Shadow theater is widely practiced in the system of pedagogical education. At the same time, this type of art, as a rule, does not require sophisticated equipment and serious acting skills, which provides additional opportunities for its use both in educational institutions and at home.
History of occurrence
According to individual historical sources, shadow theater as an art originated in ancient China, during the Han Dynasty. According to another version, the shadow theater was borrowed from the culture of ancient Egypt. The most common subject for performances in China was the historical epic. In other states that adopted this type of art, the plot also had its own specifics. So, for example, in India, shadows were more often focused on religious themes, and in Turkey - on comedy.
In our country, the shadow theater appears at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. So, for example, its elements were used within the framework of school theaters in theological seminaries and academies.
The role of shadow theater in the development of children
Children's shadow theater is not just a kind of game for a child - it is an additional way of its development. Shadow games stimulate the baby's imagination, develop his imagination. Getting certain characters here is possible, for example, by folding fingers in a certain way. Accordingly, this provides additional opportunities for the development of dexterity of the child's hands, the consistency of his movements.
At the same time, if we are talking about an early age, then the performance can be arranged by the parents of the baby. Older children are already able to take part in the play themselves. For group lessons it is also possible to use the shadow theater. In kindergarten, these entertainments are often used as exercises for the development of the child's motor skills and speech. And text accompaniment, in turn, stimulates the speech culture of the baby.
Finger shadow theater
This type is the most common in working with babies. It allows you to create a shadow theater with your own hands. To create it, you need a flat one and a lamp. The lamp should be placed against the center of the screen, at a distance of several meters from the wall so that the light falls directly on it. It is better if the following proportion is observed: the width of the screen is equal to the distance from the lamp to the screen.
The material for the screen can be any translucent fabric or tracing paper stretched over a plywood frame.
A sheet fixed in the doorway is also suitable. Or you can install a simple screen, behind which the light source will be located. In this case, it is necessary to choose the right angle so that the leader's shadow does not overlap the shadows of the hands. In addition, to enhance the effect, the room should be as dark as possible. By folding your fingers into a certain combination, you get the image of a particular character. Then it all depends on your imagination. To make your performance more entertaining, you can organize reading by roles, include appropriate background music, etc.
Used images
You can choose the most diverse silhouettes for the shadow theater, depending on the plot of your performance. It is better to start with simpler images, gradually complicating the combinations. The most common are animal silhouettes; also with the help of hands it is possible to depict human figures, plants and various objects. At the same time, you can give the child the opportunity to name the characters or objects that he sees. It is also desirable to depict the interaction between the characters: how they react to each other, talk, move in space, etc. In addition, each image created can be accompanied by a small poem, for example: “A butterfly lives one day. The left wing of a butterfly is the dawn. Right - evening ”(S. Kozlov). Your performance will be more exciting if you tell a fairy tale or fable (in which there are a small number of heroes) with the help of characters. For example, the fables of I. A. Krylov are well suited.
Use of additional funds
If the performance is aimed at children of the older group of the kindergarten, it is possible that the finger shadow theater will captivate them less. Still, this activity is more suitable for kids. How to make the shadow theater more vivid and memorable? In this case, it is possible to use additional funds. So, for example, if we are talking about a play in an educational institution, and not a family home evening, it is better to use a real, professional screen.
The characters for the performance can be both ordinary dolls and silhouettes specially made from various materials. In this case, it is better to choose black material for cutting out characters. it is better to attach to sticks. You can complicate the action by using more mobile forms. So, for example, it can be moving with the help of special ropes.
Instructions for making dolls
A sketch is made on thin cardboard, according to which the head of the future character is cut out. Using glue or a paper clip (you can also use a needle and thread), a paper tube for the index finger is attached to the head - together they form the body of the doll. In turn, the middle and puppeteer become the character's legs. At the same time, it is better to make the figures in such a way that their heads and limbs are moving - this will make the shadow theater for children more dynamic and emotional.
