Make a puppet theatre - Arts, Crafts and DIY

62 Comments

Story time. Using their soft toys to tell their favourite bedtime story helps children practice their recounting skills. Encourage them to use their puppets to give the stories different endings Asking them to finish the story in a funny, sad or strange way helps their imaginations and to realise the connection between how different events can make experiences different emotions.
Keeping it simple:
Reading a story aloud while your child acts out the narrative with the puppets is the simplest format to use.

Choose a favourite picture book or nursery rhyme and use that as your narrative. A simple story like Goldilocks and the Three Bears works well as there are only four characters and most of the action takes place in the bears’ home.
Or simply let the children make their own fun, their innocent and imaginative minds will amaze you.

I got the idea for the puppet theatre from the Sunday paper and this wonderful idea and creation has given hours of fun and laughter.
Please give it a try, you can be as creative as possible with the threatre or as simple and plain and still your little ones will have an absolute hoot.

Material

a large cardboard box
a box cutter/stanley knife
paint (optional)
fabric
fabric scissors
hot glue gun/needle and thread
piece of dowel or bamboo
heavy duty tape (such as packing tape)
ribbons

Method

Cut a rectangular shape in the front of the box using the box cutter. You could use a ruler if you like. I chose to make the rectangle cut out high enough so that the children could stand and wouldn’t be seen when holding up their puppets.
Cut a door in the back of the box with a box cutter, so that the puppeteers can enter their mini theatre. It is also ok to just use the front of a box and the children will have just as much fun.
Cut a piece of fabric into two large rectangles using fabric scissors. Fold over the top end of the fabric (you might like to use an iron for this part) and glue it together using a hot glue gun or stitch with needle and thread.
When you are gluing or stitching the fabric, make sure that you leave enough room for the piece of dowel or bamboo to fit.
Slide the piece of dowel or bamboo through both pieces of fabric to make a curtain.
Attach the curtain rod to the inside of the box using heavy duty tape.
You might like to decorate your puppet theatre.
Bring out the soft toys, sit back and watch the show while you allow your children’s imaginations to run wild!

Notes

School holidays are coming up so why not give this project a go, I guarantee your children will love it.:-)

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This project was posted by:

- cherz
- 07 Apr 2014
  10:34 pm

62 Comments

- - mom19782016 said
  - 15 Oct 2020
    2:35 pm
Boxes are just the best aren’t they?

- - mom462038 said
  - 16 Apr 2020
    1:41 pm
Not sure I know of any kids that would use this. Awesome for those kids that will use one though

- - MrsA said
  - 27 May 2019
    2:49 pm
I love crafts that lead to imaginative play. Hours of fun.

- - mom111059 said
  - 19 Jun 2018
    10:44 am
a cubby house if big enough box.

- - mom111059 said
  - 18 Jun 2018
    9:06 am
looks like some entertainment in store. thanks

- - mom109229 said
  - 28 Sep 2015
    9:00 pm
I think my daughter will enjoy making something like this!

- - Kell said
  - 22 Jun 2015
    3:19 pm
Thanks for sharing this creative project;

- - Moonberry said
  - 04 Feb 2015
    4:03 pm
Boxes can make everything fun We created a maze made out of boxes too, the kids crawl in it and we make it spooky for halloween..

- - mom93821 said
  - 26 Jan 2015
    8:41 pm
Thanks for sharing this creative idea; fantastic project!
- mom93821 replied
  
  27 Jan 2015 , 5:37 am
  Thanks again for sharing; this is going to be a shared project too!
- - mom57522 said
  - 13 Jan 2015
    10:09 pm
My girls often make a puppet stage but nothing as awesome as this.

- - mom108638 said
  - 10 Jan 2015
    11:39 am
This will send their imaginations WILD!!!

- - keeleynme said
  - 13 Dec 2014
    6:02 pm
Thanks heaps, in the new year ill be making my daughter a proper wooden one, but this will work wonders for now

- - mom94125 said
  - 01 Nov 2014
    10:49 am
i make this using the baby wipes box and you can make so many different scenes if you paint it
- mom94125 replied
  
  07 Oct 2015 , 10:36 pm
  made a proper farm scene and the kids had a lot of fun making egg carton animals to go with it.
- - rachael_lorenz-stockdale said
  - 13 Oct 2014
    7:48 am
If anyone has finished this id love to see your version, it sounds lengthy but loads of fun. Might start to prepare for this one.

- - mom70050 said
  - 10 Sep 2014
    10:31 am
So great to see all those thing’s we use to do as kids getting put into action again! Thanks for the memories and for sharing.

- - ginoula5 said
  - 04 Aug 2014
    10:10 am
we used to do this as kids, great idea, thanks for sharing

- - maureen3 said
  - 25 Jul 2014
    5:11 pm
informative and interesting thanks for sharing

- - lou3 said
  - 22 Jun 2014
    8:01 pm
Great for the kids

- - Mrs Bucket (that's pronounced Bouquet) said
  - 28 May 2014
    2:10 pm
Your tutorial made me want to be a child again, another use for a box – so much fun time.

- - ninki68 said
  - 27 May 2014
    2:38 pm
I remember doing this as a kid