Dragon Birthday Games

Playing With Dragons

• Each child can create a dragon that wants to play games. They can transform an old sock, glove or mitten into a dragon hand puppet and decorate it with buttons, yarn and fabric scraps. The children can then play marbles or ball and jacks with their puppet buddies on their hands.

Nesting

• The children can create a dragon's nest of shredded paper. If the game takes place after the gift opening, the children can all shred the gift wrap for the nest. Each child rolls a dragon's egg made from a pingpong ball or plastic Easter egg shell along the floor. The objective is to land the egg in the dragon's nest. For an outdoor version, the children can use a spoon to help roll the egg along the ground. This nesting game can emphasize cooperation rather than competition. When the last egg arrives at the nest, the children have completed the game.

Feed the Dragon

• Each child can take a turn feeding a dragon made from a waste paper basket or a box decorated as a dragon's head. Standing about 15 feet away from the dragon, each child can try to throw a ball of scrunched newspaper or recyclable paper into the dragon's mouth or opening of the basket. If a child gets the paper into the dragon, he keeps getting another chance until he misses. The child who gets the most paper into the dragon wins the game. When this dragon finishes eating, the paper contents go to the recycling bin.

Dragon Treasures

• A scavenger hunt in a safe area outdoors can include small edible party favors wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed in small plastic bags. After all of the children find the dragon's food, an adult removes the bags and concocts yummy desserts that can be heated in an oven or on a stove or grill and served with ice cream. For example, to make a grilled berry cobbler with a graham cracker topping, the food tidbits can include graham crackers, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries (see recipe in Resources).