Any monkeys, er….kids need something to do today? Here are some fun Chinese New Year activities for kids.
Each year the date of Chinese New Year changes. The lunar new year falls on the date of the new moon sometime between mid-January to mid-February. No matter when it arrives, there are lots of fun activities kids can do. Some of these activities may involve the whole community.
Will there be a Lion Dance or parade where you live? Kids can always make their own. Drums need two hands but here is a one-handed noisemaker. Put 2 or 3 plastic spoons in between 2 foil pie tins. Use a few pieces of duct tape to hold the pie plates together and let kids shake away. They can lead a parade in all the rooms of your house. Scarves are colorful on the back of your kid-dragon.
A Chinese lantern is a fun and easy project. Find a fairly stiff piece of paper and fold in half. Old cards work well. Adult hands can draw some lines about an inch apart starting from the fold and going up to almost the top. Draw a heavy, red stop line about an inch from the top. Kids cut along the straight lines but only as far as the line to stop. Once done, unfold the card. Make a circle on the top by placing one edge of the top over the other and stapling. Make a circle at the bottom the same way. Squish down a bit so the sides bend out, making the paper lantern.
Red is an important color for this festival. Kids can cut out decorations of whatever size and shape they like. With red crayons, markers, or paint they can make something red. Once dry, this can be used too.
Do any of these Chinese New Year activities for kids appeal to you and your child?