Homemade magic: DIY shadow theater. Table shadow theater
Shadow theater is an ancient, very spectacular and amazing (especially for children) art form. How to make a screen and “actors” for a shadow theater with your own hands; how to come up with and provide for the most spectacular and surprising moments of the performance; how to involve children in rehearsals and staging shadow theater performances - answers to all these questions can easily be found in the publications of this thematic section. Here is collected the living experience of teachers in the field of this type theatrical arts, which contains great opportunities for comprehensive development children.
Shadow play. Mysterious shadows on a magical canvas.
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Master class for teachers “Making and using a tabletop shadow theater when working with preschoolers” Master class for teachers: “Making and using tabletop shadow theater in working with preschoolers" Target: To interest and encourage educators to make shadow theater, followed by its use in theatrical activities for preschool children...
Notes on the educational situation with preschoolers “Shadow Theater” Educational region: cognitive development Age group: senior group (5-6 years) Subject: Shadow Theater Main goals : - introduce the features of a new species theater - shadow; - teach how to perform basic elements theatrical performances in shadow play : Right...
Do-it-yourself shadow theater - Photo report “Showing the German fairy tale “A Pot of Porridge” for children 3–4 years old. Shadow play"
Publication “Photo report “Display of the German fairy tale “A Pot of Porridge” for children 3–4 years old...." IN Everyday life kindergarten, I use different kinds theaters Theater is an excellent way to overcome timidity, self-doubt, and shyness. Theatrical activities allow you to shape the child’s personality due to the fact that each fairy tale or...
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They were caroling! Sang, danced, had fun! It's incredibly fun and exciting when we're together! Games, jokes, sports, carols! How happy the children were! And a meeting with Sasha Cherny's Christmas fairy tale in the shadow theater! We give the opening speech to the priest. Shadow theater- This...
Consultation “Shadow theater in the hands of a speech therapist” Today, the development of new technologies for an integrated approach to the content of speech therapy classes is very relevant. Integrated speech therapy classes contribute to the development of children's creative and speech abilities. The tasks of speech therapy work come down to social...
Shadow Theater "Two Greedy Bears" Two greedy little bears SHADOW THEATER Based on a Hungarian fairy tale, arranged by A. Krasnov and V. Vazhdaev MADOU No. 304, Rostov-on-Don. Educator: Denichenko A.V. Target. Continue to develop interest in fiction. Learn to notice and understand various means...
Do-it-yourself shadow theater - Master class on creating a shadow theater from scrap materials
Making a teaching aid with your own hands from available material Master class on creating a shadow theater Goal: developing interest in theatrical activities, shadow theater in children and their parents Objectives: - introduction to shadow theater as an art form; -...
Seminar-workshop for educators “Shadow Theater” Municipal budget preschool educational institution“Kindergarten “Brusnichka” Seminar-workshop for teachers “Shadow Theater” Prepared by: Pavlenko E.R. Severobaikalsk 2017 Seminar-workshop “Shadow Theater” Goal. Introduce teachers to the history...
We offer two master classes on making a shadow theater for children at home. You will learn how to make a screen and actors for a theatrical performance from light and shadow with your own hands, get acquainted with the theater of manual shadows, download templates for figurines of fairy tale heroes and find useful tips for working with shadow theater.
Shadow theater helps children get acquainted with theatrical activities, develop speech, show imagination, encourage children to actively interact, communicate, etc. Theatrical performances can be performed with children of all ages, both in a group and individually.
Lego Shadow Theater
Introducing step-by-step master class with photographs of how to make a shadow theater from Lego Duplo or its analogues.
Necessary materials:
- Lego Duplo constructor ()
- Lego Duplo green building plate ()
- A4 sheet of paper
- phone with a flashlight function or other light source.
How to do
Build the frame of a theater stage from red blocks and adjacent turrets from multi-colored bricks.
Source: lego.com
Place a white sheet of paper between the structures.
Build a stage behind the screen and use the blocks to make a phone stand. Place the light source in front of the paper sheet.
Decorate the theater and prepare the actors for the performance.
Turn on the flashlight on your phone and start the show.
Shadow theater "The Gruffalo" out of the box
Create your own shadow theater based on the popular book “The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson (,).
“The Gruffalo” is a fairy tale in verse for adults to read to children. A little mouse walks through a dense forest and, in order to escape from a fox, owl and snake, invents the terrible Gruffalo - an animal who loves to eat foxes, owls and snakes.
But can a resourceful mouse outwit all the hungry predators? After all, he knows very well that there are no Gruffalos... Or do they?
Source: domesticblissnz.blogspot.ru
Necessary materials:
- printable hero templates (download);
- A4 paper;
- black cardboard;
- wooden skewers;
- scotch;
- glue;
- cardboard box;
- scissors.
