60 min
One Box, Anything
A big box, some tape, and no instructions whatsoever.
🎬
Make a Shadow Theatre
A cardboard frame, a white sheet, a lamp, and a proper show.
A build and a performance in one. It takes an afternoon and gets performed for days.
Ce qu’il vous faut
- a large cardboard box
- white paper or a thin sheet
- black card
- sticks or skewers
- tape
- a lamp
Comment faire
- Cut a large rectangle out of one side of a box and tape white paper over it.
- Cut character silhouettes from black card and tape each to a stick.
- Set a lamp behind the screen and the puppeteers between lamp and screen.
- Write a short story with three characters and a problem.
- Perform it. Then perform it again, better.
Pourquoi c’est bon pour eux
The second performance is where the value sits, because children notice their own timing and pacing problems and fix them without being told. Designing a silhouette that reads clearly in shadow is also a real design constraint.
Adapter selon l’âge
5 to 6 yearsUse existing toys held up behind the screen rather than cutting puppets.
11 to 12 yearsAdd a narrator, sound effects, and a scene change.
Sécurité
Use an LED lamp that does not get hot. Adult does the cutting. Keep paper well away from any bulb.
Astuce rangement
Store the puppets flat in an envelope so the theatre can be reused.
Dans le même esprit
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Invent a Board Game
They design the board, write the rules, and then make you play it.
40 min
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Fold a page into six boxes and tell a whole story inside them.
45 min
Build a Blanket Fort
Every blanket in the house, one afternoon, one secret headquarters.
30 min
Blind Build Challenge
Two identical piles of bricks, a barrier, and one person giving instructions.
25 min
Paper Fortune Teller
One sheet of paper, eight folds, and endless silly predictions.