Dragon Puppet Activity | Cartoon Academy

About
During Lunar New Year, Asian cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year. Dragon dances bring good luck for the new lunar year. You can create your own dragon puppet in this fun activity.
Materials
- Dragon Puppet Printable
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons
- Tape or glue stick
- 2 popsicle sticks or straws
Directions
- Color in your dragon puppet head, tail and body.
- Cut the outside borders of the head, tail and body. Keep the body in tact!
- Fold the dragon’s body along the lines so it looks like an accordion.
- Cut the border of your tail and head.
- Using tape or a glue stick, tape or glue the head of the dragon to one end of the body. Tape or glue the tail of the dragon to the opposite end of the body.
- Turn your dragon over, so that the non-decorated side is facing you. Tape one stick to the front end of the body. Tape the second stick to the back end of the body.
- Practice your dragon dance! You can move the sticks in and out, up and down.
Learn how to draw with Cartoon Academy videos.
Credits: WQED and Joe Wos
Standards
Visual Arts (Arts & Humanities Standards)
- Grade 3:
- 9.1.3.A – Use the elements of visual arts (color, form, line, space, texture, value) to create art.
- 9.1.3.B – Apply arts principles through producing and revising original works (e.g., craft a puppet).
- 9.1.3.H – Handle art materials and tools safely.
- Grade 5 (optional extension):
- 9.1.5.A/B/C (similar skills applied at a higher level)
- 9.2 Historical and Cultural Contexts
Physical Education – Fine Motor Skills & Coordination Kindergarten – Grade 1 Standards
- 10.4.K.A.1 – Demonstrate coordination of purposeful body movements.
- 10.4.K.B.1 – Exhibit balance, strength, stamina, and agility.
- 10.4.1.A.1 – Demonstrate coordination of purposeful body movements.
- 10.4.1.B.1 – Exhibit balance, strength, stamina, and agility.
Early Childhood Cognitive Development – PreK
- AL.1 (Construct & Gather Knowledge) – Children use multiple senses and coordinate hands and eyes while creating.
- AL.2 (Organize & Understand Info) – Children follow steps and plan their creation.
- AL.3 (Apply Knowledge) – They solve problems (how to assemble parts).
- AL.4 (Learn Through Experience) – They test and adapt their design.