Shadow Puppet Theatre

Step by step

1. 1Hang up a white sheet, place a lamp behind it, and turn off the room lights.
2. 2Move your hand between the lamp and the sheet: watch the shadow appear on the audience side!
3. 3Play around with hand shapes (wolf, bird, bunny) and let your child test moving closer or further away: giant shadow, tiny shadow.
4. 4Cut out 2 or 3 simple shapes from cardboard and tape them onto sticks.
5. 5Make up a short story with two characters; let the audience guess who is who.
6. 6Grand finale: put on a 2-minute 'show' for the rest of the family, bows included.

What it builds

Why does a shadow grow when you move away from the lamp? Through play, children explore their first physics questions with their own hands. Plus, the glowing sheet turns into a real stage to invent stories, build confidence, and take a bow.