May the Fingers Be with You

Bud's new project:  Jedi origami puppets!  Here, his tribe of Ewoks (though, that's mine on the ring finger.)  Now he's doing all the main characters from all six films, inspired by Tom Angleberger's book series.  He even gets up at 6 am before school to make new ones!!

Not a Box

If you don't know Antoinette Portis's book about a bunny playing in, well, Not a Box, I highly recommend.

Then, get some boxes.

While we have two paper ream-sized boxes which have done duty as all matter of transportation and furniture, we have never had really big boxes. The fridge, washer, dryer, and stove arrived before the kids (actually, all the appliances died a few weeks after we bought the house. Go figure).

But this week, my 7'-long elliptical came in a humongous (that's been a "word on the street!") box. Perfect for a puppet theater. Mama cut a hole for the performance space and yesterday we took it outside and painted it. Bud practiced color field painting in blue and green. Sis created a landscape complete with white bunny in a field of flowers. I added some rainbow colors here and there.

The theater has dried and now awaits some final touches, mainly some kind of scenery or backdrop or curtain so that you can't see the puppeteers (though, they have to kneel tall even to reach, so that's not too much of a problem) or the kitchen behind them. We could even add waxed paper and make it a shadow puppet theater.

And of course, we'll have to make a lot more puppets . . . . the only downside, as far as the kids seem concerned, is that they can't see the show they put on. I guess I'm going to have to find the video camera.

In the Shadowlands

The lights are off. The shades have been drawn. And Bud stands sideways surrounded by the strong light of our biggest flashlight with his hands in front of him.

Velociraptor.

Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Chinese Dragon.

Pug dog.

Bunny.

Rocketship.

Phoenix.

Brachiosaurus.

Elasmosaurus.

Butterfly.

Sea anemone.

Venus flytrap. With fly.

He's making shadow figures with his hands.

And he's really good. First he stops to think or look at a book, coming up with his next idea. Then he wraps his fingers around each other in odd configurations. And next thing you know, the shadow does really look like what he's attempting. He's tried making shadow puppets with various toys and cutouts, but he prefers doing it by hand. Thank heavens for room-darkening shades!

Puppeteers-in-Training

Last week, one of the moms at school presented a "Three Bears" puppet show to the kids, letting them help and also examine all the various puppets, including some extra marionettes and shadow puppets. Sis was overjoyed because she got to be the little bear in the production, which in a sweet twist, was the part I played in a dress-up version of the play when I was in preschool! (Of course, Bud was disappointed not to have a part). Since then, Bud and Sis have been obsessed with puppets, using their stuffed critters hanging by necklaces from tinkertoys as marionettes like the ones we saw in "The Snow Maiden" puppet show. Today, we decorated the hand-puppet forms the mom gave each of the children: Sis made hers a pink bunny on one side (with felt ears to attach later) and little bear, of course, on the other; Bud made a penguin and a boy on his. And then they put on a puppet show for me, using the blanket-draped piano bench as the stage. I was thinking of making a foam-core puppet theater (such as the one I made at the museum once, with removable wax paper shield for shadow puppets!) because I think there will be many more puppet shows, and puppets, in our near future. Fun!