Build your very own Great Wall of China! Well, a miniature version at least, with this super fun and easy 3D Great Wall paper craft.
If you’re looking for an engaging activity to complement a learning unit about China or world history, this project is a guaranteed hit, allowing kids to create an impressive stand-up model of this iconic landmark.
All you need is the printable template, some coloring supplies, and scissors and glue.
Kids will enjoy coloring their wall section before using simple folds to give it a cool 3D effect.
It’s a great way to practice fine motor skills while creating a display-worthy piece that brings a piece of history right onto their desk!
Great Wall of China Craft
Materials
- Great Wall of China craft template (Etsy link)
- Markers or colored pencils
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructions
Let’s make our 3D Great Wall of China craft!
First download and print out the Great Wall of China craft template, which you can grab from out Etsy shop.
Once you have your template, use colored pencils or markers to color the background and tower.
Cut out around the outside of the tower.
On the background page, cut along the cut lines at the bottom of the page and cut off the top section of the paper above the picture (or you can leave this part on if you want to leave the title).
Fold along the lines at the edge of the picture.
Fold the tower along the vertical lines and fold the tabs in.
Use the tabs to connect the tower to the background page in the blank part on the right side of the page.
Fold the bottom and the side tabs backwards. Glue the bottom tabs together in the back to form a base behind the picture.
Now your Great Wall of China craft is complete! This is a great craft to complete as part of a China or around the world learning unit.
Interesting Facts About the Great Wall of China
Here are some fun facts about the Great Wall of China to discuss with your child!
- It’s Super Long! The Great Wall isn’t just one single wall, but a massive system of walls and forts put together. If you stretched out all its parts, it would be over 13,000 miles (21,000 km) long – that’s long enough to go about halfway around the entire Earth!
- Not Just ONE Wall: It’s more accurate to think of it as the “Great Walls” because different sections were built during different time periods (dynasties) in Chinese history.
- Built for Protection: The main reason for building the Great Wall was to protect China from enemies and invaders trying to come in from the north.
- Took a VERY Long Time: Construction on the earliest parts started over 2,000 years ago! Different emperors continued building and adding to it over many centuries.
- More Than Just Walls: The Great Wall system also includes thousands of watchtowers (for spotting enemies), barracks (where soldiers lived), fortresses, and beacon towers (for sending smoke signals).
- Made from Local Materials: Builders used materials found nearby. So, some parts are made of stone, others from packed earth, mud bricks, or even wood.
- Sticky Rice Power? In some sections built during the Ming Dynasty, the mortar used to stick the bricks and stones together was actually made with sticky rice flour – making it super strong!
- Millions of Builders: It took millions of people, including soldiers, peasants, and prisoners, working over hundreds of years to build this enormous structure.
- Not Visible from the Moon (Sorry!): You might hear stories that you can see the Great Wall from the moon with just your eyes, but astronauts have confirmed that’s not true – it’s too thin to be seen from that far away without special equipment.
- World Famous: Today, the Great Wall of China is one of the most famous landmarks on Earth and is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site for everyone to appreciate.
