Flying Dragon Craft

Kids love crafts that they can play with once the craft is finished.

When it comes to kids crafts, cardboard tubes (some people call them paper rolls) are perfect for engaging children in pretend play once craft time is finished.

This fun Flying Dragon Craft is one of our favorite cardboard tube crafts so far.

My son loves dragons.  He even had a dragon birthday party once, complete with a homemade dragon cake and homemade dragon pinata.

This dragon craft for kids had him roaring and smiling as he made his dragon fly over and over again.   Your child is going to love it, too!

Flying Dragon Craft

Materials Needed:

• empty cardboard roll (4-6 inches long)
• construction paper
• yarn
• markers
• wiggly eyes
• scissors
• craft glue

Decide what color you want your dragon to be.  We chose green, but your child can make their cardboard tube dragon whatever color they choose.  They can even make it multi-colored.

Measure the length of your cardboard tube and cut a strip of construction paper that wide so it will cover the tube.  Glue this around the tube.  You could also use clear tape to hold it in place.

Fold a piece of construction paper in half and draw a wing shape on the paper, with the folded edge being where the wing would meet the dragon’s body.  Cut out the wing shape so that when you unfold it, you have 2 wings that are connected.

Glue the wings to the cardboard tube.

Use construction paper to create a tail and a head for the dragon.  For our head we cut a piece that looks a bit like an acorn with 2 small horns.  Your child may choose to just cut a circle shape or get even more creative.

Attach the wiggly eyes to the head and use markers to complete the dragon’s face.

Glue the tail and head to the cardboard tube.

Let the glue dry completely before doing the next part.

Cut 4-5 feet of yarn and hang it over a doorknob or from a hook so an equal amount hangs on both sides.

Thread the loose ends of the yarn through the top of the tube so they stick out the bottom.

To make the dragon fly, hold the two ends of the yarn, one in each hand, and pull your hands apart to separate the yarn.

As you move your hands apart, the dragon will fly to the top of the yarn. When you bring your hands back together, the dragon will slide back down.

This simple kids craft is also a wonderful STEM activity for kids.

The yarn is actually acting like a lever in this activity.

Pulling the yarn pieces apart and to the sides changes the angle of the yarn to the tube.  The yarn, working as a lever, pushes the dragon up.  When you change the angle of the yarn so it’s back to the center, the dragon slides back down with the help of gravity.

We had so much fun with this flying dragon craft for kids.  I know your child will love it, too.

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