Who's on My Bridge?
Hey, billy goats—watch out for a troll under the bridge! Bring a favorite fairytale to life with marionettes and stick puppets that have LOTS of character.
1. Read or retell The Three Billy Goats Gruff. This story, which has been a favorite of children for generations, originally came from Norway. Imagine what your billy goats and troll look like. Sketch your ideas with Crayola® Washable Markers.
2. Make marionette billy goats. To create a billy goat marionette, which is a puppet that is controlled with strings hanging from a wooden support, use several chenille stems for the various jointed body parts. Make at least 3 billy goats—or a whole herd if you like! Create different sizes, from kids to adults.
3. Start by making all of the goat’s body parts. Twist a loop into the top of a chenille stem, and then shape it into a bent-leg shape. At the bottom of the leg, push the stem through a bead, which will serve as the goat’s hoof. Twist the remainder of the chenille stem around itself, to secure the bead.
4. Shape Crayola Model Magic around the chenille leg. Make it knobby at the knee, just like a billy goat’s legs! Make four legs for each billy goat.
5. Sculpt goat bodies from Model Magic. Will your goats be smooth or have ruffled fur? Pinch out fur points. Shape a tail, connected to a short loop made from a chenille stem.
6. The last piece to make is the neck and head section, which should be a single piece. Use a chenille stem that is bent where the head meets the neck as a support for the Model Magic. Give your billy goats lots of character!
7. As the Model Magic begins to dry, attach small loops made from the chenille stems to the following places: the top of the head, the tail area on each billy goat’s back, the chest area, the bottom of the neck, and the points where each leg will be connected. Air-dry the Model Magic at least 24 hours.
8. Paint all the goat pieces with Crayola Watercolors and Paint Brushes. Air-dry all pieces. Add fur, hoof, and facial details with Crayola Fine Tip Markers and Multicultural Markers. Connect the pieces.
9. Use a short stick as the marionette’s controls. Tie strings to the front, middle, and the back of the stick. Attach one string to the billy goat’s head, one to the bottom of the neck, and one to the tail. Make sure the strings are the right length to make the billy goat appear to be standing straight.
10. Design a stick puppet troll. Use a short stick as the support for the troll’s body. Attach a chenille stem to hold up the arms. Sculpt the arms and head from Model Magic.
11. At the hip level, attach a chenille stem for legs. Create two big troll feet from Model Magic. Push a hole into the ankle of each foot. Attach the feet to the leg stems. Air-dry for 24 hours.
12. Paint the troll with watercolors. Air-dry the troll.
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.
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.
Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.
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.
String-Like Materials—Includes string, raffia, lacing, yarn, ribbon, and other similar material. Children 3 years and younger should not be given any string-like material that is longer than 12 inches. Close adult supervision is essential whenever children use string-like material. When crafts are to be worn around the necks of children 8 years and younger, attach the ends of the “string-like material” with clear adhesive tape, which allows easy release of the bond if the craft becomes entangled or caught on equipment. For children older than 8 years, the ends of the “string-like material” may be tied and knotted.
Wood—By its nature, wood is rough and may contain splinters or sharp points
- Create the entire cast of creatures from this or another story. Write a script, and create a play based upon the story. Design and craft a puppet stage with props such as trees and a bridge. Perform the play for an audience of your friends or families.
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