Then it is necessary to make punctures in the details and thread segments of wire into them, twisting in a spiral on both sides. In order to make eyes for the doll, punctures are also first made, the holes of which are subsequently expanded with some pointed object (awl, knife, etc.). A circle cut out of a colored transparent film is glued onto the hole. Then the details of the doll are covered with black paint.
Character Making Example: Baby Elephant
Buttons can also be used to give the figurines mobility. Here is an example of making an elephant figurine for a performance:
The legs and torso are cut out of cardboard according to the template;
Small holes are made at the place of attachment of the first and second pair of legs;
Pairs of legs are fastened with rubber bands and buttons (the elastic band is threaded through the holes of the buttons, and its ends are passed through the legs and body of the baby elephant);
On the reverse side, the design is also fixed with buttons or with a piece of a match.
Thus, the baby elephant acquires a movable joint, which allows him to depict the movement of his legs during the performance.
Stage and scenery
If you use puppets in the performance, then you should decide on the stage on which the performance will take place. For example, it can be made from a large rectangular box: a large hole is cut into it, which is then sealed with a white sheet of paper.
Also, the shadow theater looks more spectacular if you use the scenery. They can be cut out of paper and attached to the edge of the screen.
At the same time, it is important that, on the one hand, the scenery is clearly visible, and on the other hand, it leaves enough space for the characters of the performance in the center of the screen.
Thus, the shadow theater in kindergarten is not only an element but also an element of their own creativity, as well as a component of the system of education and development of the child. In addition, activities of this kind stimulate the emotional sphere of children - emotions accompany both the process of preparing a performance, making characters and scenery, and the plot of the play itself. An additional effect to the performance, of course, adds a curtain.
Imagine - evening twilight, tightly drawn curtains and spectators frozen in anticipation of a miracle. Soon, near the most ordinary lamp, a magical performance will begin, woven from almost nothing. The shadow theater is a fascinating spectacle that children of all ages like, from one-year-olds to primary schoolchildren, who are happy to take part in the preparation of the performance and come up with their own fairy tales for the shadow performance.In order to watch a theatrical performance of light and shadow, it is not necessary to go to a real theater. All this can be arranged at home using improvised materials. Home shadow theater is an exciting and useful activity for the whole family. Everyone can participate in the preparation and holding of the performance, fantasy is in full swing, the plot is full of surprises, and the level of complexity of the scenery and figures depends on the interest of the kids and the time that everyone is ready to devote to this.
What is shadow theater?
Finger theater is the shadows that appear on the screen due to the different positions of the hands and the interlacing of the fingers of the "director". Most often these are images of well-known animals, but professionals can show human faces or some inanimate objects. It's great for fine motor skills and coordination.
Puppet theater is a performance using ready-made figures and scenery. The characters are cut out of cardboard, fixed on sticks and moved according to the action. Due to the fact that almost everything can be cut out of cardboard, the puppet theater of shadows is an endless field for the flight of children's imagination. 
What do you need for home shadow theater?
1. Light source - it can be a simple table lamp, a tourist flashlight and any other lamp with a directional light.
2. Screen - is a translucent white plane that can be made from different materials - tracing paper, a white thin sheet, ordinary Whatman paper or sheets of white paper fastened together in a joint. The frame for the screen can be a cut-out lid from any box, an artistic stretcher, a two-story children's bed - any design on which you can stretch the screen. can be made from an unfolded shoe box, pull a sheet over a bunk bed. A small "stage" is suitable for simple finger performances, and if you want to prepare a real puppet show, it is better to make a spacious large screen where the whole story will fit.
3. Sets and characters - choose what you want to start with. If you decide to try finger theater, practice with your child to fold their palms and fingers in such a way that “live” images of animals appear on the screen. A dog can bark, a crocodile can open its toothy mouth, a bunny can move its ears - whatever you think of. For the puppet theater, you will need thick cardboard, from which you will cut out the scenery and figures. 
