A SHOE BOX PUPPET THEATRE - EASY CRAFTS FOR KIDS

Craft supplies might be running low after being at home for the past couple of months but this easy craft for kids doesn't require any complicated materials and can pretty much be adjusted to whatever you can lay your hands on.

The main thing that you need for this DIY puppet theatre is a shoe box but you could even substitute it for a cereal box should you not have one handy. And once you've helped with the initial cutting, it's a craft that most children will be able to get on with by themselves with minimum input from a parent.

Let's get started!

HOW TO CREATE A PUPPET THEATRE WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS

The first thing that you need to do is cut a whole at the top of your shoe box for the puppets to be controlled through. It should run almost the length and width of the box so the puppets can be moved backwards and forwards and side to side across the 'stage'. Once this has been completed, it's time to pass the box to your child for painting.

You can opt for whatever theme you like. In this example, we recreated a sunny day in the garden with bright blue skies, green grass and a colourful rainbow cut from a separate piece of paper and glued in place.

To add a 3D element, why not cut out some clouds and suspend them from the top of the box using short lengths of string and sticky tape. Or add long grass for the puppets to 'run through' using a length of green card snipped to mimic blades of grass and then stuck in to place.

MAKE WOODLAND ANIMALS FROM CARDBOARD TUBES

Use our cute printable - along with two cardboard tubes - to make these friendly woodland characters to star in the puppet show. Glue or sticky tape a wooden skewer to the inside of each roll (old diffuser reeds also work a treat - they're really handy to keep for crafts).

PICK THE PERFECT PLACE TO PUT ON A PUPPET SHOW

Pop your puppet theatre on top of a stool or crate, throw a picnic blanket on the floor, and invite some friends round to watch the show. It's the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in the garden.