How to make a plasticine Chinese New Year dragon

Here’s how to make a dragon for Chinese New Year with easy to follow, child friendly, step by step instructions.

This project works well for after school clubs, golden time, or for children with special needs. The powerpoint instructions are split into twelve steps which can be completed over a series of sessions. If working on a one to one basis, this project can be worked on as and when required.

Please note that this project works best as a one to one activity or in small groups and will probably take more than one session to complete.

Suitable for children aged 8 and upwards.

What you need:

orange plasticine
red plasticine
lolly sticks
rolling pin
mat to work on
pencil
tea towel
scissors
ruler
cardboard
felt tip pen lid

Recycled things to collect:

jam jar lids (for variation)
strong cardboard

What you get:

Powerpoint step by step instructions - ‘I can make a Chinese dragon
Printable step by step instructions for ‘I can make a Chinese dragon’
Powerpoint step by step instructions for variation - ‘How to make a jam jar lid base.
Video animation showing how to make a Chinese dragon
Video showing how to make a ball
Video showing how to make the shape for the body
Video showing how to make the scales around the neck
Video showing how to roll thin sausage shapes for the border

Information for teachers:

How the projects work
Things you will need
Lesson plan
Preparing for your workshop
Health and Safety
Certificate of Achievement

These projects help children learn and practice basic skills which can then be used to create their own projects and enhance their own creativity. Although your children are making the same project, they will all look different.