Helpful Hints:
1. The screen must be placed between the audience and the lamp. The actors are between the lamp and the screen. Keep in mind that the lamp heats up and it is best not to touch the light source during the performance.
2. In order for the shadows to be clear, the light should fall directly, and not from the side, and the lamp should not be close, but two or three meters from the wall.
3. The light source should always be behind the screen and slightly to the side. Stand so that the shadow from your body almost does not fall on the screen, and the shadow from the hands is evenly clear.
4. It is better to paint cardboard figures with black paint, then they will be contrasting and noticeable on the screen.
5. The size of the shadows on the screen depends on the distance from the figurine to the light source. To make the figure smaller, bring it close to the screen. To make it grow in size - place it away. It is better to fasten the scenery close to the screen with adhesive tape or bent paper clips so that they do not move during the performance, and small directors will have an extra pair of hands.
6. If the kids like home theater, make a real curtain, tickets and programs. During the performance, you can arrange a real intermission with an impromptu buffet.
5. Start with a small number of characters - two or three is enough for the first time. With practice, you can easily move on to more complex settings.
6. To make the performance "coloured", use colored light bulbs or filters that can be attached to the lamp. For night scenes - a blue filter, for morning scenes - a red one, and so on.
7. The figurines can be made movable by wrapping arms, legs, wings and tails with soft wire. Instead of sticks that hold the characters, use regular drinking straws.
Shadow theater is an art that originated somewhere in the ancient civilizations of India and China more than 1700 years ago. The legend tells that the gods themselves, walking on the Earth, saw pretty dolls in the window of the workshop and decided to play with them. The figures, as if alive, spun in a dance, fluttered like moths, casting bizarre shadows.
This magical dance was secretly spied on by the master. He really wanted to repeat the amazing dance. And then he attached barely noticeable threads to the pupae and gave them a new life.
Let's fast forward to that distant time and arrange a fabulous performance filled with shadow and light, goodness and magic.
You will need:
- cardboard box,
- white parchment,
- black cardboard,
- markers,
- scissors, stationery knife,
- adhesive tape,
- hot glue,
- barbecue sticks,
- desk lamp.
First, let's create a scene. It can be made in the form of a window, a castle, a fabulous tent and even a detached house. It all depends on the size of the box and your imagination.
Let's use the simplest option. Let's make a stage for the performance in the form of a window.
1. Cut out the bottom of the box and glue it with parchment. Secure the edges of the parchment with duct tape.
2. Make shutters from the rest of the box. Draw with markers.
Excellent! Half done!
And here's another version of the screen:
Well, now, so that our stage is not empty, fill it with bright characters. And, of course, I'm not talking about color (dolls can be made black). The silhouette of each hero should reflect his characteristic features of appearance and character.
3. Cut out cardboard figures of animals, trees, houses, your favorite cartoon characters.
4. Glue with hot glue to a barbecue stick.
5. Illuminate the box with a table lamp, and you can play.
More characters - more amazing stories!
Here's what it looks like from the back:
Now the classical shadow theater is threatened with extinction. But in the 2000s, a new direction arose in this mysterious art. Instead of puppets, dancers create incredible performances on stage, captivating the audience with the flexibility of bodies, the play of light and shadow.
A theatrical performance of shadow and light is an unusual and interesting activity that will appeal to all children without exception.
Fascinating preparation, creating a scene and characters with your own hands will give a good incentive to develop imagination and become one of the brightest and kindest memories of their childhood!
How to make a Shadow Theater at home? Brashechka will tell!
Preparing the stage for the Shadow Theater
We need a light source, an impromptu screen and a place where we can feel comfortable as actors :)
As a screen a piece of wide white wallpaper remaining after the repair, a white sheet, thin paper or, in extreme cases, several sheets of paper fastened to each other in a butt, are perfect.
light source an ordinary table lamp or lamp will serve - it will need to be installed behind and slightly to the side of the screen.
