Today we’re going to look at Chinese New Year activities to celebrate in the classroom.
Even though my husband is Chinese and my son is half Chinese, I started teaching my students about Chinese New Year long before I met my husband.
Why?
Because it’s important for them to have a better understanding of the world around them. Learning about different cultures and their festivals increases their cultural awareness and helps them understand different people’s perspectives and the way they celebrate their cultures.
When we normalize this in our classes, it opens up avenues for children to move from merely tolerating or putting up with each other, to accepting others for who they are.
Teach about diverse cultures, like Chinese New Year with 4 activities: clean it up, indulge in creativity, celebrate this occasion & love zodiac signs. Chinese New Year is one of the celebrations and cultures that we talk about.
This episode is sponsored by a post a I wrote a few months ago about How to Teach Cultural Diversity in the Classroom where we go into depth about how to teach this topic in your class.
For now, let’s look at four things you can do in your class to teach your children about Chinese New Year
Actionable Steps:
#1. Clean it Up.
I like to have my kids do a deep clean of the class before but not on the day of Chinese New Year. I explain to them, that this process allows us to sweep away the dust or put away old things so that we can welcome in the New Year. Turn this into a fun game by turning on some music and handing out prizes.
#2. Indulge in Creativity.
Create simple Chinese Lanterns with your class and have them decorate it. You can hang them outside your classroom on your bulletin board. Explain to your children that hanging red lanterns outside the door is believed to drive off bad luck. Whether you believe in this or not, it looks beautiful and festive.
#3. Celebrate this Occasion.
Have children bring in a Chinese dish, like dumplings, and enjoy sharing a meal together.
What’s a party without some music? So, I put on a video that explains about the concept of Chinese New Year and then we enjoy some beautiful Chinese music.
#4. Love Zodiac Signs.
Engage in conversation about the different Chinese Zodiac signs. Allow your kids to learn more about their sign and the sign of this year.
Do you want to know what’s awesome about this year? It’s the year of the Tiger. That’s my sign! I can’t wait to tell my children about it. Do the same. Teach them about your sign as well. It’ll deepen your connection with them.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The importance of teaching children about Chinese New Year.
- Four strategies to teach your children about Chinese New Year: clean it up, indulge in creativity, celebrate this occasion, and love Zodiac signs.
Additional Thoughts:
Before engaging in the fun activities that I mentioned above, make sure to let your children know WHY you’re celebrating this occasion. They should know about the importance of caring for others and being accepting of all cultures. Every culture has something beautiful about it.
Next Steps:
If you’d like additional resources for your classroom here are the three ways you can access them: 1) Free Resource Library; 2) At my store and the following:
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I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
