Make a Knight Sword and Shield

Do knights, dragons, and castles stir up your child’s imagination?  I love how my preschooler is a big fan of all these things.   It's so neat to see little kids wrapped up in imaginary play.  To further grow his interest, I made this super easy cardboard shield and sword set awhile back.  After 6 months of intense imagining, rescuing, and fighting, they're still intact.  So, I figured I'd share this cute tried-and-true craft with y'all today!

Make a Knight Sword and Shield

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Now, if you're looking for some great books or movies to go along with this craft, here are some great books to stir your child's imagination!

Our favorite Knight Themed Books and Movies

• The Knight and the Dragon
• The Marshmallow Incident
• The Princess Knight
• The Knight at Dawn
• Justin and the Knights of Valor
• Mike the Knight
• Good night, Good knight
• There was a dragon who swallowed a knight
• King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone

Let's Make a Cardboard Sword and Shield!

    

Materials Needed:

Lots of Clean Corrugated Cardboard

Scissors
Craft Paint (I used black, white, yellow, and silver)
Tacky Glue
Pencil
 Paint Brushes
Packing Tape

First, cut out a shield and sword shape from your cardboard.  Check and make sure the size of your toys fits your child's hand.  (I had to shrink down my sword’s handle so that my son could properly hold it.)  

Once you have the right sizes, trace and cut out 4 more identical sword shapes.

(Note: After playing with our sword and shield for a bit, I noticed that the sword held up, but the shield was looking a little worse for wear.  We only made ours one layer thick.  So if you have extra cardboard, I’d definitely recommend cutting out another identical shield shape too.)

Use tacky glue to attach all 5 sword shapes (and 2 shield shapes).   Once your glue dries, your sword (and shield) will be strong, sturdy, and ready for some rough and tumble play!

Note:  Don’t use hot glue.  It just doesn’t work. Trust me.  I tried, and the glue cooled down way too quickly.  Nothing stuck together.

Use your pencil and sketch out a design on your sword and shield.  Then, have fun and paint them!  (Optional:  Protect your paint job with a layer of this.  It's our go-to for jobs like this!)

Once your paint dries, it’s time to make a handle for your shield.  Cut out a thin strip of cardboard.    Bend the two ends as shown in the photo.

Have your child hold the handle.  Make sure his or her fingers can comfortably grip it.  Once you’re satisfied with the handle’s size, use packing tape to attach your handle to the back of your shield.

That’s it.  Hooray!  You’re done.  Now your child is all set to protect castles, journey on long adventures, and befriend some dragons! 

Like these cute paper plate dragons, perhaps?  

Or, maybe they could ride their very own dragons?

Hope you have a great time making this toy for your kids.  Happy making, friends!

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Happy making, friends!