Important! The smaller the screen, the thinner and more transparent it should be, and the brighter the light source needed!
Now let's decide on the size of the scene.
A large stage for several children or a compact version for one participant? Decide for yourself!
Option 1. Stage of the Bolshoi Theater
Is there a bunk bed? Consider the stage of the Shadow Theater is ready! Happy owners can safely take the entire first floor for the actors. It is only necessary to fix the screen on the curtain rod and press it from below with a mattress.
Less "lucky" with furniture? No problem! :)
Hang a sheet over a doorway, arrange a "house" under a desk, or simply stretch it between two chairs!
Option 2. Compact stage for one actor
A very convenient option to store and use many times.
Minus - suitable only for puppet shows and it will take a little longer to make it.
Take an unnecessary (or make it yourself from improvised materials) large wooden frame, A4-A5 format will be just right. Stretch a thin cloth or transparent matte paper over it, secure it with small carnations and place it on a stand. The stage is ready!
A wonderful folding stage can also be made from a large cardboard box, in the form of a window with shutters. The "glass" of the window will be the screen of our theater, and the "shutters" will provide stability to the improvised stage.
An excellent lighting option for a puppet shadow theater is a headlamp! :)
Take care to securely fasten the screen canvas.
In the future, this will greatly simplify the work of small actors!
The stage is almost ready!
Let's make a curtain for her so that our Shadow Theater looks more solemn and very, very real! :)
Scenery and figures of characters for the Shadow Theater
Folding the shadows with your hands
We have all played with hand shadows on a brightly lit wall more than once.
Let's remember a few basic shapes to start with:
Click on the picture to view or print out diagrams of how to fold the shadow of a wolf, dog, goat, rooster, hare, swan, goose or piglet with your hands.
Figure out how to portray someone else!
Figures and scenery for the Shadow Theater made of cardboard
For the puppet theater of shadows, we need pre-prepared figures and scenery. You can find and download ready-made stencil pictures for the Shadow Theater, but it is much more interesting to come up with a story and draw its characters for the Shadow Theater yourself!
Ask the child who is the main character of his fairy tale? Is he good or evil? What happened to him? And together you will come up with a great story!
Start with a small number of characters - two or three is enough for the first time. After practicing, you can easily move on to more complex productions :)
Scenery for the Shadow Theater it is better to make it from thick cardboard, which is used for packaging household appliances. We don't want our castle or a big tree to bend under its own weight?!
Characters, drawn and / or printed on plain paper, glued onto a rigid base and cut out with scissors. As a base, thin cardboard for applications is perfect.
If you plan to use the made figures for the Shadow Theater repeatedly, we recommend that you laminate them.
Mounts for scenery and characters
Mounts are needed to control the figures without casting unnecessary shadows with your own hands.
Option 1
Use small hooks made from folded paper clips as holders for large figures and decorations.
Option 2
Split the cocktail tube at one end and glue it to the figure from the wrong side.
Option 3
Attach thin wooden or plastic sticks to the figurines with duct tape.
Staple mounts (option 1) are convenient because such decorations can simply be leaned against the screen. In this case, our little actors will not have to puzzle over where to get a few more hands in addition to the ones they already have :)
Thinking of a performance in several acts and need to change the scenery? Arrange a small but real intermission! :)
Add some color to the Shadow Theater
Color spots will add even more mystery to everything that happens! :)
Method 1.
Use a colored canvas for the screen. Shadows on a color screen are visible almost the same as on a white screen.
Method 2.
Try cutting shapes out of tinted sheets of paper, for example, for drawing with pastels. The color of the paper will show through the white screen.
Finishing touch
Here we are, ready to put on a show!
It remains quite a bit - to draw invitations and send them to friends and acquaintances. And after the performance, do not forget to have a tea party with a joint discussion of the performance you have watched!
