Chinese New Year of 2010, THE YEAR OF THE TIGER will not just be a fifteen days festivity, but it will be a time to strengthen the bond of love and respect. It will mean reunion, feasting, revelry and parties for Chinese people.
Dinners will be organized by Chinese families and will be a great get-together to come close with family, friends and dear ones. Delicious and delectable gastronomical delights will be cooked at home like chicken, fish, and cakes so that New Year will usher in happiness, wealth and good health.
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Because it differs so drastically from the American calendar, the CHINESE CALANDER is amazing for children to analyze. Unlike our leap years where one day is added in February, an entire month is added, so this will surely intrigue children and entice them to learn more. Chinese New Year is:
• 2010... Feb. 14...Year of Tiger
• 2011... Feb. 03...Year of Rabbit
• 2012... Jan. 23...Year of Dragon
• 2013... Feb. 10
• 2014... Jan. 31
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MAKE IT RED!!!
CHINESE NEW YEAR OF FIREWORKS AND RED
At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes.
Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.
Wear Red... and write poems and decorate them in red!
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LANTERN FESTIVAL - MAKE SOME PAPER LANTERNS!
What is the LANTERN FESTIVAL of Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year ends with the LANTERN FESTIVAL on the fifteenth day of the month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon.
CHINESE PAPER LANTERN
Materials:
Colored construction paper, Tape, stapler or glue, ruler, scissors
•Fold a rectangular piece of paper in half, making a long, thin rectangle.
•Make about a dozen or more cuts along the fold line. Don't cut all the way to the edge of the paper.
•Unfold the paper. Glue or staple the short edges of the paper together.
•Cut a strip of paper 6 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Glue or staple this strip of paper across one end of the lantern - this will be the handle of the lantern.
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Have the children put on their own Chinese New Year PARADE and SING songs to celebrate.
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In the United States, where the New Year is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend. In addition, many Chinese-American communities have added American parade elements such as marching bands and floats.
- PLAN A CHINESE RIBBON DANCE: Attach crepe paper streamer or ribbons to a chopstick or pencil. Play Chinese inspired music and have children MOVE WITH THE TWIRLERS.... Show a movement with the ribbon and have children copy it.
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- Make a long and large PAPER DRAGON and have a DRAGON DANCE. Help children UNDERSTAND THE CHINESE CULTURE and embrace it. Many times, children believe that our way is the only way, at least until they begin to see the other ways things are done in different parts of the world.
Some fun things to do:
DRAGON DANCE
In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the DRAGON DANCE. The DRAGON—which might stretch a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. Make your dragon with an extremely long sheet of roll paper and have childfren hol;e each e4nd for your parade and wall.
Many cities hold parades which are lead by a huge dragon or lion. The Chinese have a great belief and respect towards dragon and believe the dragon is the symbol for good luck. In the Chinese legend the dragon is not a monster but a protector against evil spirits. He is the symbol of luck, goodness and strength. The lion is the symbol for protection and is thought to guard against danger. Children enjoy watching and joining in with the parade and take part in the great Dragon Dance.
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Create your own Chinese New Year FIREWORK PICTURE...The Chinese invented fireworks thousands of years ago!
Use dark construction paper, glue and different colors of glitter. These fireworks pictures are great decorations for Chinese New Year...
Supplies:
Black or very dark construction paper, glitter,white glue, Old newspapers and a straw
Work on old newspapers. Spread glue on the paper in geometric shapes. If the glue is soft enough, you can put a small blob of glue on the paper, and then blow some air through a straw to spread it into interesting shapes. You can experiment with the consistency of the glue and the angle of the straw.
Sprinkle glitter onto the glue. Slide the excess glitter off your picture and back into the glitter container.
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Did you know that...
• FIREWORKS
• DOMINOES
• KITES and the
• COLLAPSILBLE UMBRELLA are all Chinese inventions?!
Celebrate by playing dominoes, making/flying a kite, and making some fireworks art!
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PAPER PLATE KITE
You Need: Paper Plate, Tissue Paper, Streamers, Crayons/markers,
String, Craft Sticks
1. Have the children draw a design (or make one with tissue paper) on the paper plate.
2. Next have them glue foot long streamers on the paper plate.
3. Last, punch a hole at the nose of the plate--- and tie a piece of yarn through it.
4. Wrap additional yarn around a craft stick and then tape the yarn on the plate to the stick.
The kite will really fly on a windy day.
