Unleash children's creative powers using the "What if Question" and shadow puppets to give them a way to create and perform a story of their own. We are all artists when we use the "What If Question to unlock our creativity." Debra, an artist with ten years of teaching experience, helps children to unlock their creative ideas and weave them into an exciting story.

First, shadow puppets are displayed and the students pick the ones they want to use for the characters A setting is created by using drawn overhead transparencies that are projected onto the back of the shadow screen. During the performance, the puppets will be pressed against the screen and interact with the scenery. Next we decide what the problem is, how that problem will be introduced and then solved. When the story is finished, the students come up and perform it for the rest of the group. This is an exciting time as they can see the immediate results of their own creativity.

Debra also teaches a puppet making workshop. She instructs the children to make their own puppets using simple shapes-the alphabet of the visual arts- square, rectangle, triangle, diamond, circle, oval. These simple shapes drawn on foam or paper create the puppet body and then hair, arms and legs are attached using paper fasteners. Details are created by cutting out shapes so that light can pass through the foam. These puppets are fun and full of whimsy.