Introduction: Paper Dragon Stick Puppet

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About: During the COVID-19 crisis, all of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship's religious services moved into an online-only format. I generally organize Sunday school activities for the children of the Fellowship …

In today's story, a dragon teaches the humans a lesson about dangerous assumptions. Let's make a rather less dangerous dragon puppet out of paper.

Supplies

-construction paper

-markers

-scissors

-pencil

-glue

-tape

-bamboo skewers or chopsticks

Step 1: Fold One Piece of Construction Paper.

Take one piece of construction paper. This will be for your dragon's body. Fold it in half lengthwise, then fold it in half lengthwise once more. Then, unfold it! Your paper is now divided into four equal strips.

Step 2: Cut Out the Paper Strips.

Simply follow the fold lines to cut the paper into four equally sized strips.

Step 3: Tape the Strips Together.

Take two of the strips, place them end-to-end, and then put tape on both sides of the join. Repeat this with the other two strips, too. Now you have two long strips of paper!

Step 4: Line Up the Strips for Folding.

Lay one long paper strip on the table, and lay the second on top of it at a right angle, so that they make a neat corner. Put a little piece of tape around the corner so it stays lined up during the folding process.

Step 5: Fold the Body Together.

Now, fold one paper strip over the other, over and over, to create an accordion strip. (You may have done this before with straw wrappers in the cafeteria or at McDonalds - same idea.)

Once you reach the end of the strips, add another little piece of tape to keep the ends together.

Now you have a dragon body!

Step 6: Fold a Neck and a Tail Stub.

At each end of the accordion, fold out a little flap. This is where you'll attach the head and the tail pieces once you've made them.

Set the body aside for now.

Step 7: Draw the Head and Tail.

Fold another piece of construction paper in half the other way, so it looks like a greeting card.

Draw a dragon head and a dragon tail. You want the drawings to be positioned so that the dragon's mouth and the tip of its tail run right against the fold.

Once you've sketched out the shapes, use markers to color and decorate them however you'd like.

Step 8: Cut Out the Head and Tail.

Make sure to NOT cut the fold! Decorate the undecorated halves of the head and tail.

Step 9: Glue a Stick on the Head.

Open the head up, and glue one end of one of the skewers or chopsticks down. Add some more glue around it.

Step 10: Glue the Head Around the Flap on the Body.

Remember the flaps you folded out on the dragon's body? Now you can use one to attach the head!

Press the flap down against the glue on the inside of the dragon's head. Then, add another line of glue on top of the flap. Fold the other side of the head down and sandwich the flap between the two halves of the head. Press down hard, and rub the two sides together so the glue adheres really well.

Let it dry for a few minutes.

Step 11: Do the Same Thing With the Tail!

Once the glue has set on the head, you can put the tail together in the same way, gluing on the stick and then sandwiching the other flap on the body in between the two halves of the tail.

Step 12: Let Dry Completely.

Now you have a dragon puppet! Let it dry before you play with it.

Step 13: Let Your Dragon Fly!

You can move your dragon around, and stretch its body back and forth by manipulating the sticks.

Does your dragon have a name?