Chinese New Year

[Guest]

Just wondered if anyone had any good ideas for Chinese New Year for children to do independently. I have just started smalls groups of 6 children working on their own whilst the TA and I work with a focus group. Really need simple activities that will develop thier independence but something they can achieve easily!

 

Thanks for any help

 

XX

[Panders]

They might be able to do Cait's cutting exercise - like a snowflake, but paper folded into twice and then shapes snipped out. There's a photo of it on one of the other Chinese activity posts, think she used gold paper and mounted them onto red paper - look really good.

 

I have some chinese new year animal pictures that I painted and laminated for the children to play matching games, but as we are pre-school, there is normally an adult nearby to extend by asking questions like, can you match all the ones with tails, four legs etc.

 

Could the collage dragon pictures? We put some in the writing area and the children colour them in with glitter pens, we then cut them out and stick them to card and punch holes in the top and hang them like banners.

 

Could you cut some tangram puzzle pieces out and they have to try and make animal shapes etc. from a picture guide?

[Posy]

Could they match 12 animals (Chinese years) to numbered spaces? I cut out sets of 12 animals, numbered them 1-12 then children matched them to numbered spaces. Have also done similiar with initial letters or words or silhouettes.

Posy

[Guest]

I have the 12 animals in the tuff spot with crepe paper for the river and banks. The children have to find a way of helping the animals across the river without swimming it. I am hoping they will use construction equipment to build a bridge or boat. I have also had red playdough, plastic knives, forks, chopsticks and bowls for the children to make chinese dumplings and transfer them into the bowls using chopsticks. They can count and record how many they have made. The children have really enjoyed this especially as I have put flavouring in the playdough. We have lucky gold coins in the sand pit and you could also get them to make puppets of the characters. Hopw these are useful. We are having a great time exploring chinese new year!

[Cait]

I use the pictures for a pelmanism game, they could do that unaided. (You know, the one where the pictures are face down and they turn two over to find a pair)

 

How about painting Chinese characters, like the symbol for tiger? Or painting a picture of a tiger?

[Guest]

Hiya,

 

I have some larger pictures of the animal characters, laminated and then single hole punched around the edges - the children can then use this as an independent threading activity.

 

The children also coloured pictures of the animals and then laminated them. We attached string to them and then provided a piece of coloured material (river). The children raced the animals across the river and attached post it notes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.

 

We made lucky money envelopes with red card. I provided some calligraphy examples in the mark making area (with translated english word). Children used gold metallic paint to copy the calligraphy onto the front of the envelope. Made money to go inside.

 

Making dancing dragons - we made these as a directed activty first of all and then added the resources to the Creative Area. Children had great fun making their own smaller versions.

 

Hope this helps.