The third-biggest country in the world, the second most populated, and one of the oldest civilizations on Earth—we are talking about China, of course!
China is a land of incredible history and invention. Did you know that the “Four Great Inventions” of ancient China—paper, printing, gunpowder, and the compass—changed the world forever? From the Great Wall to the Forbidden City, China has always been a step ahead in engineering and art.
Since October 1st marks the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, and the Lunar New Year is celebrated globally, there is never a bad time to explore this fascinating culture. We have rounded up 25 China crafts for kids that cover everything from cute pandas to majestic dragons!
Fun Facts About China for Kids
- Panda Diplomacy: Every single giant panda in the world belongs to China. The ones you see in zoos abroad are actually “on loan” from the Chinese government!
- Skyscraper Central: China loves tall buildings! It is estimated that half of the world’s 20 tallest skyscrapers are located there.
- Cave Dwellers: Despite the modern cities, over 30 million people in the Shaanxi province still live in traditional caves called yaodong.
- Red is Lucky: In Chinese culture, red symbolizes good luck and joy. You will see it everywhere during weddings and festivals.
Panda & Animal Crafts
The Giant Panda is China’s national treasure. Kick off your crafting session with these adorable black-and-white buddies.
1. DIY Panda Headband Transform your little one into a panda! Cut a strip of white cardstock for the headband. Cut two large black circles for ears and glue them to the strip. You can add tufts of black “fur” using black tissue paper for texture.
2. Paper Plate Panda Mask Cut two eye holes in a white paper plate. Use black markers or black paper cutouts to create the signature eye patches (make them slanted downwards for that sad-cute look!). Glue on a small black nose and two round ears. Add a popsicle stick handle.
3. Panda Paper Bag Puppet Take a white lunch bag. The flap is the panda’s face. Glue on black construction paper ears, eyes, and a nose. On the body of the bag, glue black arms and legs. It’s perfect for putting on a puppet show!
4. “Kung Fu” Panda Action Figure Use empty toilet paper rolls to create a standing panda. Paint the roll white, then paint a thick black stripe around the middle for the arms and black at the bottom for legs. Add a green paper “bamboo” stick for him to hold!
5. Chinese Zodiac Masks The Chinese Zodiac has 12 animals (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig). Print out outlines of this year’s animal on cardstock, let the kids color them, and cut them out to wear.
Festivals & Dragon Crafts
Dragons in China aren’t scary monsters; they are wise, benevolent creatures that bring rain and good luck.
6. Accordion Paper Dragon Cut two long strips of red and yellow paper. Fold them over each other in an “L” shape repeatedly to create a springy, accordion-style body. Glue a dragon head to one end and a tail to the other. Add popsicle sticks to make it move like a puppet!
7. Fire-Breathing Dragon Tube Paint a toilet roll red or green. Glue googly eyes and green pom-poms for nostrils on one end. Glue strips of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper inside the “mouth.” When you blow through the other end, the “fire” flutters!
8. Paper Chain Dragon A classic classroom craft. Have kids link loops of colored construction paper together to make a super-long dragon body. The class can work together to make one giant dragon that spans the whole room.
9. Chinese Dragon Boat Dragon Boat racing is a huge tradition. Fold a piece of paper into a simple boat shape. Cut out a dragon head and tail from cardstock and glue them to the prow and stern. You can even add scales with glitter glue.
10. Festive Paper Rattle Drum (Bolang Gu) This traditional toy is used by street vendors and children.
- Supplies: Two paper plates, a wooden dowel, beads, string.
- How to: Staple two small paper plates together with a dowel inside as the handle. Before sealing, attach two strings with beads on the ends to the sides of the plates. When you twist the handle back and forth, the beads hit the plates to make a drum sound!
11. Red Envelopes (Hongbao) During the New Year, elders give children red envelopes with money. Fold red paper into a simple envelope and use gold gel pens to draw the character for “Fortune” (Fu) or gold coins on the front.
12. Glowing Paper Lanterns Fold a rectangular piece of red paper in half lengthwise. Cut slits along the folded edge (don’t cut all the way through!). Unfold and glue the short edges together to form a tube. Push down slightly to make the sides flare out. Add a handle and hang it up.
Art, Culture & History
Explore the sophisticated side of Chinese heritage with these art-focused projects.
13. Blue and White Porcelain Plates China is famous for its “Ming Vases.” Give kids white paper plates and blue markers or blue watercolor paint. Challenge them to create intricate floral patterns or dragons using only the color blue.
14. Cherry Blossom Branch Art The bottom of a plastic soda bottle looks just like a flower! Dip the bottom of a small soda bottle into pink paint and stamp it onto paper. Draw brown branches connecting the pink stamps to create a beautiful cherry blossom tree.
15. Chinese Paper Fans In ancient China, fans were used for both fashion and cooling. Take a long sheet of paper and decorate it with birds or flowers. Accordion-fold the entire sheet. Pinch one end and tape it to create a handle, spreading the other end open.
16. Shadow Puppets Shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling. Cut silhouettes of characters (like the Monkey King) out of black cardstock. Attach their limbs with brads (paper fasteners) so they move. Glue them to skewers and use a flashlight against a wall to tell a story.
17. The Great Wall of China Model Use sugar cubes or small cardboard boxes to build a model of the Great Wall. Paint it grey or brown. This is a great STEM challenge—how long can you make the wall without it falling over?
18. Terracotta Warriors Use grey air-dry clay to sculpt mini soldiers. Teach kids about Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who was buried with an army of thousands of clay soldiers to protect him in the afterlife.
19. Chinese Opera Masks Chinese opera actors wear elaborate makeup where colors have meaning (Red = Loyalty, Black = Integrity, White = Evil). Give kids a mask template and have them paint a design that represents their own personality traits.
20. Paper Fortune Cookies Cut a circle of tan paper. Write a fortune on a small slip of paper. Place the fortune in the center, fold the circle in half (don’t crease it sharply), and then pull the two corners of the folded side together to form the classic cookie shape. Glue in place.
Traditional Skills
Try your hand at these skills that have been practiced for centuries.
21. Chopsticks Rest & Wrapper If you have disposable chopsticks, teach kids how to fold the paper wrapper into a little origami rest to keep their chopsticks off the table.
22. Introduction to Calligraphy You don’t need ink stones; black watercolor and a paintbrush work great! Teach kids simple characters like “Person” (人), “Big” (大), or “Sky” (天) on red paper.
23. Chinese Paper Cutting (Jianzhi) Fold a square of red paper in half or quarters. Cut small shapes (triangles, curves) out of the folded edges. When you unfold it, you will have a beautiful, symmetrical pattern—often used to decorate windows during holidays.
24. Chinese Knotting Using red satin cord, teach older kids a simple “Overhand Knot” or “Good Luck Knot.” These are often used as charms on belts or wall hangings.
25. Build a Paper Pagoda Pagodas are tiered towers with multiple eaves. Stack different sizes of square boxes (like tea boxes or jewelry boxes) from largest to smallest. Paint them red and gold and add paper roofs to each layer to create your own village landmark.