Putting on your puppet show
Combine puppets, a stage, a script and a troupe of little actors and you're ready to entertain. Puppet shows in your own puppet theater or puppet stage are great ways way to let your children act out imaginative stories that have no bounds. And there are script ideas and
possibilities all around you every day.
These puppet sets come with scripts so you can start the performance right away.
Creating your own puppet show scripts!
Creating your own puppet show scripts!
The
easiest way to put on a puppet show is to use a pre-recorded script, such as an old radio show, comedy routine from TV or a movie. Saturday Night Live and Monty Python are full of great ones. Some classic old comedy routines, such as the 3 Stooges, Marx Brothers and Abbot and Costello, for example, are still funny to children and wonderful to see children act out with puppets. The children down even have to read lines, but just pantomime along with the dialog.
And there are intact, ready-to-perform scripts out there. The Internet is full of comedy routines already in script form, if you just do a little looking. Here are some classics that we found. And most can be done with any puppets you have on hand - people, animals, whatever!
And don't forget duets and multiple-part songs and comedy songs. Think of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, 12 days of Christmas and other holiday songs and so on. The Muppet Show used to do wonderful things with these.
And of course, you can always write your own scripts.
Maybe there's a real experience you or the children had fun with that you want to relive. Or there could be a lesson you want to share - about sharing,
or getting along, or shaking the boredom of a rainy day.
These can be turned into scripts as simple or as complex as you want, with as many characters as you feel like casting. You can even do quick wardrobe changes of your own on your own puppets.
And don't forget the world of literature that can adapt easily to simple puppet shows. Depending on their ages, you can do it for them or coach them in how to simplify and convert their favorite fable, fairy tale, nursery rhyme, children's book, and even scenes from movies or TV shows to puppet show scripts. Here are a few pages of stories you can adapt to scripts.
Write out the dialogue and indicate which child does which part. Or let them read right from the books, and use Post-Its to show who speaks where.
Puppets can sing, dance, fly through space and make an audience laugh or cry.
With your child as the puppet master, you'll be amazed at what can happen!
Check out our selection of different sets of people and animal puppets that provide a wonderful cast of characters for a wide range of story possibilities.
An easily accessible place to stage a production is a wonderful child development opportunity.
Here's a free sample script adapted from an Aesop's Fable you can copy and print.
GENERAL STAGE DIRECTIONS FOR PUPPET SHOWS
Here are some suggestions to make your puppet productions more enjoyable for your audiences.
VOICES: Let the children make up a character voice they think suits the puppet. It could be a specific character from movies or TV that suits the part, such as the Cowardly Lion from the "Wizard of Oz," Mickey Mouse's high falsetto, and so on.
TALKING: With moving-mouth puppets, the natural tendency is to SHUT the mouth with each syllable. But people do the opposite, and so should puppets. It may take practice, but try to get the children to OPEN the puppet's mouth with each syllable.
And don't overdo it with big flapping mouth movements, unless the puppet character is yelling. Subtle movements that open the mouth just slightly on each sylable are more realistic and more convincing.
WALKING: To simulate walking and running, don't let the children merely slide the puppets across the stage, but do small "step-size" bounces to represent each step.
BODY LANGUAGE: Show your children how to use pauses and body moves as part of their acting. Sometimes a hesitation plays as good as a spoken line. For example, when lion puts his paw on the mouse to stop him, the mouse could freeze, pause, say his "oops" line, slowly turn and do a quick startled shake.
Help the children develop their own "body language" moves. Paul Winchell, the great puppeteer and ventriloquist, was a master of the slow turn. Think of all the other ventriloquists and puppeteers you've seen. Animated cartoons use the same techniques.
GENDER NOTE: In adapting these scripts, we've referred to the animal characters in the neuter "it," because we don't know if you're going to have boys or girls playing the part. (Aesop seemed to assume all animals were male.) You may substitute "him" and "her" as you wish.
READY-TO-PERFORM SKITS ON THE INTERNET IN SCRIPT FORM
Parents - While these are not adult-rated shows, you might want to edit a little of the "harshness" for small children.
Many of the Marx Brothers' routines, from their vaudeville days through the movies. Look through the links on the left.