How to do
1. Download and print templates with characters for the shadow theater. Glue onto black cardstock.
2. Cut out the figures and glue a wooden skewer to each.
3. We make a screen (screen) for a shadow theater.
Lay the box flat. On the large rectangular parts of the box, draw a frame, stepping back 1.5-2 cm from the edges. Cut along the marked lines.
4. Assemble the box in its original state, but with the colored side facing inward.
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5. Take a sheet of white A4 paper and cut it to the size of the box. Cut out a rectangle of the same size from black cardboard.
6. Cut out trees from black cardboard and glue them onto a white sheet.
7. Glue the paper to the inside of the box as shown in the photo below.
8. Make a slot at the bottom of the box for the figures.
9. Secure the screen to the edge of the table with tape.
10. Install the lamp at the back at a distance of 2-3 meters from the screen. For clear shadows, the light must fall directly and not from the side. Be sure to warn your child to be careful around the hot lamp.
The shadow theater is ready! Turn off the lights, invite an audience and perform a shadow show.
Hand shadow theater
The hand shadow theater is one of the most simple types shadow art. To equip it you will need the most common items - a table lamp and a screen - a large sheet of white paper or cloth. If the room has light walls, a theatrical performance of light and shadow can be shown directly on the wall.
The pictures show how you can use your hands to create silhouettes of animals, birds, and people. With practice, you can bring the shadows to life and show your own story.
- You can start introducing children to shadow theater at the age of 1.5-2 years. The first classes should be held as a theatrical performance, when the roles are played by an adult, and the children act as spectators. After the child understands the rules and traditions of theatrical art, he can be included in the game as a participant in the action. Children play and voice roles, learn texts and poems. At first, trust small, simple roles. Then gradually make it more difficult.
- Cardboard figures of shadow theater actors should be black, then they will be contrasting and noticeable on the screen. To make your own figures, use curly stencils. If you plan to reuse your homemade figures, we recommend laminating them.
- To ensure clear shadows, place the light source behind and slightly to the side of the screen. The light source will be a regular table lamp or flashlight.
- The size of the shadow on the screen depends on the distance from the figure to the lamp. If you bring the figure closer to the screen, its shadow will become small and clear. If you place it further away, the shadow will increase in size and the contours will be blurred.
- To ensure that the decorations do not move during the performance, attach them to the screen itself using tape or paper clips.
- What paper, tracing paper or a white sheet are perfect as a screen. The smaller the screen you use, the thinner and more transparent it needs to be, and the brighter the light source you need.
- In order to create a theatrical atmosphere, you can draw a poster, tickets and even arrange an intermission.
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We recommend the book “Night Tale” by Beatrice Coron (
A theatrical performance of shadow and light is an unusual and interesting activity that all children, without exception, will enjoy.
Exciting preparation, creating scenes and characters with your own hands will give a good incentive to the development of imagination and will become one of the brightest and kindest memories of their childhood!
How to make a Shadow Theater at home? Brashechka will tell you!
Preparing the stage for the Shadow Theater
We will need a light source, an improvised screen and a place where we can feel comfortable as actors :)
As a screen A piece of wide white wallpaper remaining after renovation, a white sheet, thin Whatman paper, or, in extreme cases, several sheets of paper fastened together at the joint, will work perfectly.
Light source An ordinary table lamp or lamp will serve; it will need to be installed behind and slightly to the side of the screen.
Important! The smaller the screen, the thinner and more transparent it needs to be, and the brighter the light source needed!
Now let's decide on the size of the stage.
A large stage for several children or a compact version for one participant? Decide for yourself!
Option 1. Bolshoi theater stage
Is there a bunk bed? Consider the stage of the Shadow Theater already ready! The lucky owners can safely set aside the entire first floor for actors. You just need to attach the screen to the curtain rod and press it down with a mattress.
Less “lucky” with furniture? No problem! :)
Drape a sheet over the doorway, create a “house” under your desk, or simply stretch it between two chairs!
Option 2. Compact stage for one actor
A very convenient option to store and use many times.
The downside is that it’s only suitable for puppet shows and will take a little longer to make.
Take an unnecessary (or make it yourself from scrap materials) large wooden frame, A4-A5 format will be just right. Stretch thin fabric or transparent matte paper over it, secure with small nails and place on a stand. The stage is set!
A wonderful folding stage can also be made from a large cardboard box, in the form of a window with shutters. The “glass” of the window will be the screen of our theater, and the “shutters” will provide stability to the improvised stage.
A great lighting option for a shadow puppet theater is a headlamp! :)
Take care to secure the screen cloth tightly.
