Short Story Stick-Puppet Stars
Short stories come to life with captivating puppets—and engage students from start to finish. Script writing and puppet making capture imaginations!
1. Brainstorm, write, edit, and prepare a final draft of a short story with Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils. Just erase if you change your mind or to make corrections. Sketch the main character before you start making a puppet for it.
2. Using Crayola Model Magic® compound, sculpt your character on a recycled CD or DVD as a base. Remember, you can mix colors to create new hues or to make swirls or a marbled effect. Use multiple layers of various shapes and colors. Flatten large sections, make thin rolls, or cut ribbons—whatever you need for the look that your puppet requires. Model Magic compound sticks to itself and to most surfaces! Model Magic® dries to the touch overnight and dries completely in 2 to 3 days.
3. Attach a craft stick to the back of the recycled CD or DVD with Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the glue.
4. Add details and more decoration to your character with Crayola Glitter Glue, felt cut-outs, and Crayola Squeezables™ 3-D Paints. Be as creative as possible. Remember the setting of your story and show something about it in your puppet design. Air-dry the glue.
5. Let the puppet shows begin!
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Glitter Glue—
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD—Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. Not for use on skin.
Squeezables® 3-D Paint— WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD—Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. Not for use on skin.
Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—
- Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
- Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
- Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
- The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
- Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
- Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
- Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.
Wood—By its nature, wood is rough and may contain splinters or sharp points
- For students who have difficulty writing, ask them to read a short story and identify the main character and setting. Ask students to them create a puppet that shows the main character.
- Create puppets for other characters in the stories. Build stage sets for a full presentation to an audience of younger children or families.
- Use this lesson as a writing learning center. Students are nearly always eager to write stories and create puppets.
- Challenge students to create a series of short stories about their main character. Put these all in a portfolio to share with others. Perform them as a series of one-act plays.
- Assessment: Students summarize their stories in an oral presentation to the class and share their puppets.
Traveling to the Future
Mexico’s Day of the Dead
Pythons in the Wild
