or you can make them yourself, together with your child.

Puppets for puppet theaters:

■ Puppets are puppets on strings.

■ Reed dolls - dolls with a “gapit” rod inserted inside them. Canes are attached to the dolls' hands - sticks, which the puppeteer moves.

■ Tablet, or parquet, dolls - dolls that, with the help of a skilled puppeteer, walk along the floor, along the stage flooring, which is called a tablet. This is where their name comes from.

■ Glove or hand puppets - put on the hand like a glove. In Rus', such dolls were also called “parsleys”.

■ Finger puppets. - the name speaks for itself, these are small dolls that are worn on the fingers.

■ Shadow dolls are flat dolls that are usually made of cardboard, leather, or special colored film. They are placed between the light source and the screen or placed on the back of the screen, then the shadows become very bright. The actor’s hands can also become shadow puppets if the fingers and palms are folded correctly. Using your hands you can get lively, fabulous, quickly changing shadows.

Shadow theater at home

In the evening, when your child goes to bed, he asks you to tell him a bedtime story. He is already tired, but he really wants you to stay next to him at least a little longer. This really is a wonderful time for both you and the baby. You can literally turn this time into a fairy tale.

Hand shadow theater. Find a wall in your child's room with enough free space. Place a light source on a stool or table slightly behind you, it can be a table lamp or a flashlight. Now, using your hands and objects, you can show your performance.

Calculate the time so that after your presentation there is little time left until the moment you usually turn off the lights in the child’s room. Because your child will definitely want to show you how a butterfly flies, a hare jumps, or a magical flower blooms.

Shadow puppet theater. If you want to approach your performance in a more prepared, organized manner and are willing to spend time preparing, then the performance can be made even more interesting.

Use a translucent screen for this, behind which install a light source. Now you will need figures cut out of cardboard, according to the plot of your fairy tale. The dolls are placed on the back side of the screen and illuminated from behind. The child sees shadows on the screen, how they move, how they replace each other. If an object is brought closer to the screen, it will decrease in size and become more distinct. If you move it away, the object will become larger. Knowing this, you can create giant images: large trees, houses and mountains.

The fingers come to life. Finger puppets.

What does play mean to a child? Play is the child's work, and toys are the tools of his craft. He needs the game so that the child can expand his understanding of the world around him. And if we want to teach a child or explain something important to him, there is nothing better than doing it in a playful way.

Of course, the easiest way is to go to the store and buy small toys for your fingers. Now there are a lot of them in stock, they are made of different materials and different themes. But finger puppets can be made with your own hands. Moreover, it will take a little time to make them.

DIY finger puppets

"Thimble"

You will need: a thimble, plasticine, floss threads.

Stages of work:

■ Make hair from threads and attach it to the thimble using plasticine.

■ Also make eyes and a mouth from plasticine. If necessary, then ears or a tail. It all depends on your character. If it is an elephant, then it should have a long trunk and large ears, and if it is a pig, then it should have a snout nose and a small tail at the back.

This method is good because the thimble doll can be remade every time, transforming it into new characters for your stories.

Of course, if you want to make a doll so that it can be used many times and you do not plan to remake it, then it is better to use glue to glue the hair, and paint the eyes and mouth with nail polish or acrylic paints.

Eyes

You can make cute eyes from two small fur pompoms (see picture).

You will need: two small fur pom-poms, 5 cm cord, colored paper for eyes, scissors, glue. You can take ready-made eyes for dolls. Stages of work:

■ Sew a pompom on both sides of the lace.

■ Make eyes from colored paper and glue to the fur.

Now pass one pom-pom between the little and ring fingers, pass the thread through the back of the hand and insert the second pom-pom between the index and middle fingers.

To create a funny character, keep your fingers together and turn your eyes towards your fingertips.

Second life for old gloves

From an ordinary old children's knitted glove or a women's leather glove, you can create various characters.

