Chinese New Year Activities With Children

We are continuing with this month's focus on China and getting ready for the Lunar New Year.  We may not all be able to take our kids to China for the special holiday.  However, there are several ways to get your kids some exposure to the Chinese culture.  If you live in a city where there is a near by China Town, it is always fun to dedicate one day out of your weekend and head out there.  Check out some of the shops and pick out chopsticks that your kids can practice with along with other fun Chinese items, like sandalwood fans and paper lanterns.  Try to get out there early and you can treat the kids to Dim Sum for brunch.  They will enjoy picking out small individual items to eat, which are perfect for little fingers.

Children's Books

Another ways to soak up the Chinese culture and teach your kids about Chinese New Year is to read to them children's books on the subject.  I picked out a few to read at bedtime for this month.  Here are my choices:

Dim Sum For Everyone is a sweet book by Grace Lin about a little girl's visit to a bustling dim sum restaurant.  Did you know that dim sum means "little heart" or touches of heart"?  It's just as precious as such a family meal can be.

 

 

I just love the illustrations and style of this book.  It's bold and simple.  It is also an Amazon best seller in its category of children's books.

 

Another one of my favorites is Dragon Dance, which truly focuses on how every day people typically celebrate Chinese New Year.  I also like this one for it's bold illustrations.

 

 

 

If you are a fan of Grace Lin's books, then Bringing In The New Year is an absolute must for younger children that like board books.  This one is also relatable for kids growing up in the United States.  Newbery Honoree Grace Lin tells the tale of a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. Lin's bold and gloriously patterned artwork makes for an unforgettable holiday tale. Her story is simple and tailor-made for reading aloud to young children.

 

 

Chinese New Year Children's Craft



To reinforce all the concepts and bring the culture to life, let your kids decorate for this celebration.  We made Chinese Firecrackers to decorate with.  Traditionally fire crackers are set off at midnight to celebrate the New Year.  The very loud firecrackers were set off at the beginning of Chinese New Year to warn away the man-eating monster Nian and to welcome in the New Year. Aside from the popping firecrackers, firecrackers made out of bright shiny paper are used as decorations during the major holidays to add to the lively atmosphere of the festivities.   They are hung alongside door entrances at homes, by the trees at the parks, decorating lobbies at hotels, shopping centers and restaurants.   They are usually in the traditional red and gold colors for good luck and wealth.  It is said that hanging these paper firecrackers in front of your home will also ward off evil. 

 

So, let's make these pretty paper firecrackers!

 

 

Chinese New Year Firecracker Craft

 

Materials:
Toilet roll tube ( 5 or 6)
Red and gold paint
Gold Ribbon (1inch thick)
Red Satin Ribbon ( 1 inch thick and 1 yard long)
Glue or Hot Glue Gun
Stapler

 

Instructions:
Simply paint your tube red and leave to dry. Decorate with gold paint. You can hand a sponge to your younger  kids to dab gold paint all over or perhaps paint some of the Chinese zodiac animals. Let the tubes completely dry.  Then embellish with gold ribbon around the ends of each tube with glue. 

Adult Supervision Required For This Part:
Take the red satin ribbon and fold in half and lay flat.  Staple the tubes to the ribbon in a cascading form.  Tie a bow to the top of the ribbon to create a loop for hanging. 

Since these paper firecrackers are meant for hanging in front of homes to bring good luck, we decided to hang it on our door.