How to make a shadow theater for children? Master class "Shadow theater with your own hands" master methodological development (junior group) on the theme of the scenery for the shadow theater.

Shadow theater is magic that can live in your home. You can create it for a 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 round nose pliers
wooden slats approx. 1.5 x 1 cm
Fiberboard approx. 14 X 30 X 40 cm
screws
wallpaper nails
dye
white fabric (cotton) without pattern
tube for cocktail
insulating tape
overhead projector (lantern, table lamp)
templates (you can take ready-made, or you can draw it 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 abundantly - the part should sit tight and not warp the cardboard base.

Dry the dolls under pressure 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 places where there are inside or outside corners. Instead of scissors, it is convenient to use a clerical knife.

If you have golden hands and a lot of patience, you can cut out the kennels of the face, eyes and small details inside the dolls with a clerical knife. If you glue transparent tracing paper on 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 the arms, legs and other details that can move. Dynamic parts rotate on screws or wire, each of which is attached to a wire holder for control.

If the dolls are still warped, put them under pressure for a few 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 curved outward so that the holder's loop slides in easily.

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

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

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

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

A cardboard screen is easier to make and decorate, but less durable.

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

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

total height - 45 cm
the height of the "camouflage" fiberboard - 15 cm
screen height - 30 cm
frame width - 50 cm
the length of the supports (legs) for the frame is 25 cm.

The frame needs to be painted, and the bottom of the frame can be decorated with a plot picture.

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

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

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

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

We stretch the fabric and attach it with wallpaper studs. The more evenly 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 the light is from above and behind, so the hands of the puppeteer will be invisible, and the shadows will be the most clear. The hands of the puppeteer are between the screen and the light source, and the puppeteer himself is located behind the light.

Tips for the puppeteer

For the first performances, choose simple stories from folk tales.
Rehearse well and learn the secrets of the shadow theater before giving a performance.
If you want the doll or decoration to disappear or appear imperceptibly, turn it edge-on to the screen and move it.
Arrange the puppets in order, and then during the performance the audience will not have to wait long for the “artist” to come out.
Play appropriate music during the performance.
Voice each doll with "her" voice.
By moving the light source, you will achieve various effects - depict wind, storm or snow.
Shadow theater can be played wherever there is bright light and a level wall. Instead of dolls - finger figurines.

Children fall in love with the shadow theater immediately. At first they enthusiastically watch performances, and then they begin to invent the plot themselves. Let, regardless of whether the child has directing abilities or not, at home he is always waiting for a standing ovation.

There are many options for interesting leisure activities that you can organize for the kids on their own. Of course, the most interesting are in which the little ones can take a direct part. These fun options include shadow theater for children, which you can do yourself at home at no extra cost.

The simplest option for playing with a child is to show shadows from the hands on the wall, with which you can depict various objects, animals or people. How to make such a shadow theater with your own hands at home - various manuals on the art of creating an image will help you sort out this issue. For children, do-it-yourself shadow theater templates are simple figures, examples of which are presented below:

You can make shadow shapes with your hands both on the wall and on a small screen. To do this, you will need to make a rectangle out of the boards and pull a translucent light fabric without a pattern over it. It is recommended to fix it with buttons or a furniture stapler. After that, the performance can begin: the screen is placed on the surface of the table or a specially prepared stand, the bottom is covered with a thick cloth, the lamp is installed behind the actors, and the light is directed to the screen. To make it more interesting for the baby, you can add various decorations and dolls to the images of the figures.

In order to make a shadow theater with characters at home with your own hands, you will need a simple set of stationery. It includes: thick cardboard, glue, scissors, thin light sticks. To begin with, it is proposed to use puppets that do not move in productions. This will make it easier to learn this subtle skill, and it will take a few hours to create characters. Figures for the shadow theater are made by hand using templates with images. You can draw them yourself, or you can use ready-made ones. Then they are transferred to paper, cut out and assembled with glue or a stapler. Depending on what role the doll has, it can be glued to the stick both from the side and from below.

Making a shadow theater with your own hands out of paper is not troublesome, but very exciting. The kids will be happy to help make dolls, and then put on everyone's favorite fairy tales, and the spectators who came to visit will discuss this spectacle for a long time.

Do you want to offer your child a new interesting entertainment? Looking for original ideas? It is enough just to make a shadow theater with your own hands at home. You don't need any special equipment or materials. All tools are available. Such an activity will captivate the child so much that you can turn it into a creative, developing process.