This will make the work of little actors much easier in the future!
The stage is almost ready!
Let's make a curtain for her so that our Shadow Theater looks more solemn and very, very real! :)
Scenery and character figures for Shadow Theater
We make shadows with our hands
We've all played with hand shadows on a brightly lit wall more than once.
Let's remember a few basic shapes to get you started:
Click on the picture to view or print diagrams of how to fold the shadow of a wolf, dog, goat, rooster, hare, swan, goose or pig with your hands.
Figure out how to portray someone else yourself!
Figures and decorations for the Shadow Theater made of cardboard
For puppet theater For shadows, we will need pre-prepared figures and decorations. You can find and download ready-made stencil pictures for the Shadow Theater, but it is much more interesting to come up with a story and draw its characters for the Shadow Theater yourself!
Ask a child who main character his tales? Is he good or evil? What happened to him? And together you will come up with a great story!
Start with a small number of characters - two or three is enough for the first time. After practicing, you can easily move on to more complex performances :)
Decorations for the Shadow Theater it is better to make it from thick cardboard, which is used for packaging household appliances. We don’t want our castle or a large tree to bend under its own weight?!
Characters, drawn and/or printed on plain paper, paste them onto a rigid base and cut them out with scissors. Thin cardboard for appliques is perfect as a base.
If you plan to use the figures you made for the Shadow Theater more than once, we recommend laminating them.
Mounts for scenery and characters
Mounts are needed to control the figures without casting unnecessary shadows with your own hands.
Option 1
Use small hooks made from bent paper clips as holders for large figures and decorations.
Option 2
Split the cocktail tube at one end and glue it to the figure from the wrong side.
Option 3
Attach thin wooden or plastic sticks to the figures using adhesive tape.
Mounts made from paper clips (option 1) are convenient because such decorations can simply be leaned against the screen. In this case, our little actors won’t have to rack their brains about where to get a few more hands in addition to the ones they already have :)
Have you planned a play with several acts and need to change the scenery? Have a short but real intermission! :)
Add some color to the Shadow Theater
Color spots will add even more mystery to everything that happens! :)
Method 1.
Use a colored canvas for the screen. Shadows on a color screen are visible almost the same as on a white screen.
Method 2.
Try cutting out shapes from tinted sheets of paper, for example for drawing with pastels. The color of the paper will show through the white screen.
Finishing touch
Now we are ready to put on a show!
There’s just a little bit left to do - draw the invitations and send them to friends and acquaintances. And after the performance, don’t forget to have a tea party and discuss the performance you watched together!
Shadow theater– exciting and interesting art, which will not leave either adults or children indifferent. By using shadow theater you can act out a variety of fairy tales using different character templates, scenery.
I present to your attention making screens and templates for shadow theater.
For manufacturing you will need the following materials:
Ruler;
Tape measure, pencil;
Sandpaper;
White paint, brush;
Awnings (small);
Screws, screwdriver;
White fabric (dense);
Velcro;
Flashlights 4 pcs.
Loops for wiring.
Black gouache
1. First of all, before you do DIY screen, you need to draw a sheet of chipboard.
![](https://i0.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454341530.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454339056.jpg)
2. Difficulties may arise with windows, but this can be easily fixed using a drill, drill holes in the corners of our future window and you can cut out our window with a jigsaw.
![](https://i1.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454341581.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454339022.jpg)
3. The ends of the parts are lightly sanded, and then we attach the canopies.
![](https://i1.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454339174.jpg)
4. All parts are painted in White color, even those places that will be covered with fabric, since it tends to be transparent.
![](https://i1.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454339223.jpg)
5. Now you can start sewing the screen for screens. It is better to make it removable so that you can take it off and wash it. To do this, I sewed a screen with Velcro around the perimeter.
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454339366.jpg)
6. Accordingly with reverse side screens We glue Velcro around the perimeter of the window with super glue and nail the hinges (for wiring, we will insert decorations into them, and paint the front side as whatever: But you shouldn’t focus too much on this so as not to distract the attention of the audience.
![](https://i0.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454339666.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454339577.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340084.jpg)
Our the screen is ready!
![](https://i0.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340311.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340384.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340577.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454341732.jpg)
9. Then templates were laminated.
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340740.jpg)
![](https://i1.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454341670.jpg)
10. Cut out and to everyone templates pieces of cocktail tubes were glued with super glue (sticks will be inserted into them to attach them to screen decorations and holding characters).
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340425.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340443.jpg)
Our the theater is ready!
![](https://i2.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454340913.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/maam.ru/upload/blogs/detsad-205882-1454341148.jpg)
Thank you for your attention!
