Large Shadow Theater

Put on a shadow play using your own shadow and shadow puppets.

Print Activity

Materials

desk lamp with a 100-watt bulb (or either a slide projector or an overhead projector)
a large white sheet
2 chairs
4 large binder clips or tape
shadow puppets
objects that can be used to make shadows (blocks, books, cardboard, etc.)

Directions

Set up the Large Shadow Theater by draping a sheet across two chairs that are a few feet apart. Use binder clips or tape to attach the corners of the sheet to the top and bottom of each chair and make sure that the sheet is stretched tightly. Place the lamp behind the theater so that it shines through the sheet. Allow children to use their bodies, shadow puppets they’ve made, or any objects they find interesting to make shadows. Encourage them to tell stories with their shadows by putting on a play. They might want to put on a play inspired by:

a book they love
a fairy tale
superheroes
their favorite sport

© 2024 WGBH Educational Foundation. All rights reserved. Peep and the Big Wide World and the Peep characters and related indicia are trademarks of WGBH Educational Foundation. All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Used with permission. “Peep,” “Quack,” “Chirp,” “Tom” and “Nellie” were originally created by Kai Pindal for the National Film Board of Canada productions The Peep Show, © National Film Board of Canada, 1962, and Peep and the Big Wide World, © National Film Board of Canada, 1988. Peep and the Big Wide World ® is produced by WGBH and 9 Story Entertainment in association with TVOntario. Major funding for Peep and the Big Wide World is provided by the National Science Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1222607. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.