![[Childcare] Paper theater ideas to use in activities—great for filling small gaps and for birthday parties](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eg35gPAN0ng/sddefault.jpg)
Here are some ideas for “paper puppet shows,” a familiar activity in nursery schools and kindergartens!
A paper puppet show is basically a paper doll theater.
You draw characters and other illustrations on two pieces of thick paper, attach a stick between them, and twirl the stick as you perform.
You can use it during short breaks in childcare or as a play for events, and it’s also great for activities that spark interest in food or help children enjoy songs more—the possibilities are endless!
Once you make one, you can use it anytime, which is another nice perk.
Enjoy a variety of paper puppet shows together with the children.
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[Childcare] Paper puppet show ideas to use in activities. Also great for filling small gaps or birthday parties (1–10)
gluttonous ghost
This is a “gluttonous ghost” who opens the refrigerator and gobbles up everything inside, one after another.
When you open the fridge, there are lots of pockets filled with food, and the hungry ghost munches away.
Give hints like “something square and sweet,” and think together about what the ghost is eating as you go.
Choose items with clear silhouettes to put in the fridge so you can enjoy it like a quiz with the children.
It’s also great as an introduction to events like haunted houses or Halloween.
The Bento Bus
This is a paper puppet (peep-show) for “Obentō Bus,” where side dishes and rice for a lunch box board the bus together.
Hamburger steaks, fried shrimp, rice balls, cherry tomatoes, and even a mandarin for dessert get on the bus one after another.
Imagining all the lunchbox items is sure to get everyone excited and lively.
Many teachers likely already use the “Obentō Bus” song in their everyday childcare.
Making this as a new way to engage with the song will let the children enjoy it even more.
Why not prepare it as a fun activity to make use of short free moments during childcare?
What color do you like?
This is a paper puppet (papercraft) to go with the song “What Color Do You Like?” By drawing crayons on paper to represent different colors, you can sing it with any colors you choose.
Each puppet shows two colors, front and back, and you can add as many colors as you like.
At the end, during the “I like all the colors” part, you bring out all the crayons you’ve shown so far.
It’s more fun when there are lots of colors.
The song itself is very familiar, and many teachers probably use it in their classes.
It’s a paper puppet activity that lets you enjoy learning about colors.
The children might sing along, too.
a round egg
“Round Egg” is a paper puppet show that excites kids with the question, “What will come out of the egg?” As you sing, the egg splits cleanly in two, and different babies pop out.
It’s fun to guess and answer what might be inside based on the egg’s size and shape.
If you keep the tempo slow, children can watch carefully.
You can also add new motifs to match the children’s interests.
Try changing the egg’s colors and patterns to suit the animals that appear.
Manmaru-chan
This is a paper theater called “Manmaru-chan,” where lots of colorful circles appear.
The circles float along to the song.
The children guess what each circle represents, while little hints peek out from the back.
For an apple, for example, you can pop out a tiny stem to convey the idea.
You can have fun using various colors as long as the motif is round.
The kids will be excited, wondering, “What will come out next?” The hints get everyone chatting and guessing together, which really livens things up.
Konkonkushan
In “Konkon Kushan,” lots of animals appear and start sneezing.
Since the animals are sneezing, let’s put masks on all of them.
We’ll make masks tailored to their noses, beaks, and body sizes—like for elephants, cranes, hippos—and put them on whenever they sneeze.
There are many mask shapes, so you can enjoy it while excitedly wondering, “What kind of mask will come next?” Many teachers are probably already familiar with the song “Konkon Kushan” in their classes.
As a new way to enjoy the song, we also recommend introducing a paper puppet (peep-show) activity!
Balloon Song
This is a paper puppet show for the song “Balloon Song,” filled with lots of colorful balloons that are fun to look at.
A red balloon floats up softly, and when you flip it over, an apple appears.
Prepare animals or foods on the back of each balloon that match the balloon’s color.
Children will be excited to guess what will appear for each color.
The gentle, cute depiction of floating balloons makes this especially recommended for infants.
If you make it larger, you can also use it as an opening for events like birthday parties.