Publications on the topic:
Today I offer you a master class on making a tabletop theater “Under the Mushroom” using waste material. For the manufacture of.
I would like to introduce you to the technology of making puppets for the theater, using in my work plastic bottle. An example would be the main character.
The principle of operation is very simple, for this you will need: - “Moment” glue; - ruler; - pencil (simple); - stationery knife; - scissors;.
Among the various forms of education and upbringing of children in preschool age Theater and theatrical games occupy a special place, because it is a game.
I suggest you make with your own hands a simple, accessible tabletop screen for theatrical performances for preschool children.
The room is dim, only the table lamp shines brightly. As soon as you raise your hands, shadows appear on the wall. And if you fold your hands into bizarre shapes or move your fingers, the shadows come to life and turn into mysterious figures or animals. This truly fascinating process fascinates not only children, but also adults.
After all, in order to show children an unforgettable, vibrant performance, it is not necessary to go to the theater. You can arrange a shadow theater for children at home. They take part in the preparations for the performance with great pleasure - they cut out dolls, make a stage, come up with characters and scenarios, and enthusiastically depict the figures of magical animals with their hands. All this is not only interesting, but also educational and useful. Adults spend time with children, while the children develop their thinking, express their imagination, and inner perception of the world.
Hand development is very beneficial for children, especially young ones. Shadow Theater is exactly that role-playing game, which will help this process. The images that are created on the wall only with the help of properly installed lighting and their own hands and fingers delight children. After all, there is so much that is new in such a production as a shadow theater for children - an adult can show elementary movements with his own hands, after seeing which the child will be delighted and will definitely try to repeat these actions and even create his own. The baby’s successes and achievements in copying movements and animals will bring joy not only to him, but to everyone around him.
When the child masters the basic basics, you can make the process more interesting and exciting, for example, stage a whole performance where the main role will be given to his and your hands, and the audience can be relatives and family friends.
Shadow theater using paper dolls
In order to make it out of paper, there is no need to build any bulky equipment. It is enough to take several electric lamps, thanks to their lighting the shadows will be bright and clear, and a light sheet for the screen. In the absence of a sheet, a simple white wall will do.
The lamps should be installed so that they illuminate the screen well, while the rest of the room should be dark. Spectators invited to the performance should be in semi-darkness, and the direct participants in the show should be between a well-lit screen and a light source. Now you just need to turn on your imagination - and the world of shadows will come to life. To make what is happening realistic, you can adjust the size of the image; to enlarge the characters on the screen, you need to move the dolls further away from the wall, and to make them smaller, on the contrary, bring them closer.
There is another way to make a shadow theater with your own hands for children - the fairy tale you come up with will unfold on a real stage.
But this will require a little more preparation than was necessary for the previously mentioned methods.
How to make a scene
Everyone determines the dimensions of the screen and side walls independently. But it’s most convenient to play with about 50 by 50 cm and side walls - 50 by 30 cm. The resulting box needs to be covered with paper; specialized film for patterns is best suited, it is durable and does not show through.
Silhouettes of the dolls should be made from cardboard, and all moving parts, such as arms, legs and heads, should be cut out separately. You can fasten the parts together with ordinary wire; to do this, you need to make holes in the parts using an awl or a thick needle, stretch the wire through them and wrap them well in a ring on both sides.
You need to attach a cane 40-50 cm long to the doll’s body; it can be any thin stick. You need to screw a screw into it and fix the body of the cardboard doll.
In order for the doll to come to life, that is, to start moving, you need to use threads. They must be durable; floss is best suited for this purpose. Loops of pins should be secured in the legs and arms, as well as in the cane. Tie the thread to the loops on the legs and arms and pull it through the eye of the loop on the cane. If you pull it, the doll's limbs will rise, if you release it, they will fall.
If you tie different colors of thread to the right and left sides, this will prevent confusion when setting. But don’t get carried away by the variety of colors; when controlling during the action, it can be confusing.
In order for the silhouette to be clear, the puppet and scenery must be pressed tightly against the screen, the light must be between the screen and the puppeteer.
In fact, to make a shadow theater for children with your own hands, you can use an ordinary large cardboard box, for example, a shoe box. The main thing is that it stands steadily on the table. The figures can also be anything, you can use your fantasy and imagination, creating fabulous and unusual characters, or you can cut them out using ready-made stencils.
Performance for friends
It will be exciting to conduct such an entertaining activity not only with your family, but also with the involvement of friends and their children. In order to organize a joint shadow theater for children with your own hands, it is better to think through and distribute scripts and roles in advance. Let each of the main characters independently prepare their own doll at home - this will be even more interesting both for the participant himself and for other children taking part in the performance.