Rob was getting bored. He switched on the television to watch a cartoon or two.
As soon as Keira finished her homework, she grabbed her mom’s iPad to play a newly downloaded fun game of Fruit Ninja.
Shaun was excited. He was going to a nearby gaming zone with his father.
These days if you are getting bored, there are so many ways to entertain yourselves. In ancient times the technology was not so advanced and people had fewer ways to entertain themselves. Puppetry was one of the best ways to do so.
Ancient Greek terracotta puppet dolls belonging to 500 BC have been discovered. Bunraku Puppets, created in Japan thousands of years ago are type of wood-carved puppets. These puppets are life size and operated by people dressed in all black which adds to the curiosity. Have a look at a musical Bunraku Puppet show:
Another ancient form of puppetry that is famous in Asia is the water puppets. Never heard of it? Not a surprise. While they are not very popular outside Vietnam, they are really very entertaining. Dating back to 10th century, when the rice fields would flood, and villagers would have nothing much to do, they entertained themselves with water puppets. The wooden puppets, controlled by rods under the water, were made to perform in a pool of water.
The most common puppets around the world are probably the “string puppets” where dolls are suspended and controlled by a number of strings. They are also known as Marionettes.
Also seen very often in carnivals or parades are body puppets that are size of a human and often much larger.
Ever heard about ventriloquists? A Ventriloquist is a person who can speak or utter sounds so that they seem to come from somewhere else. Often ventriloquists have a puppet, also known as Ventriloquist’s Dummy that is operated by them in a way that makes the audience feel that the puppet is talking!! You have to see to believe it!!
Black Light Puppets are the glow in the dark puppets. The stage in this case is lit up only with ultraviolet lighting that highlights only the puppets and nothing else around. It quite a spectacle to watch.
There are some puppets you can easily make at home. Shadow puppets are easy breezy. All you have to do is cast fascinating shadows made by your hands on the wall and weave a story. C’mon click here to know more about it!!
There is another way of making interesting puppets at home. For that you need a sock that has lost its partner? Or a glove?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMKKwcq96NM
So what are you waiting for leave the iPad, get your friends and have a puppet show.
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