Last week I ran a shadow puppet making workshop in Malvern at a family holiday centre. The workshop was advertised for kids but all ages turned up – teenagers, adults and children some as young as four. Everyone joined in, either making puppets themselves or assisting others. The title, MONSTERS v ALIENS – Giant Shadow Puppets, was intended to inspire people’s imaginations and it certainly did that.

Unfortunately we only had two sessions (there were many other activities) as I’d liked to have developed a drama using the puppets. In schools I have used shadow puppets very effectively in Halloween celebrations, or to dramatize stories about Space, Underwater (ponds and oceans), Underground (caves) and so on. They work very well with music, songs and story telling. They can also be made by people of all ages and abilities and, once a screen and light-source have been obtained, can be made very cheaply.