Handprint Dragon Puppet | Chinese New Year Craft

Here is a cute handprint dragon puppet craft you can make for Chinese New Year or St. George’s Day. It comes with a free printable template that you can download and use.

This is perfect to do with toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and school-age kids. Kids might need help from grown-ups in various steps depending on their age and skill levels.

This handprint dragon needs four to five handprints and a few paper fasteners. You can trace your kids’ handprints on colored cardstock and cut them out. Otherwise, you can also use white cardstock and paint your little one’s hands to trace the handprints before cutting them out.

This is super easy to make and is so much fun watching the dragon wiggle and dance. If you are a regular reader of our blog, you might have seen our accordion dragon puppet craft which is another fun dancing dragon craft idea for Chinese New Year.

Supplies you need to make a Handprint Dragon craft

1. Cardstock
2. Crayons or color pens or color pencils
3. Paper fasteners
4. Glue
5. Popsicle stick
6. Double sided sticker
7. Scissors
8. Dragon head template (Join our newsletter below to receive your template).

How to make a handprint chinese dragon?

Step 1

Trace your kid’s handprints on colored cardstock and cut them out. We made 5 handprints on cardstocks of different colors. You can also paint inside your kid’s hands and let them place their hand on white cardstock to make the handprints.

After you have made the handprints, cut out the same number of rectangles from cardstocks. We cut 5 rectangles out of the same cardstocks we used for making the handprints. The rectangle size is approximately 3.5 cm x 10 cm.

Get a few paper fasteners to connect the rectangle pieces of cardstock together. For 5 handprints, you will need 4 paper fasteners. Start attaching the rectangle cardstocks one by one using paper fasteners.

Connect all the rectangle cardstocks together at around 2 cm away from the shorter edge.

Step 2

Stick the handprints one by one over the rectangle cardstock.

If you have used the same color cardstocks for both the rectangles and handprints, this is an excellent color matching activity for younger kids to learn colors. Ask kids to find the matching handprint and stick it on the corresponding rectangle piece of cardstock using a glue stick.

Finish sticking all the handprints as shown in the picture.

Step 3

Now, time to stick the dragon face!

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Print the dragon temple on white A4 cardstock and paint the dragon face. We used acrylic markers to paint our dragon.

You could also use crayons or color pencils.

Cut it out and stick it beside the last handprint we glued onto the rectangle cardstock. A small part of the dragon’s face will overlap the handprint a bit.

Draw the shape of a fire on red cardstock, cut it out and stick it behind the dragon’s mouth.

Step 4

Lastly, let’s make this handprint dragon into a toy puppet. Get two popsicle sticks and using double-sided stickers, stick them behind the dragon. You can stick one popsicle stick behind the dragon’s face and the other one behind the third or fourth handprint.

Step 5

The dancing handprint dragon puppet craft is ready! Now, grab the two popsicle sticks attached to it and move them forward, backward, up, and down. Can you see the dragon wiggle?!

Watch the dancing handprint dragon craft in the below video. Isn’t it fun?!

More Dragon Craft ideas for Kids

Loved our handprint dragon craft? You may also enjoy these creative dragon puppet crafts for kids.

Easy paper dragon puppet craft:

This dancing paper dragon puppet craft is a fun Chinese New Year activity for kids. Made with accordion-folded paper and a recycled toilet paper roll, the dragon wiggles and dances as children move the paper straws. Includes a free printable template and is perfect for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary-aged kids.

Paper Chain Dragon Craft:

This paper chain dragon craft is a fun and interactive Lunar New Year activity for kids. Children will love holding the dragon from both ends, making it wiggle, twist, and dance through the air. With a free printable template included, this colorful craft is perfect for Chinese New Year celebrations at home or in the classroom.

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Also check out Cute crab puppet craft with printable template.