The principle of organizing the spectacle

Shadow theater is one of the oldest. Previously, it was available only to the rich, as puppets were made from expensive materials. Subsequently, this entertainment became an exciting children's game. Do-it-yourself shadow theater at home is easy to do. You will need the following:

1. Screen made of white translucent fabric.
2. Directional lamp (regular table lamp).
3. Objects that will act as artists.
4. Scenery.

The screen is hung or placed between the audience and the light source. Figures that cast shadows are placed between the screen and the lamp. The closer the characters are to the light source, the bigger they will be on the "stage". It is important that your silhouettes are not in the beams of the flashlight, otherwise they will also be on the screen.

The objects with the help of which the performance is played out can be figures assembled from objects made of paper and other materials, moving people. In the latter case, more space will be required to organize the theater. In the first and second options, the plane of the table is sufficient.

Your hands are the best artists (diagrams)

If the child you are going to entertain is still small, it is enough to use your own palms. This is the easiest way to make a shadow theater with your own hands. Finger interlacing patterns are shown below.

First of all, you will have to practice folding your arms yourself. You can use static figures that will move along the scene. When this stage is mastered, move on to dynamic characters. Move your fingers, and the bunny's ears move, the wolf's mouth opens, and the bird flies, flapping its wings.

If the kid was impressed by the action and wanted to try himself as a director and director, motivate him, inspire him, praise him for everything he will do. This is a very useful developmental activity, as it improves the motor skills of the fingers. If initially not everything will work out for the baby, do not be discouraged. Gradually he will master this technique. Then it will be possible to move on to more complex productions with puppets and scenery.

Do-it-yourself main characters

When the finger theater is mastered, start making characters from improvised materials. You will need the following:

• paper or cardboard;
• pencil;
• knife or scissors;
• glue;
• stencils, fabric (optional).

There are two ways to make figurines:

• on sticks;
• on flat bases.

The first option is more convenient because those who will keep them can be at a distance from them.

This is important so that shadows do not fall on the screen from the players themselves. In the second case, when the figures are rearranged, the hands of the player are visible. However, this option also has the advantage that the figures can be placed and are in a static state without human intervention (they do not need to be held). At this time, another character will move between the standing figures. This is convenient, for example, to build decorations (trees, houses).

If you have decided on the design of the figures, proceed to the creation of their forms. The easiest way is to cut them out of paper. Cocktail tubes are suitable as sticks. Forms can be made solid or openwork, as well as adding fabric decor.

If you need to make a lot of the same items, it's easier to use stencils, that is, make one shape, and then circle them the required number of times. If you have children's stencils for creativity or any others, use them. They are convenient, as they are thematic, for example, according to fairy tales. With their help, you can easily and quickly make all the characters. You do not need to draw the characters yourself or look for samples of illustrations. Now it is easy to make figurines by printing images on a printer and cutting them out along the contour.

Making scenery

In addition to figurines, you can make objects that will create the atmosphere of a particular scene. In this case, do-it-yourself shadow theater is done longer, but it looks more diverse and interesting. It is worth remembering that children are fascinated not only by the production itself, but also by participation in the preparation of the performance.

The original idea of ​​​​creating the scenery and the characters themselves is presented in the photo above. Drawing characters and scenery on (a sheet of paper) with black paint is the performance itself. To do this, of course, you need to be able to hold a brush in your hands. The contours of objects can be outlined with thin lines in advance.

Kids want to be artists too

Do-it-yourself shadow theater can be created by children even without the participation of adults. You will be the audience for an impromptu performance. Hang the sheet on the frame, install the lamp. Let the children imitate different movements, imagine themselves

Performance ideas

With the help of such entertainment, you can have fun with friends and their children. Arrange a joint performance. If you decide to make a collective shadow theater with your own hands, the fairy tale that will be the basis of the script must be selected in advance. In this case, everyone will receive a task, which heroes he should make. Such a creative process will be very exciting and everyone will like it.

You saw that it is not difficult to make a shadow theater with your own hands. All materials are available, and the process of creating a performance is as interesting as watching the action. This exciting activity will help to entertain the baby at home and have fun.

Any theater is a mystery, and the 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 figures. With the help of these figurines, the exploits of the ancestors were sung, their way of life was described. But there is another version of the emergence of shadow theater, more romantic.

