Teach your child about the Chinese New Year with this fun arts and crafts project. When she's all done putting the dragon head together, she can show it off by parading around your neighborhood, and she can even bring her friends in on the fun. For some extra learning, go to the library and check out books to read with your child about this special holiday. Then, she can see pictures of other Chinese dragons and how they're traditionally designed.
What You Need:
- Cardboard box
- Scissors or knife
- String
- Paint
- Paintbrushes
- Styrofoam ball, cut in half
- Egg carton
- Glue
- Yarn, multiple colors
- Jewels
- Colorful blanket or material
- Small bell
What You Do:
- First find a box that will fit over your child’s head and shoulders to create a dragon head.
- Cut the mouth opening about two inches up from the bottom on three sides of the box, leaving one side uncut. Attach a string to the jaw so that you can open or close the mouth while wearing the head.
- Encourage your child to paint the box whatever color she chooses.
- When the box is dry, have her glue the two halves of the styrofoam ball on the box for eyes. Then, have her use a black marker to draw in the pupils.
- Next, have her cut long strings of thick yarn. Encourage her to attach to the yarn to the top sides of the box for a mane. Mixing colors of yarn adds a beautiful effect to your dragon’s mane.
- Glue a jewel to the center an egg carton cup and glue it to the center of the dragon’s head. This is the dragon’s jeweled eye.
- Have her cut out triangle-shaped ears and glue them onto the head. Then, attach a small bell to the mane or ears.
- When the dragon head is completed, it's time to get your child into her costume! Cut a hole in the material, and put it over the child’s head. Then, put the dragon head on top, and she's all ready for the Chinese New Year!
This activity can be a lot of when when you get your child's friends involved. Each friend can take a turn being the dragon head, while the other kids line up behind her as the rest of the dragons body. You just need to get a piece of material long enough to cover them all! Then, give each of them music instruments like tambourines, drums or bells, and have them make a parade through your neighborhood!
By Cookie Zingarelli
Adapted with permission from "The GIANT Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities." Copyright 2004 by Kathy Charner (Editor), Maureen Murphy (Editor), and Jennifer Ford (Editor). Used by Permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved.
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