Kids craft : a dragon in cardboard


An all-activity craft : drawing, cutting, sticking and painting and at the end, a moving toy.

kids craft : moving dragon
Winged dragon, or maybe a lizard or snake, it's up to you...
You need :

  • Cardboard rolls (toilet paper or paper towel rolls)
  • brads
  • children's paint
  • sheets of thick colored paper for the legs and wings (unless you want to paint these as well)
kids craft : dragon design details

The different steps :
kids craft : step 1 Print the patterns. They've been reduced to a quarter of real size.You can print them out in the full page and let the computer do the work or resize them by plus 400% before printing.
kids craft : dragon's head and tail
The tail (top) and the head (bottom)
kids craft : dragon's legs and wings
Legs and wings

kids craft : Dragon body
Dragon body
Kids craft : step 2 Cut out each pattern
Transfer the patterns onto the cardboard rolls. On the rolls, trace the head and the tail once, and the body 5 to 7 times. Cut out with scissors.
Kids craft : step 3 Cut out the wings and legs in the thick colored paper. Mark the folds in the wings with a ruler.
Kids craft : step 4 Paint the head, body and tail : we've chosen 2 different colors for the back and belly.
Kids craft : step 5 Make holes, four for each body section (but remember, you only need two holes for the head) using a screwdriver or a punch.
Kids craft : step 6 Put the head, the body sections and the tail together using the brads. Make sure they overlap properly, all pointing the same way.
Kids craft : step 7 Glue on the legs and the wings. Then draw on the eyes, mean-looking or kind, you choose...