Give it a
little movement
Aunt Annie's Crafts
Animated Stick Puppets
What you will make -
In this project you will go one step beyond the Simple Stick Puppets by adding movement. Make a fish wiggle as it swims, and have people move their arms. It just takes a hole punch and paper fasteners to add moving joints to these puppets. The play in this project, The Defeat of Great Glooskap, is based on an Algonquin Native American folktale.
This is the second in a series of puppet projects that include plays based on folktales from cultures around the world and back in time. An Algonquin Native American folktale is the basis for a play, The Defeat of Great Glooskap, using the puppets in this project.
Here's what you need -
- Cardstock - white
- Bamboo skewers or other thin sticks
- Paper fasteners
- Optional: Crayons, markers or colored pencils, white glue, colored paper, and yarn
- Scissors
- Small hole punch
- Tape
This project is rated EASY to do.
How To Make Animated Stick Puppets
Read all of the steps before starting.
- Step 1: Choose a pattern and print it
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Choose the puppets that you want to make. You can choose to make animated stick puppets for the play, The Defeat of Great Glooskap, or a fish puppet to go with the Stick Puppets.
Download the pattern and print it on white cardstock. If you don't have cardstock, print the pattern on white paper and glue it to cardboard - cereal box cardboard is fine.
Patterns are Adobe PDF files. The Adobe Reader is available for free.
All of Aunt Annie's project patterns are designed to be printed on standard letter size paper (8.5"x11" or A4). When printing from Adobe Reader you may need to select Auto-Rotate and Center or Choose paper source by PDF page size to ensure the best fit.
- Step 2: Color and Decorate
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If you chose to print a black and white pattern, color the puppets any way you like with crayons, markers or colored pencils.
You might also decorate the puppets with bits of colored paper or yarn for the hair, but you may want to wait to decorate the puppet until after you have cut it out.
- Step 3: Cut
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Cut out each puppet piece, taking care to cut neatly and accurately. Each puppet has two or three pieces.
If you printed on paper, a stronger puppet can be made by gluing it to cardboard. First do a rough cut and then glue the puppet to a piece of cardboard. After the glue dries finish cutting the puppet pieces.
- Step 4: Fasten Pieces Together
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Use paper fasteners to join the puppet pieces. With the tip of the scissors or a small hole punch, make holes where the X or O is marked on each piece. Put the parts together—aligning the holes you just made. Push the paper fastener from front to back and spread the fastener ends on the back side.
For the fish, be sure the body is in front of both the head and tail. For the people, be sure the arms are behind the bodies. You may want to tape the tips of the fasteners to keep them from moving.
- Step 5: Attach Sticks
Put the puppet face side down on the table. Tape skewers to the back of the puppet, tip up. For the fish, tape one near the nose and the other near the tail. For the people, tape one skewer to a leg and tape a skewer just above the elbow of each moveable arm.
The sticks can also be attached with a drop of white craft glue, but it will need to dry for a few hours or overnight.
Bamboo skewers are available in most grocery stores. Pick ones that are 10 or more inches (25 cm) long. Any other flat or narrow stick will also work.
- Step 6: Put on a Show
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To put on a show, you will also need a stage. Turn a card table on its side or put two chairs together and hang a towel or sheet from a stick across the tops.
You could also use a large box as a stage. Turn the box open side down, and cut away the center of one side.
Perform the play, The Defeat of Great Glooskap, or make up a story of you own.
Think of what your puppets will do. Where does your play take place? Is your play funny or dramatic? Rehearse your play a few times and then perform it for family and friends.
Before you start -
- Make a place to work.
- Read all the directions.
- Get everything you need to do the project.
- Think about the project. Imagine how it will look and what you will do with it.
Are you ready?
Okay, get started!!!
Puppet Play: A folktale from Algonquin Native Americans is presented in the play, The Defeat of Great Glooskap, accompanying these puppets.
Tip: Make two Wasis puppets — one happy and one crying.
Tip: Or make the happy Wasis and cut out a crying face and stick it over the happy face when needed.
Tip: To wiggle the tail, hold the face stick still while moving the tail stick or vice versa.