Paper mache hand puppets - grade 5/6

Here is another amazing project I picked up in Iceland! While I was visiting the art teacher, she showed me a collection of elaborate paper mache heads. She showed me the technique that she had used, and I tried my best to recreate it with my grade 5/6 class. Here's a photo from the Icelandic artroom:

Below is the steps I used:

1. Using a Styrofoam ball as a base, build the features of your puppet using plasticine. Cover your shape with paper mache. 

2. When dry, cut a hole in the bottom of your head.

3. Carefully cut around the head (you'll fix it later.) Remove the Styrofoam ball (this is kinda tricky, but my kids were able to do it!)

4. Re-paper mache your head back together. The paste will act as a glue. Don't cover the bottom hole that you've made.

5. Allow your newly reconstructed head to dry.

6. Paint your head!

When they finished, we used fabric to make costumes. I had considered sewing them, but we ended up just hot glue gunning the fabric together (impossible to navigate 34 kids with 1 sewing machine.) They've literally probably put over 10 hours into the construction of these puppets. I am so, so proud of their work.

We are currently studying to do a play for literacy - students are working in groups, and have been practicing for weeks. The puppets that they made are based on their plays. I am going to feature each group on my blog, as they really all deserve to be on here (this means there will be about 5 more puppet posts in the next week or two!) This is the first group I'll highlight - L'herbe est toujours plus verte, et ne reveillez pas le chien qui dort (just a note - the sheep has been sick for a week, but when she has her puppet done, I'll get her up here!)

Plaster of paris finger puppets - grade 4/5

Back in March, I went to Iceland for Spring Break (my unfinished blog can be found here.) I had a chance to spend an afternoon at Vesturbaejarskoli, an elementary school in downtown Reykjavik. The teacher I visited with introduced me to the school's art teacher, who showed me some amazing projects. She showed me some finger puppets using plaster bandages (I had never even heard of these - she gave me a roll to take home so that I could find them in a craft store!) I took a picture of her project (below) and used her instructions to create my own finger puppets with a grade 4/5 class.

Here is my Canadian attempt at plaster finger puppets!

During the first class, students wrapped each others fingers using pre-cut plaster bandages (purchased at a craft store, very easy to find!) I meant to coat their fingers with hand cream first, but even though I forgot, the bandages came off very easily. We let them dry around 5 minutes on the fingers, then slid them off to harden.

For the rest of the period, students worked on their planning sheet. They had to plan how they would paint/draw their finger puppet - 2 different ideas, so they had a choice the next time they came. 

 When students came back 2 weeks later, the finger forms were rock hard, the plans were ready to go, and the students had nothing to do but paint! I asked them to sketch out their drawing on their finger mold using pencil crayons, which made it so much easier when they started painting. There really isn't much more to it - once they were done painting, their puppets were ready to go!

If you look at the finger mold above, you can see the plan sketched out.

Love the way these turned out! Thanks again to the teacher in Iceland who showed this one to me!