Ni Hao, Kai-lan Puppet Theater

A Kai-lan live show at home featuring your child is just a few printables away. Just glue our backdrops to a shoe box, glue provided props in place, and the stage is ready for your stars!

Watch Kai-lan every day on Nick Jr.

This craft requires extra parent involvement and a watchful eye, because it may require sharp tools or intricate handiwork.

Explore with us learning encompasses diversity, global cultures and languages, local neighborhood and community, and family roles and traditions.

Create with us skills involve self-expression, experimentation, and imagination through visual arts (like painting and sculpting), dramatic play, cooking, and dance.

Share & Care skills are part of social-emotional learning and include: building self-esteem, cooperating, empathizing with others, and identifying feelings.

Ages: 4-6

View Kai-lan puppet theater photo #1 View Kai-lan puppet theater photo #2

Materials

Directions

Step 1: Print the Backdrops and Props
Print out <a href="kai-lan-theater-props.jhtml"> Kai-lan Puppet Theater Props</a> and multiple copies of <a href="kai-lan-theater-backgrounds.jhtml"> Kai-lan Puppet Theater Backgrounds</a> to decorate the inside of your shoe box. It would be perfect if the lid of your shoe box is attached to the box, because you can extend the "playground" or the set design outside the shoe box. If, in most of the cases, the lid is separate from the box, cut out the front panel of the lid and use tape to attach it to the open bottom of the shoe box.
Step 2: Set Design
Help your child cut out the woods scene to decorate the back and side walls. Cut out the grassland image for the bottom of the shoe box. Cut out and place as many props as you need. Use the photo as a guide. Instructions for lantern cutouts: Cut out the four strips of lanterns. Fold accordion style until you have a stack of folded lantern images. Cut through all layers at once along the top lantern's shape. When you are done, you'll get a string of lantern. Glue the first lantern to a side wall and the last lantern to the back wall or the ceiling and try various combination!
Step 3: Make the Puppets
Print <a href="kai-lan-theater-puppets.jhtml">Kai-lan Chinese New Year Puppet Theater Puppets</a> and help your child cut them out. Glue the front and back of the character cutouts together and fold the bottom tabs in opposite directions, as the template instructs.
Step 4: Put on a Show
Place the closed-up box toward the edge of a table. Open the lid to reveal the hidden land of Kai-lan, and it's time for the puppets to join the scene and play!

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2. Kai-lan Ladybug Clock
  
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3. Kai-lan Super Hearts Mobile
  
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5. Kai-lan Egg
  
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6. Kai-lan Hanging Lantern
  
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7. Chinese New Year Money Envelope
  
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9. Kai-lan Cookie Packaging
  
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11. Kai-lan Paper Lanterns
  
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12. Kai-lan No-Sew Scarf
  
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13. Tolee Face Painting
  
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14. Rintoo Face Painting
  
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15. Tolee Costume
  
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16. Kai-lan Paper Origami
  
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17. Kai-lan Beanbag Toss
  
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18. Rintoo Shoelace Covers
  
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19. Kai-lan Inhaler Case
  
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20. Kai-lan's Father's Day Pop-Up
  
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21. Kai-lan Mother's Day Card
  
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22. Kai-lan Juice Box Planters
  
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23. Rintoo Egg
  
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24. Kai-lan Tissue Box Train
  
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25. Tolee's Panda Bath Mitt
  
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26. Hoho Bath Mitt
  
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27. Kai-lan Pop-Up Valentine
  
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28. Kai-lan's Heart-Shaped Box
  
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29. Rintoo Valentine's Pillow
  
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30. YeYe Valentine's Pillow
  
  Give your heart and your love to someone special this Valentine's Day.