We don't know who wrote this, but this "Shakespeare & Editor" is a great two-person show for older children. What would have happened if Shakespeare had a editor that didn't get it?
These Rugrats scripts work really well with animal puppets doing the different parts.
Saturday Night Live had lots of skits that could be adapted with a little imagination. This link has a set of transcripts by season.
Classic radio programs were usually small casts with simple skits and humor that adapts easily to puppet shows.
Here's a list of hundreds of TV program scripts that can be adapted for casts ol all sizes.
OTHER STORIES YOU CAN ADAPT TO SCRIPTS.
FREE PUPPET SHOW SCRIPT
A Creativity Institute Adaptation for the Puppet Stage
SCRIPT USES TWO PUPPETS: A LION AND A MOUSE. WHEN THE SCENE OPENS, THE LION IS ASLEEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF STAGE. (LION IS
LEANING SO ITS HEAD IS RESTING ON THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. THE LION SHOULD FACE SUCH ITS OPEN EYES THAT DO NOT SHOW.)
(DIRECTOR'S HINT: LET THE LION ACTOR MAKE SNORING SOUND EFFECTS, EVEN COMICAL SNORING, UNTIL THE LION AWAKES.)
NARRATOR: A long time ago in a forest far, far away, lived a great Lion. One day, when the Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon it.
MOUSE ENTERS AND RUNS UP AND DOWN THE LION. (MOUSE PUPPET MAKES LITTLE BOUNCE STEPS FROM ONE SIDE OF THE RESTING LION TO THE OTHER.)
MOUSE: Hey, Look at me! I'm running up and down on a Lion. Weeeeee! I'm so brave. Weeeeeeeee!
NARRATOR: This soon wakened the Lion, who jumped upon the Mouse.
THIS LAST TIME THE MOUSE CROSSES OVER THE LION, THE LION STRAIGHTENS ITSELF UPRIGHT AND MOVES NEXT TO THE MOUSE, FACING IT, AS IF "CATCHING IT."
LION: Excuse me?
MOUSE, FREEZES, LOOKING STRAIGHT AT THE AUDIENCE, NOT THE LION: Oops. That's not good.
MOUSE SLOWLY TURNS TO FACE THE LION AND SCREAMS WITH FRIGHT: Ahgggggg!
NARRATOR: And then the Lion opened its big mouth to swallow the Mouse.
LION OPENS MOUTH AND SLOWLY MOVES TOWARD THE MOUSE.
MOUSE (FACING THE LION, SOUNDING SCARED): Oh, Pardon me, O King of Beasts, O great and powerful Lion, uh, Sir, Uh, Sirloin. Uh, Sir Lion. Pleeeeease forgive me this time and I shall never forget it. Who knows, but I may be able to do you a favor one of these days!
WHILE THE NARRATOR SPEAKS, THE LION TURNS TO THE AUDIENCE, AS IF THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE MOUSE SAID.
NARRATOR: The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help, that the Lion let the Mouse go.
LION: Mouse, you tickle me. I think I'll let you go. I don't think you'd be much of a meal anyway.
LION LETS THE MOUSE GO AND THE MOUSE BACKS OFF STAGE, BOWING TOWARD THE LION AND THANKING IT OVER AND OVER.
MOUSE: Oh, thank you, Sir Lion. Thank you, thank you.
WHEN THE MOUSE IS GONE, THE LION LEAVES THE STAGE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
NARRATOR: Some time later, the Lion was caught in a trap. And the hunters who caught it tied it up and left it alone while they went off to find a wagon to use to bring it to the King.
(AS SOON AS THE LION IS OFF-STAGE, LOOSELY WRAP SOME THIN ROPE OR TWINE AROUND IT TWO OR THREE TIMES TO INDICATE ITS HAVING BEEN CAPTURED BY THE HUNTERS. LEAVE THE ROPE LOOSE ENOUGH THAT THE MOUSE CAN EASILY REMOVE IT DURING THE SCENE.)
THE TIED-UP LION ENTERS, STUMBLING AND STRUGGLING WITH THE ROPE WOUND AROUND IT.
LION: Help! Help! Somebody get me out of this! Help!
