St. George and the Dragon Ideas for Kids
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Looking for a meaningful way to explore bravery, history, and storytelling with your kids? This St. George and the Dragon unit study includes picture books, legends, printable art cards, and creative projects that bring this timeless story to life.
The Legend of St. George and the Dragon
Have you ever read Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges? This beautifully illustrated retelling draws from The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, a classic English epic poem.
In the story, the Red Cross Knight sets off to defend a village from a ferocious dragon. When he defeats the creature, he earns the title St. George, symbolizing courage, chivalry, and protection.
Who Was the Real St. George?
St. George was a real person whose life inspired legends for centuries. Here are some widely accepted facts about his life:
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Born: Around A.D. 270 in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey)
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Raised in Palestine and later served as a Roman soldier
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Stood against persecution: He resigned from the army in protest of Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians
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Died a martyr: He was imprisoned, tortured, and beheaded for his faith on April 23, 303 AD
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Legacy: His bravery inspired others, including the emperor’s wife, who also converted and was martyred
Over time, legends—especially that of slaying a dragon—grew around his legacy. In medieval times, the dragon was seen as a symbol of evil, and St. George’s triumph became a metaphor for good overcoming darkness.
Why Do We Celebrate St. George’s Day?
St. George is the patron saint of England, and his red cross became a national symbol (and part of the Union Jack). Every year on April 23, England celebrates St. George’s Day to honor his courage and enduring example of faith and valor.
He is remembered for his chivalry, strength, and willingness to defend the helpless—a perfect figure to study in any character education or history unit.
St. George and the Dragon Art Cards
There are many incredible works of art depicting St. George and the Dragon, from classical paintings to stained glass and sculpture. To help bring this visual tradition into your homeschool, I created a set of 10 printable art cards featuring different interpretations by artists across centuries.
You can use these cards to:
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Study famous artwork
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Play a matching or memory game
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Create a gallery wall
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Compare artistic styles
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Spark a creative drawing project
Download the St. George and the Dragon Art Cards Now!
Hands-On Activities to Explore the Legend
These engaging projects bring the story and symbolism of St. George to life through creativity and play:
Make a Cardboard Shield
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Cut a shield shape from a cardboard box (we used a diaper box!)
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Paint it or glue on a printed red cross
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Tape a handle or strap to the back
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Optional: Create a family coat of arms or design your own knight symbol
Create Knight & Dragon Shadow Puppets
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Use black cardstock to cut out knight, dragon, and princess shapes
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Attach to popsicle sticks or skewers
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Shine a flashlight on the wall and put on a storytime puppet show
STEM Tie-In: Fire-Breathing Dragon Science
Make this Dry Ice Dragon!
Listen & Learn
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Storynory has a free audio version of St. George and the Dragon
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Watch The Book of Virtues episode featuring this tale
Bible Tie-In: The Armor of God
Use the story as a springboard to study Ephesians 6:10–18, the Armor of God passage.
Activity ideas:
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Create a paper doll with spiritual armor pieces
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Memorize a verse about courage or standing for truth
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Compare St. George’s shield to the “shield of faith”
Book Suggestions
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Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges (main read-aloud)
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The Kitchen Knight by Margaret Hodges (another Arthurian tale)
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George and the Dragon by Chris Wormell (humorous picture book)
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Usborne Beginners: Knights & Castles (nonfiction support)
More Learning Ideas
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Research the history of knights and the chivalric code
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Map the origin of St. George’s legend (Turkey, Palestine, England)
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Study England’s flag and compare it to other national symbols
St. George’s story continues to inspire courage and character centuries later. Whether you celebrate St. George’s Day or simply love knight stories, this unit brings together art, literature, and hands-on learning for a truly memorable study.
So many great activities; I can see why you had a heard time choosing!
We used the same book but went in a completely different direction. I love what you did with the shields and puppets, and those art cards are great – I actually pinned them before I went on to read the rest of your post!
Wow you really went all out!! I love your crafts for this book and those are really neat printables!
Wow, you were busy learning in your household. So many wonderful ideas and crafts. Your printable cards are a wonderful resource for everyone! The shadow puppets look like so much fun!
These are great ideas! I love the shields and the shadow puppets 🙂
Great activities Karyn! The armor of God color pages are nice for YW too! Thanks for sharing!
Those are super activities! I love the shield idea. and the Story itself sounds fascinating.
-Reshama
http://www.stackingbooks.com
I need to dig out our copy again, it’s been ages since we read this story. I love the art cards, I’m gonna have to remember this for when we get to that point in history…….
The shadow puppets are great! They look like a fun way to act out the story!
I love your post and I always wondered about St. George and the various Saints in general. I really enjoyed reading about him and the crafts are AWESOME! My son would love the shield craft!
I am part of the Poppins Book Nook too. I love how all the posts are so creative and also so different. I don’t think anyone picked the same book! (PragmaticMom.com)
I love dragon books! Thanks for sharing at The Children’s Bookshelf.
Fantastic Activities and crafts – I’m saving them for St George’s Day (23rd April in the UK) to do with my 2.
Also wanted to pop by and say Thank you for linking up to Tuesday Tots and letting you know that I will be featuring this over on Rainy Day Mum.
Those are some awesome St. George activities! That was my absolute favorite book growing up 🙂 The illustrations are so good, I just wanted to climb in and lay under that apple tree…
Wow – what wonderful creative fun! I almost wish we could go back in time … when my kiddies were young!
Thanks for featuring my boy in armor illustration. Hope the girls enjoy the illustration of a young woman in armor too!