The Butcher Paper Dragon
Together we decorate a long strip of butcher paper and carry it over our heads like a parade dragon, marching and dancing without tearing it. Children work on moving as a group at the same pace and expressing themselves with their bodies.
How to play
- Roll out about 25 feet of butcher paper on the ground and decorate it with scales, eyes and fire using chunky crayons (4 min).
- Children line up under the paper and hold it over their heads: the first child is the dragon's head (2 min).
- Walk to the beat of the drum: slow, fast and freeze, without letting go of the dragon (3 min).
- The dragon makes waves: some lift their arms while others lower them, then it crouches to sleep and wakes up (3 min).
- Switch heads and parade all around the playground, roaring together (2 min).
- Gently lay the dragon down and roll it up to keep (1 min).
Rules
- Everyone holds the dragon with both hands.
- Follow the person in front; no passing.
- If the dragon rips, we heal it with tape and keep going.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, short dragons with groups of six and the teacher as the head.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, one long dragon for the whole group, walking at different speeds.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the dragon curves, spirals and weaves through cones, and the head picks the route.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: a child in a wheelchair can be the head, with the paper attached to the chair, and the rest follow.
- Autism: place the child at one end (head or tail) so fewer classmates are around, and use the drum to signal stops ahead of time.
- Visual impairment: walk in the middle of the dragon, between two classmates, guided by the paper in hand.
Learning goals
- Move as a group, matching everyone's pace.
- Express a character's movements with the whole body.
- Connect with parades and community celebrations.
Equipment for a class of 25
- butcher paper roll: 1
- chunky crayons: 12
- hand drum: 1
Teacher tip
Try it around a celebration (Carnival, Lunar New Year, a neighborhood festival) and show a photo of a parade dragon first. Reinforce the spots where children hold on with tape.
PatioLab has "The Butcher Paper Dragon" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More main activities for Elementary
"Al Pasar la Barca" Parachute Rowing
Sitting around the parachute, children row by pulling the fabric toward them and letting it go toward the middle to the rhythm of the traditional Spanish song "Al pasar…
"Corro de la Patata" Parachute Circle
Children circle with the parachute while singing the traditional Spanish song "Al corro de la patata" (Potato Circle), and on "achupé, achupé" everyone sits down…
"El Patio de Mi Casa" Parachute Song
Children sing the traditional Spanish ring song "El patio de mi casa" while circling with the parachute and lowering it to the ground on "agáchate" (squat down).
"Que Llueva" Parachute Rain
Using the traditional Spanish children's song "Que llueva, que llueva" (Let It Rain), children make rain, clouds and sun with the parachute, and some hide underneath as…
«A la Zapatilla por Detrás»: The Slipper Behind Your Back
Sitting in a circle with eyes covered, one child walks around the outside with a slipper singing the traditional Spanish rhyme «A la zapatilla por detrás» («the…
«A Tapar la Calle»: The Chain That Blocks the Street
Half the class forms a hand-in-hand chain that walks forward singing the traditional Spanish song «A tapar la calle» («Block the street so nobody passes»), while the…