Happy Chinese New Year 2018!
Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival. It is also referred to as the Lunar New Year.
Here are some Chinese New Year Activities you can enjoy…
Activity 1 – Food Tasting
Having a variety of foods from china will challenge children into trying foods they may not have had before. Here are some foods to think about:
- Noodles
- Chicken skewers
- Prawn crackers
- Duck spring rolls
- Egg fried rice
- Sushi
Remember to talk to the children about the foods and discover what foods they like and didn’t like.
Why not try using chop sticks to pick up some of these foods.
Activity 2 – Lanterns
Make your own lanterns you can do this with just some red paper but I would suggest using kitchen roll tube as well as paper.
- fold a piece of paper in half
- Use scissors to cut from the folded edge to about 5cm from the other side.
- Unfold the paper then wrap and stick it around the top of the tube
- Make sure the paper is curved out well.
- Stick the bottom of the paper to the tube.
- Cut out small piece of card and attach it to the top of the lantern to create a handle.
- Add some gold paper to the bottom and top if you like.
You may want to cut the tube smaller to make a nice curve in the paper.
Activity 3 – Chinese Fan
Help children create their own Chinese fan following these simple steps.
- Encourage children to decorate a piece of card or paper try sticking to red, yellow, gold and white colours
- Fold the paper many times to create a crinkled paper
- hold the bottom together and wrap some yellow or gold string around to hold it together.
- Punch a hole in the bottom and add some red ribbon if you would like to make it more attractive.
Activity 4 – Play-Dough Sensory
- Make up some red play-dough.
- Add some gold or yellow glitter
- Add some yellow and red lolly-pop sticks
- Add some red, gold and yellow pipe cleaners
- Add some animal shaped cutters
- Encourage children to make their own Chinese new year creature
Remember to support their play, maybe make your own and discuss this with the the children to encourage conversation and learning about Chinese culture.
Activity 5 – Chinese Rattle Drum
Have a little party and create your own Chinese instruments. This Chinese rattle drum is simple to make.
- Place a small plate or bowl on a cardboard box and draw around it.
- Cut out the circle
- Attach the circle to a lolly-pop stick or a regular stick
- hole punch 2 holes on either side of the circle.
- Paint using red and yellow and dry
- Attach a small bead to a small piece of string and tie it to one of the holes
- Do this again for the other side.
Encourage the children to make up their own Dragon and Lion dance while they use their rattle drum.