Visual Arts Planning: Toys, Puppets and Dolls

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Explore our collection of Toys, Puppets and Dolls resources.

Toys can provide an excellent and engaging subject matter, and one which helps nurture a strong sense of ownership within pupil’s artwork. The following resources might be useful in an exploration of toys.

Tell us what you are planning to cover or explore this term in your school or institution and we’ll recommend resources or learning approaches which we think might feed your teaching.

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Favourite Soft Toys

Drawing soft toys

Create continuous line drawing of toys, and use watercolour washes to help pupils describe form.

Drawing Toys by Torchlight

Drawing toys by torchlight

This resource explores how children can create illustrations based upon drawings of toys using charcoal and torchlight.

Drawing Stories

Drawing a story

In this resource single lines of descriptive text are used to inspire the creation of small “scenes” which the children build with toys.

Shakespearean Sock Puppets

How to make sock puppets

Shakespeare's Macbeth is used as inspiration for these puppets made from nylon socks and assorted fabrics.

Pop-Up Puppets

Pop up puppets

Inspired by the Historical painting 'Penelope and Her Suitors' Jan Miller shows how to make characterful puppets using a cone and stick pop-up technique.

Middle Eastern Shadow Puppets

Middle Eastern inspired shadow puppets

How a group of Year 4 children created shadow puppets inspired by Middle Easter architecture and devised a performance for the whole school.

Mixed Media Marionettes

Mixed media marionette

A workshop providing teenagers with the opportunity to re-engage with a playful, child-like sense of making and exploration of materials.

Shipwrecked! A Shadow Puppet Play

Making shadow puppets

Creating shadow puppets over an extended project, using simple tools and techniques.

Articulated Beasts

Creating imaginary paper beasts with movable joints

Young children use pliers, needles and wire to turn their contour drawings into wonderful, articulated beasts.

Animating Articulated Beasts

Animating puppets

Pupils work in pairs taking turns to be the photographer or the animator.

Wire and Paper Marionette

Making a marionette with wire and paper

In this simplified version of making a marionette, just the head and arms are attached to a cross bar.

Prop Making for Toys

Making steampunk robots

Pupils will be able to imagine and create a life and environment for their toy, inspired by the original 1970s series of Paddington Bear.

Drawing soft toys inspired by maurice sendak

Making steampunk robots

Pupils made drawings of toys focusing on mark making inspired by Maurice Sendak

animating puppets

Animating puppets

Bring your puppets to life! Use video, camera, apps and tablet devices to create story and animation.

Steampunk Robots

Making steampunk robots

Introducing the technique ‘kitbashing’. Kitbashing is the art of making a sculpture by taking bits out of broken plastic toys or using found and recycled objects.

Making A Treasure Box

Making a treasure box

A 10 year old girl recounts her experience constructing a treasure box filled with made objects.

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