A First Hand Shadow Lesson

Instructions

1. Warm up before you turn on the light: Open and close the fingers, then repeat with just the fingers while keeping the thumbs out of the way.
2. Lock in the thumbs-up setup: Many of the first shapes start with both thumbs up, fingers closed, and the hands crossing toward each other.
3. Practice the four crossover shapes: Use that setup to make a butterfly, bird, spider, and crab before you worry about faster transitions.
4. Train finger independence: Hold three fingers still and practice moving just the little finger so the dog's mouth can open and close cleanly.
5. Stretch the shadows away from your body: Push the arms forward so your own silhouette does not block the bird, horse, or other larger shapes.
6. Finish with the first animal set: From there, practice the dog, then bring both hands together for a horse, unicorn, and crocodile.

This lesson is especially useful if you want one source that mixes warm-up drills, hand position basics, and a first set of starter animals.