To do this, you need to cut off the fingers from the glove and hem them along the bottom so that the knitted little fingers do not unravel. From these blanks you can make anything: a bee, a butterfly, a bird or a cute and cute creature.

To create a small doll, you can use threads, beads, various ribbons, voluminous eyes for toys, feathers, wire, etc. The parts of the toy can be glued or sewn to the body.

Invent and create together with your children. After all, a toy that a child makes himself, with his own hands, will be precious to him and the child will treat it with care and precision.

Paper finger puppets

Very easy and quick, you can create a finger puppet out of paper.

You will need: colored paper, scissors, glue, markers, floss.

Method one.

■ Cut a rectangle with sides of 5 and 6 cm from the desired color of paper.

■ Roll into a tube and glue the ends together. The doll is ready.

■ Now cut out eyes, ears, nose, skirt, etc. from paper and stick them on the blank or draw them all with felt-tip pens.

■ For hair, use floss threads.

Method two.

■ Cut out a sector from colored paper, the angle of which should be right, with sides 6 cm.

■ By gluing the sides together, you will get a cone - the basis for your doll.

■ If you need hair, make a bunch of floss and glue it inside the top of the cone, as if the hair were growing out of the top of the head.

You can make finger puppets from hardening plasticine or salt dough.

Tale behind the screen

The dearest, most familiar puppet theater for us is a theater where the puppeteers are hidden behind a screen, and the puppets peek out from behind it. These are, as a rule, cane or glove puppets.

Glove dolls can be sewn or knitted; such dolls will become your children's favorites. After all, this is a soft, fluffy, living toy that you can hug, cuddle and take with you to bed so that it’s not scary.

You can make a cane doll with your own hands, but creating such a doll takes quite a lot of time. Children aged 12-15 who are interested in puppet theater will be happy to make them themselves. Cane puppets are made from papier-mâché and fabrics.

Of course, there is always a simpler option for home theater - dolls that can be created from things in your home, from scrap materials. Such dolls will delight and amuse children with their unusual appearance.

Making a doll from a dusting brush

How many of you kids haven't asked for a dusting brush so they can play with it? What will happen if you make a doll out of it for the theater...? Even if just for one day. It will take you no more than five minutes to make such a doll.

You will need: a shaggy brush, a scarf, colored paper, glue.

Stages of work:

■ Make two eyes out of colored paper using any method.

■ Tie the scarf onto the brush so that it becomes clear that this is the head and the rest is the body.

■ Glue the eyes to the brush with paper glue.

The doll is ready!

It is convenient to hold such a doll by the handle; when you move your hand, the bristles on the brush move, which gives the doll a funny and lively look.

Dolls can be made from plastic spoons and forks by gluing eyes on them, hair from threads and tying skirts from handkerchiefs. Or make it from a sock - if you sew on button eyes. You can take your child's toy and carefully tie it to a stick so that it is comfortable to hold.

Screen

You can take a thorough approach to creating a screen for a performance and make it from fiberboard, cutting out parts with an internal window and covering it with material. Make curtains in the window. It will look like a house from a fairy tale, where various miracles happen in the window.

A screen can also be made from an old cardboard box by covering it with colored paper. You can turn the table on its side or place chairs with a back, but you will need to throw an opaque fabric over them so that the actors are not visible. You can use sports mats if you place them on an edge.

You just have to start by showing your child how a puppet theater is created, and the child will pick up the idea and come up with plots, lines and characters himself.

Plot of the play

For a small child of three or four years old, the performance should be based on a simple plot and be short in duration. Well-known Russian fairy tales for children are well suited for this age: “Kolobok”, “Turnip”, “Snow Maiden”, “The Fox and the Hare”. For older children, five to six years old, fairy tales will be interesting: “Geese and Swans”, “The Golden Comb Cockerel”, “The Three Little Pigs”, etc.

Of course, you can come up with a fairy tale yourself, or you can ask the child during the performance what continuation your fairy tale should have, and then the child himself will become a co-author. Immediately, inventing new adventures for your heroes, he will watch the performance with interest.