Cardboard is a fantastic resource for crafting with kids because it’s easily available and free so the possibilities are endless! This homemade puppet theatre is the perfect absorbing activity for a rainy afternoon. Or perhaps a surprise project for a wonderful present complete with different sets of fairy tale characters.
How to make a Homemade Puppet Theatre
What you need
- A rectangular cardboard box, the one we have used is around (W) 55cm x (L) 35cm x (D) 20cm
- A large piece of card to mount the free printable puppet theatre façade
- Green tissue paper for the backdrop
1. First, cut a rectangular hole in front of the box, make sure that it is centred with equal distance from the edge of the box as this will be the front of your theatre.
2. Then cut a opening in either side of the box, around 5cm in width and 20cm in length, big enough to fit the puppets through – these will be the equivalent of your wings.
3. Now, cut a hole in the top of the box around 40cm in length and 10cm in width which can again be used for controlling the puppets or scenery inside the theatre.
4. Print off the puppet theatre façade, cut out and mount onto card. Stick onto the front of your box.
5. Finally, rip up lots of pieces of green tissue paper, sugar paper or crepe paper in a free collage style to create the forest background. The kids will love helping with this bit!
Storytelling Song Series
This puppet theatre accompanies our storytelling song series. This is a collection of posts all about how to tell and act out popular fairy tales and other stories through song. We’ll be adding to this, so be sure to come back to check out the latest songs in our collection! Each post will contain printable scenery and characters which are perfect for acting out and singing the story!
Storytelling with a homemade puppet show is such a creative and engaging activity for kids. It is wonderfully educational and even more fun when you have a song to go with the story. A puppet theatre gives children endless opportunity to let their imaginations go.
Telling stories is such a fantastic way to develop early language and literacy skills and happily a fun and cheap way to entertain children too!
If you make your own puppet theatre, or have made a similar one before we would really love it if you came and shared it over on our Facebook page!
Thank you so much. I printed the facade you gave here. And I will attempt our first puppet show in a couple of weeks.
That’s great Michelle, I do hope you have lots of fun with it! 😄
This is brilliant – the kind of thing I know my son would love! Thanks for linking with Tuesday Tutorials #pintorials
Thank you Kate! Thanks for hosting too!
My children are always badgering me to make them a puppet theatre, this looks great! #pintorials
They’re so much fun to play with 🙂 And super easy to make too! Thanks for stopping by Jenny!