How to Train Your Dragon-Themed Activities for World Book Day!
World Book Day is the perfect excuse to let loose your inner Viking! Whether your child is a fearless dragon trainer, a battle-ready warrior, or just looking for an excuse to roar dramatically in the living room, these How to Train Your Dragon-themed activities will bring the world of Berk to life. And with the new movie soaring into cinemas this summer, there’s no better time to embrace the dragon-sized fun.
So, sharpen your (foam) swords, grab your shields, and let the adventure begin!
How to Train Your Dragon-Themed Activity Ideas:
We challenge you to combine fun and learning with these 10 creative activities for kids with a How to train your Dragon theme…
- Train Like a Viking Dragon Trainer!
- Where Did The Dragons Come From?
- Create Your Own Book of Dragons
- Write Your Own Dragon Adventure
- Craft a Viking Longship
- Map Out Your Own Dragon Island
- Feast Like a Viking
- Viking & Dragon Name Generator
- Dress Up Like a Viking
- Direct Your Own Dragon Movie
- Bonus Fun: Test Your How to Train Your Dragon Knowledge!
AND We’ve got a special treat to help bring your How to train you dragon themed activities to life! Access your first month of Busy Things for just £1! With code DRAGON (cancel anytime, usually £4.49 per month)! With hundreds of fun learning games and activities for ages 3-11, this is an opportunity not to be missed!
Train Like a Viking Dragon Trainer!
No Viking worth their salt lounges around all day! Vikings were famous for their strength and endurance – sailing stormy seas, battling foes, and (in our case) training dragons! They had to be quick, agile, and powerful, just like Hiccup and his fellow dragon riders.
Set up a Viking Warrior Challenge at home, here’s a few ‘obstacle’ suggestions:
- Jump over ‘lava’ (cushions).
- Dodge dragon fire (streamers or ribbons).
- Sneak past a sleeping dragon (parent lying on the sofa).
- Race to rescue a ‘captured’ toy from enemy territory.
- Challenge your child to complete the course as fast as possible – or turn it into a Viking training academy where they teach younger siblings how to be fearless warriors too!
They could have a go at Dog and Cat’s Workout on Busy Things as a warm up!
They’ll be battle-ready in no time (and hopefully exhausted by bedtime).
Find Out Where The Dragons Came From
Did you know Vikings actually believed in dragons? In Norse mythology, dragons were powerful creatures – some were protectors, while others were fierce destroyers!
Encourage your child to research dragon myths from different cultures. They might discover:
- Nidhogg – A fearsome Norse dragon that gnawed at the roots of the World Tree.
- Fafnir – A dragon who guarded treasure but was defeated by a hero.
- Chinese dragons – Unlike Viking dragons, these were wise and powerful, often bringing good luck!
Your child could create their own dragon myth, draw a timeline of dragon legends from around the world, and get creative colouring Dragons on Busy Things!
Create the Ultimate Dragon Guide
Hiccup’s dragon-training book is packed with facts about different dragons – but what if your child could add their own?
- Challenge them to invent a new dragon species! What would theirs look like – A sleek, speedy sky racer or a grumpy cave-dwelling fire-breather? What incredible powers does it have – Fire-breathing, ice-shooting, or sneezing glitter? Record their new dragons in the Create a Dragon Fact File activity on Busy Things.
- Sculpt or draw their dragon – bring their dragon species to life use clay, paper, or digital tools to bring it to life!
- Compare different dragons (and make math interesting!) – who’s the fastest, the fiercest, or the hardest to train? Busy Things’ interactive graph maker makes this easy.
- Make a dragon Top Trumps game – compare speed, strength, and special abilities.
- You could bind all their creations into their own Big Book of Dragons! A legendary guide for future Viking explorers.
Write A Dragon Adventure!
Every Viking has a story to tell! Imagine your child stumbling upon a mysterious dragon egg – what kind of dragon will hatch? Or perhaps they’ve been given the impossible task of training the most mischievous dragon in Berk!
To shape their adventure, encourage them to think about:
- The setting – Is their story set in Berk, or will they create a whole new dragon-filled island?
- The characters – Who is their Viking hero? Do they have a trusty sidekick or a rival Viking to compete with?
- The challenge – What obstacle stands in their way? A wild dragon rescue, a lost treasure, or an epic Viking competition?
- The twist – What unexpected event shakes up the adventure? A secret dragon power? A betrayal? A legendary Viking returning from the past?
- The ending – Do they triumph with their dragon by their side, or is there an even bigger adventure waiting?
- Challenge them to include as many Viking words as possible (see below for a fun naming activity!).
- And for an extra challenge, why not write it from the dragon’s point of view? What do Vikings look like from a dragon’s eyes?
To bring their tale to life, they can use the Short Story Template on Busy Things to plan their adventure, add illustrations, or even turn it into a comic strip! Let the storytelling (and dragon mayhem) begin!
