How to make a Chinese dragon puppet

As part of our study of China, we decided to make a Chinese Dragon, because why do geography lessons have to be just books? Why not a fun Chinese dragon craft to finish off our China Unit.  China believes that dragons are good luck, so you can find Chinese Dragons everywhere, particularly during Chinese New Year.

Future Ticia 2022 2023 is updating this super old post, wow, it’s almost 13 years old. Sadly I don’t have the originals of the pictures to give you a nice pretty picture of the craft, so you’re stuck with what I have.

(there are affiliate links in here)

Chinese Dragon Puppet supplies

egg carton (I recommend cardboard egg cartons because the paint will stick better, also you can construct two puppets from a dozen egg container), construction paper, paint, yarn, hole punch, tissue paper, glue, scissors, crayons

How to make a Chinese dragon puppet

1.  Cut your egg carton off with 4 of the egg holes.  Also, cut off 2 of the segments to make the eyes.
Now cut apart the top and bottom of the carton.  This lets you use it as a puppet. Future Ticia 2022 2023 (It’s January 2, I have not gotten this through my head yet) shakes her head at Past Ticia 2010 With no pictures like this. I no longer buy eggs by the dozen, so I may need to buy a carton just for the pictures, much to my husband’s frustration. You would not believe how long it took me to train myself to take pictures of each step, rather than a picture after the step was done.

2.  Paint your egg cartons.  Of course, this requires insanely large amounts of paint and colors.

3.  From the construction paper cut out and glue on flames, or whatever cool shape you want.

4.  Glue on the eyes.  I used markers to draw eyes in the middle.  I think the boys did more paint.

Hmmm, I have no clue how Superman got the injury on his chin.

5.  Punch a hole about an inch in on both sides on the top and bottom. Cut a piece of string about six inches long, and feed it through both holes.  Then tie it off.  This will let your kids use it as a puppet when it’s all dried.

6.  Cut a piece of tissue paper in half, and then glue it around the top of this.  This step is rather tricky and is a “Mommy step,” unless your kids are much older and more careful than mine.

Then have an awesome Chinese dragon flight.

Hey Future Ticia 2023 (I remembered to say 2023 on the first try) wanted to let you know I have a whole Asia unit where all of our Asian country studies are.

Some more early elementary learning ideas

These are all lessons we completed in first or second grade, or maybe even a preschool lesson or two.

• Thomas Edison lesson
• Green Eggs and Ham math lesson
• How to make an apple pie and see the world lesson
• How to dye fabrics history lesson (repeated in high school)
• Colonial games and pastimes (repeated in middle school)
• Battle of Baltimore (where the Star Spangled Banner came from)