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Community Corner

Celebrating the Chinese New Year with Kids

Kid-friendly crafts, activities and food to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

 

Are you wearing red yesterday? If you were, you were lucky. Monday, Jan. 23 marked the Chinese New Year and it is a long standing tradition to wear red as a sign of good luck.  

2012 is the year of the Dragon. People who are born in the year of the dragon are said to possess characteristics of being popular, energetic and brave.  

To find out what animal you are on the Chinese Zodiac, check out this website.  

The Chinese New Year affords parents the opportunity to bridge home and school. Some easy ways to do so include...

Literacy

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* Storytime

  • The Lion Dancer, Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year, Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low
  • Happy, Happy Chinese New Year, Demi Hitz
  • Lanterns and Firecrackers-A Chinese New Year Story, Jonny Zucker and Jan Barger Cohen

Fine Motor Skills

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* Chop Sticks

  • Materials needed: short stands of yarn (lo mein noodles); 2 small bowls
  • Directions: Place all the “noodles” in one bowl and place the empty bowl next to it. Then have your child try to move the “noodles” from one bowl to another. This could even be a little race if you have more than one child participating.

* Coloring

  • Practice your child’s pincer grip with crayons as you color Chinese New Year themed coloring sheets.  Some can be found here

Science/Cooking

* Easy Chinese Moon Cakes (adapted from www.dtlk-kids.com; makes 24)

  • Ingredients: ¼ cup sugar; 1 egg yolk; ½ cup salted butter; 1 cup all purpose flour; 1 cup strawberry (or your favorite) jam
  • Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; Combine the butter, sugar and 1 egg yolk and stir; Mix in the flour; Form the dough into a large ball and wrap it in plastic wrap; Refrigerate for half hour; Unwrap the dough; Form small balls; Make a thumbprint in each; Fill with ½ teaspoon of jam; Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes

Arts and Crafts

* Handprint Dragons (adapted from www.activityvillage.co)

  • Directions: Print and cut out template; Use the template to cut out the head, mane, tail and two legs from the colored paper; Trace and cut handprints on colored paper (as many as desired); Glue together; Use the crayons to decorate eyes, nostrils and teeth

* Some Additional Crafts (click on the links)

I will close with one last activity and while it is really not academic in nature, but it has to help hand-eye coordination in some way (or at least that is what I tell myself)...Angry Birds Seasons now includes a “Year of the Dragon” level.  Since my son, Luca, is obsessed with it (and admittedly so am I), I thought it was worth sharing.  

Wishing you all a wonderful Year of the Dragon!

 

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