Shadow theater in the kindergarten with their own hands

The theater of shadows is widely practiced in the system of pedagogical education. In this case, this type of art, as a rule, does not require complicated equipment and serious acting skills, which gives additional opportunities for using it both in educational institutions and at home.

History of occurrence

According to separate historical sources, the shadow theater as 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 story for performances in China was a historical epic. In other states that have adopted this type of art, the plot also had its own specifics. So, for example, in India, theater plays of the shadow were more often focused on religious themes, and in Turkey - on the comedy.

In our country, the shadow theater appears at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. For example, its elements were applied in the framework of school theaters in theological seminaries and academies.

The role of the shadow theater in the development of children

Children's Shadow Theater is not just a kind of game for the child - it's an additional way of its development. Games with the shadow stimulate the child's imagination, develop his imagination. Getting these or those characters here is possible, for example, by folding the fingers in a certain way. Accordingly, this provides additional opportunities for the development of the child's sleight of hand, the consistency of his movements.

At the same time, if it is an early age, the performance can be arranged by the parents of the baby. Children of an older age are already able to take part in the play. For group classes it is also possible to use a shadow theater. In kindergarten, these entertainments are often used as exercises for the development of motor skills and speech of the child. A textual accompaniment, in turn, stimulates the speech culture of the baby.

Finger Shadow Theater

This species is most common in working with toddlers. It allows you to create a shadow theater with your own hands. To create it you need an even light background and a lamp. The lamp should be placed against the center of the screen, a few meters from the wall in such a way 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 on a plywood frame.

Also suitable is a sheet, fixed in the doorway. Or you can install a simple screen behind which the light source will be located. It is necessary to choose the right angle so that the shadow of the leader does not overlap the shadows of the hands. In addition, to enhance the effect in the room should be as dark as possible. By folding your fingers into a specific combination, you get an image of one or another character. Then everything depends on your imagination. To make your performance more exciting, you can organize reading by roles, include the appropriate musical background, etc.

Used images

Silhouettes for the shadow theater can choose a variety of, depending on the plot of your performance. It is better to start with simpler images, gradually complicating the combinations. The most common are the silhouettes of animals; It is also possible to represent human figures, plants and various objects with the help of hands. In this case, you can give the child the opportunity to call 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 created image can be accompanied by a small poem, for example: "Butterfly lives one day. The left wing of the butterfly is the dawn. Right - evening "(S. Kozlov). Your performance will be more exciting if you tell a story or a fable (with a small number of characters) with the help of characters. For example, fables IA Krylov.

Use of additional funds

If the performance is aimed at the children of the older group of the kindergarten, it is possible that the fingered shadow theater will take them less. Still, this lesson is more suitable for toddlers. How to make the shadow theater more vivid and memorable? In this case, the use of additional funds. So, for example, if it is a performance in an educational institution, and not a family home evening, it is better to use a real professional screen.

Characters for the performance can be both ordinary dolls, and specially made from different materials silhouettes. In this case, the material for carving characters is better to choose black. Cut out silhouettes better attached to the sticks. You can complicate the action by using more mobile forms. So, for example, it can be hinged dolls moving with special ropes.

Instructions for making dolls

On a thin cardboard sketch is made, on which the head of the future character is cut out. Using a 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 trunk of the doll. In turn, the middle and big fingers of the puppeteer become the legs of the character. In doing so, 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 in details it is necessary to make punctures and to pass in them pieces of a wire, twisting from two parties on a spiral. In order to make doll eyes, first, punctures are also made, the holes of which are subsequently expanded by some pointed object (an awl, knife, etc.). On the hole is glued a circle, cut from a colored transparent film. Then the details of the doll are covered with black paint.

Example of making a character: elephant

To give the figures mobility, you can also use buttons. Here is an example of making an elephant figurine for a performance:

- cut legs and torso from cardboard according to the template;

- small holes are made at the place where the first and second pairs of legs are fastened;

- fastening of pairs of legs is carried out due to rubber bands and buttons (the elastic band is threaded into the holes of the buttons, and its ends are passed through the legs and trunk of the elephant);

- On the reverse side, the design is also fixed with buttons or with a match piece.

Thus, the elephant gets a mobile connection, allowing to depict the movement of his legs during the performance.

Scene and scenery

If you use puppets in a performance, you should determine the scene on which the performance will take place. For example, it can be made from a large rectangular box: it cuts a large hole, which is then sealed with a white sheet of paper.

Also, the shadow theater looks more spectacular if you use scenery. They can be cut out of paper and attached to the contour of the screen.

It is important that, on the one hand, the scenery be clearly visible, and on the other hand, there should be enough space for the characters in the performance to be centered on the screen.

Thus, the shadow theater in the kindergarten is not only an element of entertainment for children, but also an element of their own creativity, as well as a component of the child's upbringing and development system. In addition, classes of this kind stimulate the emotional sphere of children - emotions are accompanied as a process of preparing the presentation, the production of characters and scenery, and directly the plot of the play. The additional effect of the performance, of course, adds a curtain.