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PANDA NOISEMAKER
(This sample is child made)
• Cut a circle the size of a paper plate out of a piece of white craft paper.
• Cut two oval shapes for the ears and two small circles for the eyes out of black craft paper.
• Cut one medium-sized circle out of white craft paper for the nose. Glue cutouts onto paper plate sized circle.
• Cut out a small black triangle and glue onto nose.
• Cut out two small white circles and glue onto eyes.
• Glue face to the backside of a paper plate.
•Fill paper plate with a handful of macaroni or beans and staple another paper plate to the reverse side to close.
• Shake to make noise.
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Fold ORIGAMI for a fun craft activity. Purchase colored paper and provide individual step-by-step instructions for the children to follow. Have different animal designs ranging in difficulty.
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GAMES
Idea***Play GAMES with chopsticks. Have races that require picking up objects with chopsticks or carrying objects with chopsticks.
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CATCH THE DRAGON'S TAIL
Need a minimum of ten players...
The children all form a line with their hands on the shoulders of the child in front. The first in line is the dragon's head, the last in line is the dragon's tail.
The dragon's head then tries to catch the tail by manoeuvring the line around so that he can tag the last player. All the players in the middle do their best to hinder the dragon's head. Don't let the line break!
When the head catches the tail, the tail player takes the front position and becomes the new dragon's head. All the other players move back one position
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FIVE STICKS GAME (CHINA)
Any number of players, all ages, an ideal indoor game.
Each player must have 5 sticks, which may be popsicle sticks, or plastic straws. To begin the game, all sticks are collected and piled into a confused heap.
The player who can first remove one stick without disturbing any others, may continue, trying to dislodge other sticks using the first one, again, without disturbing the pile.
If the pile is disturbed, the next player may try first to dislodge one stick, then others using the first stick.
The game continues until all of the sticks are picked up and the player with the most sticks is the winner. The winner has the opportunity to drop the sticks for the next game, and he also gets the first turn. Source: Thunder Bay Multicultural Association)
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MARBLES (CHINA)
Any number of players, any age, played indoors and outdoors. This is a very simple game which combines the pleasure of marble-shooting and golf to create a unique game. This is also the most common form of marbles played in Europe and of course, in the Orient.
If this game is played inside, circles may substitute for holes in the outdoors. A course consists usually of three holes, which may be three or four metres apart. (One meter is approximately three feet) Players begin at a starting line, and each flicks a marble with his fingers in classic marbles style, towards the first hole. Players count the number of flicks they take to sink their marbles. Players may knock others marbles away as well, somewhat like shufleboard.
At the end, the player with the fewest flicks is the winner.
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NIM
(A game from China)
For ages of 8 and older--two players ,,,You need 21 toothpicks, beans or other small markers. Arrange the 21 toothpicks (or other objects) in a continuous, straight, horizontal line.
- Taking turns- each player picks up 1, 2, or 3 sticks at a time.
- The object of the game is to NOT pick up the LAST stick...
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PLAY CHINESE CHECKERS AND CHINESE JUMP ROPE!
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PRIZES
• Package gift bag items for the children in Chinese food take-out boxes instead of traditional gift bags.
• Give fortune cookies instead of candy
• Inexpensive paper fans
• Chinese jump ropes.
• Chinese yo-yos
• Pocket-size Chinese checkers are great stuffers or game prizes.
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SNACKS
•SERVE CHINESE FOOD or finger food such as egg rolls and won tons. This will allow children to see what the Chinese like to eat—in comparison to something like our pizza or hot dogs.
• MAKE CHINESE FRIED RICE
Chinese New Year Cooking for Kids
3 cups cooked leftover cold rice
1 cup of cooked chicken, pork, or beef cut up in bite size pieces
1 egg
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
1 tsp, garlic powder
1 green onion chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Black pepper to taste.
Add oil In wok or frying pan over med add cold rice after oil is hot, continually stirring for about 3 minutes; add frozen peas and carrots, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and garlic powder continue stirring until vegetables are tender about 10 minutes.
Add cooked meat stir for another 3-4 min or until meat is warmed through. scramble egg in a bowl, push all of the rice mixture to one side of pan or wok slowly add the egg to the empty space in pan scramble until cooked through then mix together with rest of rice mixture.
