Hand shadow puppets are easy to do, are lots of fun and can be created just about anywhere. With a bit of practise, you will be able to treat friends and family to your very own puppet show.
All you need to make your own shadow puppets are your hands, a wall and a light source. A bedside lamp or table lamp works perfectly.
Put one hand between the light and the wall so that you can clearly see the shadow of your hand.
Then, simply by changing the shape of your hand, you can make animals, birds and other characters come to life.
Watch this video to see how, and learn how to create some simple shadow puppets.
More Hand Shadow Puppets
Once you get the idea, there are a whole lot of shadow puppets to discover. Plus you can always invent new ones.
Here is a chart showing lots of different animals to try.
Experiment by moving your hands closer and further away from the light source to create special effects.
There are also some very good books about how to make shadow puppets
Shadowgraphy
To give you an idea of what is possible with your hand shadow puppets, here is a video of an awesome show by "Unusualist" Raymond Crowe.
Using a screen, like Raymond does in the video, is called Shadowgraphy or Ombromanie.
Enjoy!