"Fairy tale on the table" or table theater
I. Flat theater.
Characters and scenery - pictures. Characters appear in the course of action, which creates an element of surprise, arouses the interest of children. We bought ready-made albums, cut out characters and scenery. Made a desktop screen - a box.
II. Theatre from waste material.(from tea boxes, disposable cups...) Develops imagination, ability to work with various materials.
III. cone theater. This type of theater is made of cardboard. It is bright, interesting for children. Easy to manipulate.
IV. Theater made of wooden models.("The Fox and the Crane"). Very practical. Doesn't beat. Does not wrinkle, easy to store.
V. Clothespin theater. It is good because it develops fine motor skills of the fingers.
VI. Plasticine theatre.
VII. Toy theater. . Industrial-made toys (plastic, soft, rubber) or hand-made (knitted, sewn from scraps) are grouped according to fairy tales. Such a theater is very close to children, as they play with similar toys every day. It can be played not only at the table, but also lying on the carpet.
They are stable on the table and do not interfere with movement. The child completely controls the movement of the doll, accompanies the character with a word. And the opportunity to see the face of the figurine allows the novice artist to better master the techniques of tabletop puppetry: the child does not look at the other side of the doll, he plays “for himself”; this technique helps the artists interact with each other without being distracted by the audience.
Stand theater:
1. Shadow theater. It requires a screen of translucent paper, black planar figures and a light source behind them. The image can also be obtained with the help of fingers. The display is accompanied by the corresponding sound.
2. Theater of pictures on flannelgraph. Pictures for display can be drawn by yourself (these are plots or characters from fairy tales, stories), or you can cut them out of old books that are no longer subject to restoration. They are glued onto thin cardboard, and flannel is also glued on the reverse side. Although today the theater on magnets is more relevant and practical.
Theater on hand.
1. Finger theater. These are dolls sewn from fabric, glued from paper or knitted from wool and thread, foam rubber. Figures can be made in the form of cones, cylinders, rings. The pattern follows the contour of the child's outstretched finger. The puppet must be put on freely on any finger of the puppeteer's hand. The character's face can be embroidered, glued or sewn on using buttons, beads, threads, ropes, pieces of wool, colored paper, fabric. Such toys can be made independently by older children. You can play behind the screen or with direct contact. The presence of this type of puppet theater allows you to solve problems for the development of fine motor skills of the hand, the coordination of finger movements. At the same time, this work is the foundation for a smooth transition to learning the puppetry techniques of the puppet theater with mittens.
riding puppets
1. Theater of spoons and spatulas. The simplest and most affordable spoon puppet theater for children. It is necessary to take into account the level of development of the muscle mass of the hand, forearm, shoulder, because. the organization of the game involves the use of a floor screen. At the beginning of work with these types of puppet theater, a floor screen with a curtain of 70-80 cm is used, child artists sit on chairs.
2. Theater of paper dolls on a stick. Children cut out figurines from coloring books and glue ice cream sticks to them.
3. origami theater- These are figurines of fairy-tale characters folded from paper. For the convenience of puppeteering, we attached them to sticks.
4. Theater on discs.
5. Puppets on gapite or rod puppet. The simplest gapite is just a stick inserted into the toy - one or two. It should not be too thick and heavy, otherwise the child will not be able to comfortably take it in his hand. The gapit should not be too short, but not too long. They are very useful for the development of fine motor skills, which contributes to the development of speech in children. These dolls also develop the flexibility of the fingers, hand and wrist. When working with young children, I use dolls on one stem. I teach to hold the doll with all fingers (in the fist). The doll moves due to the movements of the brush. Older children control puppets on two rods. To manipulate such dolls, you need to teach children to hold the sticks only with their fingertips.
Live Puppet Theater
Scarf dolls convenient in that they allow the puppeteer to move and dance freely.