NARRATOR: Just then, the same little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight of the Lion, went up to it.
MOUSE: Don't I know you?
LION: Please help me before the hunters return.
MOUSE: I was going to ask you to play, but looks like you're tied up.
(MOUSE COULD HAM UP THIS LINE BY TURNING TO THE AUDIENCE AND OPENING ITS MOUTH AS IF SILENTLY LAUGHING.)
LION: Please, help me before the hunters return. Help me get loose.
MOUSE LOOSENS THE STRING ON THE LION.
NARRATOR: So the mouse gnawed away and loosened the ropes that bound the Lion and set it free.
WHEN THE LION IS FREE, THE TWO STEP BACK AND FACE EACH OTHER.
MOUSE: Well, wasn't I right? Huh, huh? I did you a favor in return, just like I told you I would.
LION: You sure did, little buddy. How about an ice cream? My treat.
MOUSE: Sounds good to me.
THE TWO PUPPETS PUT AN ARM AROUND EACH OTHER AND EXIT TOGETHER.
MOUSE: You like Chunky Monkey?
NARRATOR: And the morale to the story is that even little friends may prove great friends.
CURTAIN
©2005 The Creativity Institute www.creativityinstitute.com
stage, a script and a troupe of little actors and you're ready to entertain. Puppet shows in your own puppet theater or puppet stage are great ways way to let your children act out imaginative stories that have no bounds. And there are script ideas and possibilities all around you every day.
Creating your own puppet show scripts!
The
easiest way to put on a puppet show is to use a pre-recorded script, such as an old radio show, comedy routine from TV or a movie. Saturday Night Live and Monty Python are full of great ones. Some classic old comedy routines, such as the 3 Stooges, Marx Brothers and Abbot and Costello, for example, are still funny to children and wonderful to see children act out with puppets. The children down even have to read lines, but just pantomime along with the dialog.
And there are intact, ready-to-perform scripts out there. The Internet is full of comedy routines already in script form, if you just do a little looking. Here are some classics that we found. And most can be done with any puppets you have on hand - people, animals, whatever!
And don't forget duets and multiple-part songs and comedy songs. Think of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, 12 days of Christmas and other holiday songs and so on. The Muppet Show used to do wonderful things with these.
And of course, you can always write your own scripts.
Maybe there's a real experience you or the children had fun with that you want to relive. Or there could be a lesson you want to share - about sharing,
or getting along, or shaking the boredom of a rainy day.
These can be turned into scripts as simple or as complex as you want, with as many characters as you feel like casting. You can even do quick wardrobe changes of your own on your own puppets.
And don't forget the world of literature that can adapt easily to simple puppet shows. Depending on their ages, you can do it for them or coach them in how to simplify and convert their favorite fable, fairy tale, nursery rhyme, children's book, and even scenes from movies or TV shows to puppet show scripts. Here are a few pages of stories you can adapt to scripts.
Write out the dialogue and indicate which child does which part. Or let them read right from the books, and use Post-Its to show who speaks where.
Puppets can sing, dance, fly through space and make an audience laugh or cry.
Our table top, floor model puppet stages and theaters and theater tents are the perfect places to stage the performance- ALL WITH FREE SHIPPING!
With your child as the puppet master, you'll be amazed at what can happen!
Check out our selection of different sets of people and animal puppets that provide a wonderful cast of characters for a wide range of story possibilities.
An easily accessible place to stage a production is a wonderful child development opportunity.
Here's a free sample script adapted from an Aesop's Fable you can copy and print.
Back to top
GENERAL STAGE DIRECTIONS FOR PUPPET SHOWS
Here are some suggestions to make your puppet productions more enjoyable for your audiences.
VOICES: Let the children make up a character voice they think suits the puppet. It could be a specific character from movies or TV that suits the part, such as the Cowardly Lion from the "Wizard of Oz," Mickey Mouse's high falsetto, and so on.
TALKING: With moving-mouth puppets, the natural tendency is to SHUT the mouth with each syllable. But people do the opposite, and so should puppets. It may take practice, but try to get the children to OPEN the puppet's mouth with each syllable.
WALKING: To simulate walking and running, don't let the children merely slide the puppets across the stage, but do small "step-size" bounces to represent each step.
