Showy Shadow Puppets
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One bright morning, turn your backs on the sun and find your shadows on the sidewalk or driveway. Use chalk to outline the shadows you and your child cast. Back indoors, make a couple of Play-Doh groundhogs (or mice or some other little guys). Use a flashlight to give them their shadows. Move the flashlight (or the groundhogs) around to make the shadows change shape, or trace the groundhogs' shadows, the way you did your own. In the afternoon check outside and see if you and your child can fit your shadows back into your chalk outlines. You can't, of course, because like your flashlight, the sun has moved.
— Lynne Bertrand
Animal Hand Shadow Tips
To produce the best shadows, perform these puppets in front of a blank wall. Have a helper hold the flashlight and vary where the beam points to get the darkest shadow. Encourage your audience to add each animal's noise once they recognize what it is.
Note: Consider not performing before bedtime, lest you spend the night creating shadow antidotes to night terrors.
Puppy Face
- Bring one arm in front of your body with fingers pointing forward and hand turned so your thumb points up.
- Raise your thumb. (This will be the puppy's ear.)
- Bend in your index finger, giving the puppy's face some dimension.
- Wag your pinky up and down, and hear that puppy bark!
Spider
- Cross your hands in front of you, palms up, laying the back of the top hand against the palm of the hand in front of it, with fingers splayed to the sides.
- Bring the pads of both thumbs together to form the spider's head.
- Spread the fingers of both hands and gently cup toward you.
- Wiggle fingers slowly as you raise your hands and arms to let the spider "climb."
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