Appreciate a Dragon Day

Though Appreciate a Dragon Day was created to celebrate the release of the book DragonSpell and the rest of its series by Donita K. Paul, there are plenty of ways to celebrate dragons in addition to reading the book.

• Dress up like a dragon. Make a mask following an online template of your choice, such as this one or this one.
• Read your other favorite dragon books, like Janet Lee Carey’s Dragon’s Keep or How to Tame Your Dragon. Rent your favorite dragon movie, like Dragonheart, Eragon, or Reign of Fire.
• Act out a dragon scene with puppets. You can make one of your own here or create your own idea with popsicle sticks, old gloves, or whatever you have on had.
• Make other dragon crafts with your kids—or friends!—such as bookmarks, paintings, eggs, posters, etc.
• Make a fun dragon egg craft. Fold a piece of white paper in half and cut out an egg shape so you’ll have two eggs. Draw a dragon (or find one you like and print it out) that will fit “inside” the egg. Cut one egg in half with a zigzag pattern and glue half of the egg onto the other whole egg so that the edges alone are glued down, making a pocket. Next, glue just the top of the other egg half to the top of the egg so it works as a flap. Now tuck your “baby” dragon inside the egg and open the flap to “hatch” him! Feel free to color, add glitter or spots, or paint your egg and dragon any way you wish.
• As an experiment, ask your child what he or she thinks dragon scales would be like. Go on a hunt to find things that might resemble dragon scales—scouring pads, netting, foil, feathers, etc. Then create your own dragon scale—or mini dragon—from the materials you collected.
• Drink dragon’s brew—mix Hawaiian punch, Sprite, and a few scoops of green sherbet together for a yummy drink. Then make dragon egg sugar cookies and decorate them as you wish.
• Hold a dragon coloring contest. Print out your favorite dragon coloring sheets, pick up a coloring book at the store, or draw your own.
• Hold a dragon roaring contest with your little ones. Whoever has the most ferocious roar wins. Alternatively, see who can roar the funniest, the saddest, the quietest, etc.