Stories are everywhere! Books, TV shows, and movies are all examples of stories, but did you know you can make your very own story with things you have at home? In this project, we’re going to walk you through the steps of making a character, picking their traits, and sharing their story with others! To do this, we’ll build a puppet from recycled materials. Then, we’ll write about the puppet we made. Finally, we’ll make a cool puppet show or a neat picture book to share our story with the world! This project could take place over an afternoon if you’re in a rush. If you want to make it last, you could work on it a little bit each day. (That would give all your beautiful painted and glued creations time to dry!) Ready to jump in? Start with Exercise 1 down below! |
EXERCISE 1: BUILDINg CHARACTER
Puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling. (There’s evidence of humans making puppets all the way back in 3000 BCE! ) In this project, you'll make your own puppet: either a paper roll doll or a paper roll marionette!
Marionettes are a special kind of puppet controlled by strings from above. Dolls, on the other hand, are controlled directly by your hand. There are lots of options in this section, so make take your time deciding what you’d like to do.
We’re going to be making our puppets from recycled materials and supplies you might have around your house. Let’s get building!
Marionettes are a special kind of puppet controlled by strings from above. Dolls, on the other hand, are controlled directly by your hand. There are lots of options in this section, so make take your time deciding what you’d like to do.
We’re going to be making our puppets from recycled materials and supplies you might have around your house. Let’s get building!
exercise 2: creating a story
Got your puppet built? Good! Now it’s time to name your puppet, discover their favorite things, and tell a story about them.
You may not have noticed it, but a lot of stories follow a similar structure. Beyond starting at the beginning and ending at the end, almost all stories include action, conflict, and resolution! If that sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. We’ll talk about each one of those things in this section.
You’ll need your favorite writing utensil for this section, as well as some good writing paper or a printer. Make sure to bring your creative thinking skills, too!
You may not have noticed it, but a lot of stories follow a similar structure. Beyond starting at the beginning and ending at the end, almost all stories include action, conflict, and resolution! If that sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. We’ll talk about each one of those things in this section.
You’ll need your favorite writing utensil for this section, as well as some good writing paper or a printer. Make sure to bring your creative thinking skills, too!
ABOUT The story telling team:
The story-telling team all met during Detroit Connections because they all had the same passion for story-telling and building characters. Being at home during quarantine is boring, but art makes time goes faster! ⏱ Let's meet our members!
LEILA
Favorite Color: Purple Favorite Character: C-3PO from Star Wars! |
JENNY
Favorite Color: Yellow Favorite Character: Mickey Mouse |
ERIN
Favorite Color: Blue maybe Favorite Character: Ponyo |
LAUREN
Favorite Color: Green Favorite Character: Spongebob Squarepants |