Bible Story Playhouse
By Eileen Rife
Did you ever dream of stepping back into the pages of the Bible to Moses’ time? Of boarding the ark with Noah and his family? How about sharing a lunch with Jesus and the disciples by the Sea of Galilee?
Well, you can, in your imagination—easily, affordably, and creatively. For a fun after-school or weekend project, make a puppet stage that you can use again and again as you act out Bible stories with your friends.
First, ask your parents to help you find a large box at a local hardware, furniture, or appliance store. Often the stores will give away their used boxes free. Once you have your box at home, the fun begins.
Making Your Stage
This is how to make the stage:
- First, cut a window into your upright box.
- Hang some material (fabric) of your choice inside the window. When my family made our stage, we used duct tape to fasten the material to the inside of the box.
- Cut a door in the back so that you can enter and exit when doing your shows.
- Next, design a scene for the front and sides of your stage. We chose to paint a large tree, grass, and flowers on the front.
- Now your stage is ready for you to use.
Planning Your Play
- Sit down with your family or friends and decide which Bible story you want to reenact.
- Decide how many puppets and how many puppeteers you will need to act out the story.
- Then write a script for your actors.
The Puppet Actors
After your script is finished, you will need puppets. You can either purchase puppets or craft them out of old socks. Here is how to make sock puppets:
- Sew or glue buttons on for eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Glue yarn on the top of the sock for hair.
- Be careful not to leave small parts around that a small child could choke on. And do not let small children play with puppets made with small parts.
Performing Your Play
- Practice your script.
- When you are ready to perform, call in your friends and family to watch.
After you have made your stage, you and your family and friends will be able to act out any Bible story you want to. Have fun in the land of the Bible!
© 2006 Eileen Rife
Eileen Rife is an author who lives in Roanoke, Virginia.
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay