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Imaginative Puppetry

Stories will come to life as students create various puppets to act out an original scene.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Materials
  • Craft Sticks
  • Paper
  • Recycled Materials
  • Wooden Dowel
  • Yarn

Steps

  • Step 1

    Puppetry is an ancient art form thought to be around 4,000 years old, and it is popular all over the world. There are different types of puppet theatre, such as digital puppetry created by computer images, marionettes, hand puppets, stick puppets, etc. Have students look at some images of different types of puppets and puppetry shows around the world.

  • Step 2

    Have students form pairs or groups of three to compose a play to be acted out by puppets. Then have each member create a character puppet. They might create a marionette by sculpting various parts of the character out of Model Magic, then attaching string to the various parts  so they can move independently. They might create a stick puppet by gluing illustrated features and other embellishments onto craft sticks, or they might create a hand puppet using recycled lunch bags.

  • Step 3

    Have student groups present their puppet theatre. Then schedule time for the students to perform their shows for younger grades.

Standards

ARTS: Create roles, imagined worlds, and improvised stories in a drama/theatre work.

ARTS: Imagine and articulate ideas for costumes, props, and sets for the environment and characters in a drama/theatre work. 

LA: Develop real and imagined narratives. 

Adaptations

Puppet shows can engage and educate audiences of all ages. Have students discuss the reasons puppet shows are so effective. For example, when we suspend our disbelief, can we see a world where anything is possible? 

Have students learn about traditional puppet theatre around the world and perhaps watch video clips of them. They might explore, for example, water puppetry in Hanoi, Vietnam; the shadow puppets of Bali; marionette puppet theatre in Belgium, or any others.