Shadow theater legend

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

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

The performance shown to the courtiers pleased the emperor so much that he asked to repeat it every evening. He even invited spectators. The doll, which was a unique copy of his wife, walked, played musical instruments, and sat by the window. Suddenly, the emperor realized: the fabric is only a temporary barrier between them, and his beloved is waiting for him in another world. A little time will pass - and they will be together again. Realizing this, the sovereign cheered up, again engaged in state affairs. And the shadow theater began its march on the earth, it spread to the countries of Asia: 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 the performances were held right on the street. The performances could involve up to a thousand figures and no less scenery. Oil lamps were used as a light source.

Shadow puppets

The material for the first dolls were animal skins. They were made, and so thinly that they were almost transparent. Figures were cut out of the skins, paint was applied to them. Traditionally, the height of puppets for the theater did not exceed 30 centimeters. All figurines are movable. With the help of thin long rods, the puppets 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 improvised materials. And therefore it is easy to make a shadow theater with your own hands. It is worth noting that this type of creativity for children is extremely useful - because it combines music, literature, craft and painting!

Cardboard screen for shadow theater

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

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

1. It is necessary to cut the high walls of the box and carefully cut out the bottom. This will form the basis for the screen.
2. The base must be glued with colored paper.
3. From parchment paper, cut out a rectangle that fits in size. It must be glued to the inside of the base, thus closing the bottom.

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

wooden screen

Much more reliable than a wooden cardboard screen. For its manufacture you will need: chipboard, jigsaw, ruler or tape measure, pencil, drill, sandpaper, small sheds, screwdriver, screws, white paint and brush, thick fabric (preferably white), Velcro, four flashlights, loops for wiring, cardboard, black gouache.

How to make a shadow theater with these items? Very simple. You need to start with a 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 the "window" with a jigsaw. The next stage is the manufacture of the side parts of the screen. They must be the same height as the screen. All details are important to process with sandpaper. Then you need to attach the canopies and paint all the details.

The screen for such a screen is best made of fabric - so that you can remove it and wash it. An ordinary Velcro will help to fix such a screen! It is sewn along the edges of the fabric and glued to the back of the screen.

Small flashlights will help to make the screen mobile, which must be fixed on the side parts of the screen. Children's shadow theater is ready!

Big screen for shadow theater

The previous manufacturing options are suitable for small theaters, in which small figures “play” the roles. What if the actors are people? We need a big screen! The most budget option is white raincoat fabric. Of course, its density is different. But choosing the right material is not so difficult - just take a flashlight and check how the shadow is transmitted. Then you just need to stretch the fabric on 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 put 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 with the help of hands - this will develop his motor skills and spatial thinking!

Paper "actors"

A large number of animal figures is extremely difficult to depict with the help of hands. Shadow theater for children can be diversified with the help of paper "actors". With such figures, you can stage complex plays based on fairy tales, fables and stories. The presentation will turn out if several people read the text (by roles), and a few more people show illustrations for the work on the screen.

To make puppets for the shadow theater, you will need thick cardboard. You can find ready-made templates, or you can turn on fantasy and imagination - and make them yourself. Finished figures need to be painted with black gouache. The shadow theater in kindergarten can quickly wear out, and therefore you need to laminate all the figures. A wooden stick or a straw for drinks is glued to the finished characters. It's easier to do this with tape.

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

shadow people

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

As a costume for shadow theater actors, it is best to use tight-fitting clothing. It is enough to choose one or two characteristic details for such a garment 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 magnificent hat, you get a brave musketeer!

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

Here are some helpful tips:

1. To create a real theatrical atmosphere - mystical and mysterious, you need to dim the light in the room, drape the seats for the audience with soft fabric. You can even make a real curtain, draw tickets and even have an intermission!
2. In the first performances, it is better not to use more than two or three characters. Only after having practiced properly, it is worth proceeding to more complex plays.
3. The most "advanced" puppeteers can use moving figures. It is necessary to fasten the arms, legs, tails, wings and other moving fragments to the body using a thin wire. You will also need to glue sticks or straws for drinks to each part.
4. Pay attention - the actor must be between the screen and the light sources, and the screen - between the lamps and the audience. During setting, the lighting fixtures can become very hot, and therefore it is better not to touch them.
5. 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 stand next to the screen.
6. 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.
7. Making the scenery stationary is also quite simple. You just need to fix them on the screen with tape or buttons.
8. Colored light bulbs or special filters will help “colorize” the performance. For night scenes, blue is suitable, and for morning scenes, pink or red.

Most Popular Shadow Theater

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

The most popular shadow theater is Yavansky. Puppets for the Wayang Kuli theater are still made from buffalo hide. It is made in such a way that it becomes thinner than paper! Despite this, they are very durable and bright - the figurines kept 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 entertainment - they accompanied important events in the life of both society and the average person!

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