A How to Train Your Dragon birthday party -Part 3: Activities



What do you get when you combine cardboard, Duck tape, glitter glue and stickers?

Viking shields, of course!

Let me just start off by tooting my own horn -I am so proud of myself for coming up with this idea.  Not only was it easy, but eco-friendly as I upcycled my empty diaper boxes!  Awsome!

So, start by flattening and opening up the boxes you are going to use.  And trace a TWO circles for each shield (I used a plate).  Then cut the circles out using an X-Acto knife. (Sorry, no picture of this -thought it pretty self-explanatory)

Next you will need to make the handle out of Duck tape.  "Measure" it long enough to make a loop that your child's arm will easily fit through and then add a bit longer.  You could stick 2 lengths of Duck tape sticky sides together, but I found it really hard to get them lined up exactly with no sticky parts hangin out.  It was much easier and better looking to use 3 lengths of tape.  Put one piece sticky side up on a hard surface.  Then put another length sticky side down on top of the first piece, overlapping half of it.  Wrap the part hanging off the side of piece #1 around to the other side and stick down.  Try to keep it "wrinkle free".  Do the same with the third piece (overlap it a bit).  See above picture.

Cut two slits (a bit wider than your Duck tape handles) in the center of ONE cardboard cut-out.

Put each end through a slit to form a loop.

Fold the ends down toward the center of the shield.  Place a small piece of Duck tape over top to hold the ends in place.

Use a large brush or sponge applicator to apply Mod Podge to the wrong side of one circle.  Stick the two circles together (wrong sides together).   

For the next step, cut off a length of Duck Tape (not too long or it will be hard to work with).  You need to cut in in half lengthwise (to make two narrow strips).  I stuck one end to my pant leg or table edge to hold it in place while I cut. 

Put the center of a strip of tape around the outer edge of the shield.  Then you work slowly (a bit at a time) and push both sides of the tape down onto the front/back of the shield.  It will have tiny wrinkles because it is a circle but the tape is not...  Use as many strips as you need, just overlap them a bit.

Now you are all set.  We did this activity first so as children were coming (not everyone arrives right at the same time) they had something to do.  We used colored glitter glue from the Dollar Store and stickers.  What is really great about this craft is that it is flexible.  You could get more involved and use paint and other decorations (buttons, yarn, pipecleaners, jewels, sequins, whatever) or you can make it super easy with not much clean up -crayons/markers and stickers.

Then we bought each child a foam play sword from Dollarama (can you tell I love that store?).  After we had done our craft and pinata, we let them sword fight and go on a "dragon hunt" with the swords.  They got to keep the swords and shields when they went home.

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