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How to Make a Parrot Hand Shadow Puppet

A hand shadow puppet can provide entertainment during slumber parties, camping trips or when trying to get kids to go to sleep. Hand shadow puppets appear as shadows and are meant to look like animals. A parrot is a simple hand shadow puppet to create after you have the skill down and have practiced the technique. One of the benefits of creating hand shadow puppets as opposed to tangible puppets is that you do not need craft materials or costly stage setups to make them.

Things You'll Need

  • Wall
  • Spotlight
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Instructions

    • 1

      Raise the left hand in front of the spotlight. Hold the hand straight, keeping a flat wrist. Place the thumb in between the index and middle fingers. This becomes the body of the parrot, with the head being the index finger.

    • 2

      Raise the right hand toward the bottom of the left hand, and hold the two arms upright. This will make a shadow branch for the parrot to perch on. Place the right thumb against the inside of the left wrist. The thumb should sit flush against the wrist. The wrist of the left hand should fit in the space between the thumb and the first finger.

    • 3

      Fan the first, middle, fourth and fifth fingers of the right hand out to create the feathery tail. Hold the hand at a slanted angle so the first finger is highest and the pinky finger is at the lowest of the slanted angle. You can also keep the fingers together to make pairs -- the first and middle fingers together, and the fourth and fifth fingers together -- which is another way to make the feathered tail in the shadows.

    • 4

      Move the left hand by bending the wrist. This will make it look like the parrot is nodding its head or eating food. Move the fingers of the right hand to make it appear as though the parrot is moving its tail.

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