BODY LANGUAGE: Show your children how to use pauses and body moves as part of their acting. Sometimes a hesitation plays as good as a spoken line. For example, when lion puts his paw on the mouse to stop him, the mouse could freeze, pause, say his "oops" line, slowly turn and do a quick startled shake.
Help the children develop their own "body language" moves. Paul Winchell, the great puppeteer and ventriloquist, was a master of the slow turn. Think of all the other ventriloquists and puppeteers you've seen. Animated cartoons use the same techniques.
GENDER NOTE: In adapting these scripts, we've referred to the animal characters in the neuter "it," because we don't know if you're gong to have boys or girls playing the part. (Aesop seemed to assume all animals were male.) You may substitute "him" and "her" as you wish.
Back to top
READY-TO-PERFORM SKITS ON THE INTERNET IN SCRIPT FORM
Parents - While these are not adult-rated shows, you might want to edit a little of the "harshness" for small children.
Abbott and Costello's classic "Who's on First" two-person routine is still as funny today as it was when it was first broadcast over 60 years ago.
Here's a great site for Marx Brothersroutines, from their vaudeville days through the movies. Look through the links on the left.
Monty Pythonhas some great two, three and four-person routines. "The Argument Clinic" is a classic.
Another funny, but a bit gross, Monty Python routine is the "Four Yorkshiremen," each trying to make themselves seem the more pitiful.
And here's an incredible full collection of dozens of Monty Python scripts, alphabetically.
We don't know who wrote this, but this "Shakespeare & Editor" is a great two-person show for older children. What would have happened if Shakespeare had a editor that didn't get it?
This extensive list of Animaniac segments has songs and skits that can be adapted for your cast. And here are some more complete Animaniac episodes.
These Rugrats scriptswork really well with animal puppets doing the different parts.
The Muppet Show's Veterinarian's Hospital skits have some of their scripts transcribed here. They adapt easily to small puppet show casts.
Saturday Night Live had lots of skits that could be adapted with a little imagination. This link has a set of transcripts by season.
Classic radio programs were usually small casts with simple skits and humor that adapts easily to puppet shows.
Here's a list of hundreds of TV program scripts that can be adapted for casts ol all sizes.
More classic TV, film and radio scripts that adapt to puppet shows, even with all animal casts.
Back to top
OTHER STORIES YOU CAN ADAPT TO SCRIPTS.
Indexes of original author Aaron Shepard's books, stories, and scripts. By age level, country or region, ethnic group, holiday, religion, or other criteria.
Child read-along storiesyou can adapt from ABC Toon Center.
A giant collection of fables, fairy tales and more that you can adapt.
Back to top
FREE PUPPET SHOW SCRIPT
A Creativity Institute Adaptation for the Puppet Stage
SCRIPT USES TWO PUPPETS: A LION AND A MOUSE. WHEN THE SCENE OPENS, THE LION IS ASLEEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF STAGE. (LION IS
LEANING SO ITS HEAD IS RESTING ON THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. THE LION SHOULD FACE SUCH ITS OPEN EYES THAT DO NOT SHOW.)
(DIRECTOR'S HINT: LET THE LION ACTOR MAKE SNORING SOUND EFFECTS, EVEN COMICAL SNORING, UNTIL THE LION AWAKES.)
NARRATOR: A long time ago in a forest far, far away, lived a great Lion. One day, when the Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon it.
MOUSE ENTERS AND RUNS UP AND DOWN THE LION. (MOUSE PUPPET MAKES LITTLE BOUNCE STEPS FROM ONE SIDE OF THE RESTING LION TO THE OTHER.)
MOUSE: Hey, Look at me! I'm running up and down on a Lion. Weeeeee! I'm so brave. Weeeeeeeee!
NARRATOR: This soon wakened the Lion, who jumped upon the Mouse.
THIS LAST TIME THE MOUSE CROSSES OVER THE LION, THE LION STRAIGHTENS ITSELF UPRIGHT AND MOVES NEXT TO THE MOUSE, FACING IT, AS IF "CATCHING IT."
LION: Excuse me?
MOUSE, FREEZES, LOOKING STRAIGHT AT THE AUDIENCE, NOT THE LION: Oops. That's not good.
