Summer is over and I’m still catching my breath!
There were so many great things about this summer to reflect upon, but for now I’m focusing on a super cool backpack puppet that I built for Camp Half-Blood.
Camp Half-Blood is an active literary summer camp where mythological stories of gods and goddesses, monsters and heroes leap off the page and into camp adventures. Based on the Percy Jackson Chronicles (by Rick Riordan), the Camp Half-Blood team brings to life stories from the ancient world and uses them as a foundation to promote reading engagement and develop a love for storytelling and active play.
This was my first year working with (or hearing about!) Camp Half-Blood. I was blown away by the dedication of the entire team to create an epic adventure experience for each and every camper. I am thrilled by the role I could play in turning fantasy into reality and helping each little participant become the hero of their own story.
My role specifically with Camp Half-Blood was creating a large backpack puppet that could present as three different serpent gods: Jormungand, Ao Guang, and Apep. Jormungand originates from Norse mythology and is also called the Midgard Serpent. Ao Guang is a Chinese dragon king of Chaos, and Apep is an Egyptian deity who also embodied Chaos.
One of the greatest satisfactions in this job was answering questions of passerby in Prospect Park while camp was going on–questions like, “What is this for?” or “Are you shooting a movie?!” This little lady in particular was OBSESSED with the puppet I built. Here she is trying to feed him a leaf. So cute!
This backpack puppet was my biggest build yet and I’m so happy not only with the puppet itself, but the contribution it made to a summer adventure these kids will never forget!
Christina Puppets 