The Hatchling is a giant puppet dragon of kite construction; created for street theatre, performance art, procession and flight. It was created by producer Angie Bual, director and puppetry specialist Mervyn Millar and designer Carl Robertshaw, and is produced by Trigger Productions Limited of Bristol, England. It premiered at a 2021 event in Plymouth, Devon, when the Hatchling processed through the streets, and was then flown as a kite over Plymouth Sound. The Hatchling also presented at The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant, on 5 June 2022, leading a procession of 5,000 street performers along The Mall, London.

A giant puppet is a puppet which is tall enough to be easily visible to a street crowd while being manipulated by puppeteers, on the same level. It is therefore most suitable for processions, street theatre and performance art, although some large theatrical animations can be used for the same purpose. Giant puppets are usually articulated and made from a lightweight material. Some are manipulated by puppeteers using rods, strings, stilts, other mechanisms, or a combination of these. Giant puppets have been used worldwide for street entertainment, celebrations or other purposes from ancient times, and they continue in use and in development today. Of the traditional giant rod puppets, the Chinese dragon New Year puppet is "perhaps the most recognized form of the parade puppet". Of the most recent examples, Royal de Luxe of France has produced a notable set of giant string puppets.