The shadow theater is widely practiced in the system of teacher education. Moreover, this type of art, as a rule, does not require sophisticated 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 theater of shadows as art originated in ancient China, in the era of the Han Dynasty. According to another version, the shadow theater was borrowed from the culture of ancient Egypt. The most common plot 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. For example, in India, shadow theater performances were more often oriented to religious themes, and in Turkey - to comedy.
In our country, the shadow theater appears at the turn of the 17-18 centuries, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. For example, its elements were used in school theaters in theological seminaries and academies.
The role of shadow theater in the development of children
Children's shadow theater is not just a kind of game for a child - it is an additional way of its development. Games with a shadow stimulate the imagination of the baby, develop his imagination. Obtaining certain characters here is possible, for example, by folding your fingers in a certain way. Accordingly, this provides additional opportunities for the development of manual dexterity of the child, the coordination of his movements.
At the same time, if we are talking about an early age, then the performance can be arranged by the baby's parents. Older children are already able to take part in the play themselves. For group activities it is also possible to use a shadow theater. In kindergarten, these activities are often used as exercises for the development of motor and speech of the child. And text accompaniment, in turn, stimulates the babies' speech culture.
Finger Shadow Theater
This type is the most common in working with babies. 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 opposite the center of the screen, a few meters from the wall so that the light hits 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 over a plywood frame.
A sheet fixed in the doorway is also suitable. Or you can install a simple screen, behind which a light source will be located. In this case, it is necessary to choose the right angle so that the shadow of the lead does not overlap the shadow of the hands. In addition, to enhance the effect in the room should be as dark as possible. By folding your fingers in a certain combination, you get the image of a character. Then it all depends on your imagination. To make your performance more entertaining, you can organize role-playing, include the appropriate background music, etc.
Used images
You can choose the most diverse silhouettes for the shadow theater, depending on the plot of your performance. It is better to start with simpler images, gradually complicating the combinations. The most common are animal silhouettes; also with the help of hands it is possible to depict human figures, plants and various objects. At the same time, you can give your child the opportunity to name 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: “A butterfly lives one day. Butterfly left wing - morning dawn. The right one is evening ”(S. Kozlov). Your performance will be more exciting if you use the characters to tell a fairy tale or a fable (in which there are a small number of heroes). For example, fables by I. A. Krylov are well suited.
Use of additional funds
If the performance is aimed at children of the older group of kindergarten, it is possible that the finger shadow theater will be less attractive to them. Still, this lesson is more suitable for kids. How to make the shadow theater more vivid and memorable? In this case, the use of additional funds is possible. So, for example, if we are talking about a performance in an educational institution, and not about a family home evening, it is better to use a real, professional screen.
Characters for the performance can be either ordinary dolls or silhouettes specially made from various materials. In this case, the material for cutting characters is better to choose black. Cut silhouettes are best attached to sticks. You can complicate the action using more fluid forms. So, for example, it can be articulated dolls moving with the help of special ropes.
Dolls manufacturing instruction
A sketch is made on thin cardboard, according to which the head of the future character is cut out. Using glue or a paper clip (you can also use a needle with a thread), a paper tube for the index finger is attached to the head - together they form the body of the doll. In turn, the middle and thumb of the puppeteer become the legs of the character. At the same time, it is better to make 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 the details, it is necessary to make punctures and thread in them pieces of wire that are twisted on two sides in a spiral. In order to make eyes for a doll, punctures are also made first, the holes of which are subsequently expanded by some pointed object (an awl, a knife, etc.). A circle cut out of a color transparent film is glued to the hole. Then the details of the doll are covered with black paint.
Character making example: baby elephant
Buttons can also be used to give mobility figures. Here is an example of making an elephant figurine for a performance:
- legs and body are cut out of cardboard according to the pattern;
- small holes are made at the attachment points of the first and second pairs of legs;
- fastening of pairs of legs is carried out due to the elastic band and buttons (the elastic band is inserted into the holes of the buttons, and its ends are passed through the legs and trunk of the elephant calf);
- on the reverse side, the structure is also fixed with buttons or with a piece of a match.
Thus, the elephant calf acquires a mobile connection, allowing to depict the movement of its legs during the performance.
Scene and scenery
If you use puppets in the play, you should decide on the scene on which the performance will take place. For example, it can be made from a large rectangular box: a large hole is cut out in it, which is then sealed with a white sheet of paper.
Also, the shadow theater looks more spectacular if you use the scenery. They can be cut out of paper and attached along the contour of the screen.
At the same time, it is important that, on the one hand, the scenery is clearly visible, and on the other hand, leave enough space for the characters in the center of the screen.
Thus, the shadow theater in 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 accompany both the process of preparing the performance, making characters and sets, and the plot of the play itself. An additional effect to the performance, of course, adds a curtain.