Add green onion and black pepper to taste. (Can be made a home and re-heated)
Source: apples4theteacher.com
***You could also STEAM SOME WHITE RICE and serve with sweet/sour sauce and Chicken McNuggets
• Offer CHOPSTICKS for the children to eat with.
• MAKE FORTUNE CAKES-- Bake cake in ice-cream cones with fortunes placed inside the batter of each cone.
HOW TO MAKE CUPCAKE CONES...
Ingredients:
Flat bottom ice cream cones
Cake mix
Cupcake tin
Frosting
1. Follow the directions to make your favorite cake mix.
2. Have the kids spoon the batter into the ice cream cones. (Insert fortune slip in center of batter)
3. Be careful not to fill them more than 3/4 full.
4. Put the filled cones into the cupcake tin.
5. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes.
6. Insert a toothpick to check that they are baked through.
7. Have kids frost and decorate their cupcake cones.
8. You can use different colored icing/frosting, multi-colored sprinkles or candy as decorations
• MAKE A DRAGON SHAPED CAKE ... Pre-make cupcakes--frost them and place them in a shape of a dragon! Finish decorating as desired.
• Serve punch with small paper parasols decorating the cups
• Make tea and have a Chines tea ceremoney. Click here to learn the history of the tea ceremony. Click here to read about tea drinking customs.
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BOOKS listed below TEACH CHILDEN ABOUT THE CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AND ASSOCIATED CUSTOMS. Some of the books share INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHINESE CULTURE IN GENERAL--- Great for elementary multicultural studies!
- Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, Lawrence Migdale (Photographer)
- Chinese New Year for Kids by Cindy Roberts
- Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin
- Dragon Dance - A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book by Joan Holub, Benrei Huang
- Fortune Cookie Fortunes by Grace Lin
- Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert
- Happy, Happy Chinese New Year by Demi Hitz
- Happy New Year by Demi Hitz
- Lanterns and Firecrackers - A Chinese New Year Story (Festival Time) by Jonny Zucker, Jan Barger Cohen
- Lion Dancer by Kate Waters by Martha Cooper (Illustrator)
- Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz, and The Children's Museum, Boston
- One Is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers by Roseanne Thong
- Round Is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong
- Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges
- Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn, Cornelius Van Wright (Illustrator), Ying-Hwa Hu (Illustrator)
- The Dancing Dragon by Marcia K. Vaughan, Stanley Wong Hoo Foon (Illustrator)
- The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
- The Runaway Rice Cake by Ying Chang Compestine, Tungwai Chau (Illustrator)
- This Next New Year by Janet S. Wong, Yangsook Choi (Illustrator)
- Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Source: apples4theteacher.com
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Teach children about the CHINESE ZODIAC and how each year in a 12 year cycle represents an animal. Allow the children to figure out which year they were born under. They can have fun figuring out what each animal says about their personalities, as well as which signs are compatible with one another.
Each Sign Has Personality Traits
Horoscopes were developed around animal signs to predict personality traits and destiny. Each animal is known to have certain characteristics that a person born under the sign would demonstrate. The year a person is born determines their animal sign. For example, a person's animal sign is a rat if they were born in the year of the rat. Animal signs are also assigned by month and hours of the day, which are also broken up into increments of 12. It is important to remember when determining the hour in which you were born, that hours are not based on local time, but in relation to the Sun's location, according to the Chinese Zodiac.
The 12 ANIMAL PERSONALITY TRAITS
- Rat: quick-witted, smart, charming, and persuasive
- Ox: patient, kind, stubborn, and conservative
- Tiger: authoritative, emotional, courageous, and intense
- Rabbit: popular, compassionate, and sincere
- Dragon: energetic, fearless, warm-hearted, and charismatic
- Snake: charming, gregarious, introverted, generous, and smart
- Horse: energetic, independent, impatient, and enjoy traveling
- Sheep: mild-mannered, shy, kind, and peace-loving
- Monkey: fun, energetic, and active
- Rooster: independent, practical, hard-working, and observant
- Dog: patient, diligent, generous, faithful, and kind
- Pig: loving, tolerant, honest, and appreciative of luxury
Compiled by Barbara Shelby
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