Our Circus Theatre Printable has been so much fun to play with. This week we used it to make a cardboard box into a puppet theatre. You can figure out so many fun ways to play with or without making the box theatre, but my girls thought it was so magical for this little box to transport them into another world. I made the box theatre without the girls because I was using a box cutter, then we made the puppets together. Here’s how I made it:
SUPPLIES
- Circus Theatre Printable
- Cardboard Box (large cereal box size, or at least 11×14 on one side)
- Tape
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Box Cutter
- Construction Paper
- Brad paper fasteners
- Small dowels or popsicle sticks
TO MAKE THE THEATRE:
Start by cutting out the 2 pieces of the proscenium (front of the theatre). Tape the backs together. Next get your cardboard box. We wrapped ours in packing paper to cover up all the labels and packing tape. Position your proscenium on the large side of the box.
Trace along the inner edge of the proscenium so you know where to cut. Remove the proscenium piece. Create the front of your stage by using your box cutter to cut the box along the line you traced. Cut along the bottom and remove the excess cardboard. We taped down any cardboard flaps on the inside. You may need to do a little taping on the inside to keep your box structurally sound.
Tape the striped red backdrop onto the back of the box inside the theatre. We printed 2 copies of the backdrop to fill the whole area. Reposition the proscenium onto the front of the box and tape it in place. We added some black construction paper to the front to cover any extra cardboard. Finally, cut a long rectangular slit in the top of the box for your puppets to drop in through.
TO MAKE THE PUPPETS:
These you can get creative with! Most of them we just cut out and taped thin dowel rods or popsicle sticks to the backs. For juggling clown we attached the ring of balls to the back of the clown using a brad, and then taped a popsicle stick to the clown and another to the ring of balls so that we could hold the clown still and spin the juggling balls. For the cyr wheel acrobat, we cut a square of extra cardstock and attached it to the back of the acrobat with a brad through the center. We taped a dowel to the square of cardstock so the acrobat could spin like a wheel.
For the trapeze ladies, we put popsicle sticks on the rings and bars, then bent the ladies’ legs at the knee so they could hook onto the rings and bars. All of the puppets are up to your imagination though! Your kiddos may be able to figure out other ways to make them move or fun tricks they can do.
Get this printable and start making your own Circus Theatre!
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