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Handwork for the Lively Arts includes those projects that are related in some way to one of the lively arts: drama, music, etc.
I/ Environments
Create environments into which the children can physically enter.
Ideas for environments:
A. Child-sized house, or Playhouse
B. Tower of Babel with cardboard boxes
C. Building a set, or making props for a play
II/ Puppets
Puppets may be used in puppet shows, or with less formal puppet play.
A. Stick Puppets
Draw the puppet on stiff paper or light cardboard. Then cut out the puppet. Attach the puppet to a “tongue depressor” (large wood craft stick) using hot melt glue. To see an example of such a puppet, made by a seven-year-old, click here.
B. Paper bag puppets
Sample project on this website (as shown in the photo below).
III/ Masks
Written instructions on how to make simple masks elsewhere on this website (as shown in the photos below).
You can make a simple mask by drawing the mask on cardstock, cutting it out, then attaching a string to tie the mask on your face. The difficult part is figuring out where the eyeholes should be. The link above has templates you can use to make masks, with eyeholes about the right distance apart.
Instead of tying the mask on, you can also mount the mask on a stick, as shown below. Use a piece of folded corrugated cardboard to make the stick. You can tape the tick on the mask.