MOUSE SLOWLY TURNS TO FACE THE LION AND SCREAMS WITH FRIGHT: Ahgggggg!
NARRATOR: And then the Lion opened its big mouth to swallow the Mouse.
LION OPENS MOUTH AND SLOWLY MOVES TOWARD THE MOUSE.
MOUSE (FACING THE LION, SOUNDING SCARED): Oh, Pardon me, O King of Beasts, O great and powerful Lion, uh, Sir, Uh, Sirloin. Uh, Sir Lion. Pleeeeease forgive me this time and I shall never forget it. Who knows, but I may be able to do you a favor one of these days!
WHILE THE NARRATOR SPEAKS, THE LION TURNS TO THE AUDIENCE, AS IF THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE MOUSE SAID.
NARRATOR: The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help, that the Lion let the Mouse go.
LION: Mouse, you tickle me. I think I'll let you go. I don't think you'd be much of a meal anyway.
LION LETS THE MOUSE GO AND THE MOUSE BACKS OFF STAGE, BOWING TOWARD THE LION AND THANKING IT OVER AND OVER.
MOUSE: Oh, thank you, Sir Lion. Thank you, thank you.
WHEN THE MOUSE IS GONE, THE LION LEAVES THE STAGE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
NARRATOR: Some time later, the Lion was caught in a trap. And the hunters who caught it tied it up and left it alone while they went off to find a wagon to use to bring it to the King.
(AS SOON AS THE LION IS OFF-STAGE, LOOSELY WRAP SOME THIN ROPE OR TWINE AROUND IT TWO OR THREE TIMES TO INDICATE ITS HAVING BEEN CAPTURED BY THE HUNTERS. LEAVE THE ROPE LOOSE ENOUGH THAT THE MOUSE CAN EASILY REMOVE IT DURING THE SCENE.)
THE TIED-UP LION ENTERS, STUMBLING AND STRUGGLING WITH THE ROPE WOUND AROUND IT.
LION: Help! Help! Somebody get me out of this! Help!
NARRATOR: Just then, the same little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight of the Lion, went up to it.
MOUSE: Don't I know you?
LION: Please help me before the hunters return.
MOUSE: I was going to ask you to play, but looks like you're tied up.
(MOUSE COULD HAM UP THIS LINE BY TURNING TO THE AUDIENCE AND OPENING ITS MOUTH AS IF SILENTLY LAUGHING.)
LION: Please, help me before the hunters return. Help me get loose.
MOUSE LOOSENS THE STRING ON THE LION.
NARRATOR: So the mouse gnawed away and loosened the ropes that bound the Lion and set it free.
WHEN THE LION IS FREE, THE TWO STEP BACK AND FACE EACH OTHER.
MOUSE: Well, wasn't I right? Huh, huh? I did you a favor in return, just like I told you I would.
LION: You sure did, little buddy. How about an ice cream? My treat.
MOUSE: Sounds good to me.
THE TWO PUPPETS PUT AN ARM AROUND EACH OTHER AND EXIT TOGETHER.
MOUSE: You like Chunky Monkey?
NARRATOR: And the morale to the story is that even little friends may prove great friends.
CURTAIN
©2005 The Creativity Institute www.creativityinstitute.com
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MORE ON CHILD CREATIVITY
Make your child
more creative for life.
Every child has creative ability just waiting to be tapped. Even infants have budding creative potential. The right educational toys can bring it out. and let children enjoy the benefits of creative pursuits at many levels.
Infants, toddlers, preschoolers,early school age and older school age children all delight in opportunities for creative expression through colors, shapes and sounds.
At The Creativity Institute, we handpick each infant educational toy, every creative plaything, each piece of furniture and every toy musical instrument based on its potential for developing vital creative resources in your child.
Toy pianos, oversized foam building blocks, puppet theaters and puppet stages and people and animal hand puppets,art supplies and children's easels, play tents and more. The scale and durability of many of these toys make them perfect for classrooms, homeschool, day care centers and waiting rooms, too. The benefits of nurturing creativity can be profound, offering children tools for success in all endeavors athletic, artistic or academic. Let your baby begin now.