Craft a Viking Longship
Vikings weren’t just warriors, they were expert shipbuilders and sailors! Their longships let them explore new lands, fish, trade, and (of course) go on daring adventures, just like Hiccup and his crew.
Encourage your child to create their own longship using cardboard, lollipop sticks, or even a decorated shoebox. Key elements to include:
- A curved dragon figurehead – to strike fear into enemies!
- Shields along the sides – painted with Viking patterns.
- A striped sail – perfect for dramatic voyages across the carpet.
They can find out the names of the ship parts using the Viking Longship Activity on Busy Things – sneaky learning at its finest!
Map Out Your Own Dragon Island
Berk is packed with caves, cliffs, and dragon nests – but what if a brand-new island appeared on the map? Challenge your child to design their own Viking world!
- Will it have dense forests, towering volcanoes, or a hidden lair for their dragon?
- Is it a welcoming land or a perilous place where only the bravest Vikings dare set foot?
- Draw your island free-hand or use Busy Things’ Create an imaginary island habitat to bring their Dragon island to life, adding labels, key features, and plenty of dragon hideouts!
- Why not build a 3D model of the island – get creative with papier Mache
Feast Like a Viking!
Vikings didn’t have crisps and fish fingers -they had feasts! Challenge your child to plan a Viking banquet fit for a chief:
- What would they eat? (Vikings were farmers and fishermen so lots of roast meat, fish, bread, vegetables, berries – probably not spaghetti hoops.)
- How would they eat? (Spoiler: Vikings didn’t have forks!)
- Could they help prepare a simple Viking-inspired dish, like oatcakes with honey?
- They could plan and illustrate using the recipe template on Busy Things!
Set the table by candlelight and encourage loud, hearty Skål! cheers – it’s all part of the fun.
Viking & Dragon Name Generator
Vikings and dragons never have boring names. Hiccup. Snotlout. Fishlegs. Toothless. You get the idea.
- Brainstorm wild Viking names together using adjectives + body parts (e.g. ‘Gristlefoot,’ ‘Thunderbelly’).
- Children can invent new dragon names by mixing powerful words (e.g. ‘Flamecrusher,’ ‘Stormfang’).
- Why not use Busy Things to create a DIY wordsearch filled with their best names?
- Did you know Vikings had their own alphabet? – the runes! Try writing your names in Viking runes on Busy Things.
If your child insists on being called ‘Bork the Fearless’ for the rest of the day, just roll with it.
Dress Up Like a Viking
It’s time to Viking it up! (Great for an easy World Book Day costume!)
Do you know what a Viking warrior would have worn? Find out in the Viking warrior interactive activity on Busy Things! But here’s the jist…
- Basic Viking: Dressing gown (cloak), belt, and a toy sword.
- Warrior Viking: Brown top & trousers, fake fur trim, cardboard shield.
- Ultimate Viking: Plaits, face paint, and a helmet (with NO horns—real Viking helmets didn’t have them!). Check out our free How to Train Your Dragon costume props for extra inspiration!
Direct Your Own Dragon Movie!
Your child has now designed their characters, written a story, and mapped out their dragon world – so why not bring it all to life with a stop-motion movie?
- Plan the scenes – Storyboard key moments in their adventure, a comic strip template will come in handy for this.
- Create their cast – Sculpt characters or use LEGO figures, action figures, or even hand-drawn cut-outs.
- Shoot the movie – Use a phone or tablet to capture small movements frame by frame. There are lots of stop-motion apps available.
- Add sound effects and voices – Roars, crashes, and heroic battle cries included!
Watch their creation come to life!
Bonus Fun: Test Your How to Train Your Dragon Knowledge!
Read the Extract from How to Train Your Dragon on Busy Things and challenge your child to these How to Train Your Dragon themed activities:
✅ Take the How to Train Your Dragon Comprehension Quiz on Busy Things.
✅ How well do they Gobber the Belch or Snotface Snotlout? Find out by creating How to Train Your Dragon character profiles.
✅ Try a How to Train Your Dragon grammar challenge (yes, even warriors need good sentence structure!).
✅ Do they know their Viking armour? Test out their knowledge with the Viking warrior clothing activity.
✅ How good do they think How to train your Dragon is? Using the Create a book jacket activity, ask them to design an epic front cover and craft a blurb on the back to make everyone desperate to read it!
Ready for a Dragon-Filled World Book Day?
Whether they’re crafting, running around pretending to breathe fire, feasting, or inventing new dragons, these How to train your Dragon themed activities will bring the magic of Berk to life.
And if you’re looking for even more book-inspired fun, Busy Things is packed with interactive book activities to spark their imagination and keep them busy long after World Book Day!
Did you know? Busy Things also has a whole Viking history section. If Viking homework has landed in your house, we probably have a ready-made template to help! You can try them all for free!
Now, go forth, train some dragons, and prepare for adventure – Viking style!
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