chinese new year Archives - Early Learning Childhood Education

28/01/201628/01/2016

Chinese New Year – Celebrating the Year of the Monkey in Early Childhood Settings

This year feels extra special to Bonkers and now we know why: it’s the Year of the Monkey!

The Chinese New Year is here on February 8, and 2016 sees us enter the Year of the Monkey (specifically, the Year of the Fire Monkey or Red Monkey).

When the Year of the Monkey arrives, it is said to reflect the character of the animal – cheeky, clever, and inventive. Monkeys are also well-known for being problem solvers and very playful. Sounds like 2016 will be exciting and a lot of fun!

As always, we like to find ways of incorporating the cultural calendar into early childhood settings. While children in your centres won’t have been born in the Year of the Monkey as the last was in 2005, it is still fun to incorporate the animal into your art and craft activities. In fact, you could talk about all 12 of the animals involved in the 12-year cycle Chinese calendar – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

The Chinese New Year is also a time for feasting with family and celebrating, so you might like to offer some Chinese cuisine. Kidspot has plenty of Chinese food ideas for children.

Activity Village guides you through the following Chinese and Monkey themed craft activities that are perfect to try out:

Want to know which animal you are according to the Chinese Zodiac? Click here to find out and read more about what the Chinese believe the year has in store for you!

It’s also worth noting that International Mother Language Day is coming up on 21 February. Take these opportunities February presents us to get talking about language, culture and diversity with children!

Kung Hei Fat Choy (Happy New Year) everyone!

02/11/201507/11/2015

Celebrating Cultural Diversity

With many of us excited about Christmas coming next month and celebrating with family, there are people of many cultures looking forward to different events and celebrations this time of year. This really got us thinking about the diversity of cultures and how we can celebrate these as well.

Here are just a few big events coming up soon:

Diwali Light Festival– One of the most significant festivals in Indian culture, Diwali, the festival of lights, sees millions attend firework displays, prayers and celebratory events across the world every autumn. The festival is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains for a variety of reasons; although the main theme which runs throughout is the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

Christmas Day -Christmas Day is celebrated through many countries and regions – more than 2 billion people (over a third of the world’s population) will celebrate the birth of Christ. The most popular customs of the holiday include gift giving, singing carols, exchanging Christmas cards, church services, a special meal and a display of various Christmas decorations. The biggest being Santa, Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season. For many it is a day to reflect at the end of a long year, celebrate with family and to start the New Year in good spirits.

Australia Day – Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community

Chinese New Year – This is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. It is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. In 2016 it will be celebrated on Monday, 8 February, and it is the year of the Monkey.

To help children to become involved in these celebrations, have a world map on hand, print out a list of the cultural dates and discuss the various festivities with them. The internet has, as always, plenty of resources, craft ideas, explanations, traditional dress ideas and information about all of these special days. Children enjoy seeing colour and movement, and expanding their mind about other cultures is a fantastic way to teach them. In addition, it is so important for children to be culturally aware and to enjoy other cultures and traditions.

Cultural and religious dates – https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/government-building-social-cohesion/calendar-of-cultural-and-religious-dates

Christmas Day around the world – http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/global/christmas_day_world.php

Kids craft ideas and how to celebrate diversity – http://www.thecraftycrow.net/cultural/

A handy list on how to Celebrating Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Services – http://www.resourcingparents.nsw.gov.au/ContentFiles/Files/diversity-in-practice-tipsheet-2.pdf

http://www.resourcingparents.nsw.gov.au/ContentFiles/Files/diversity-in-practice-tipsheet-2.pdf

11/02/201515/02/2015

Focusing on Language and Culture

Kung Hei Fat Choy! Or Happy New Year! The Chinese New Year (as well as the Lunar New Year, celebrated by many cultures) takes place on February 19, 2015, followed closely by International Mother Language Day on February 21 – what a perfect opportunity to touch on language and culture with children!

Celebrating the Chinese culture and their different New Year opens up a conversation about various countries of the world doing things a little differently. One of the most obvious ways we are all different is through language. This video ‘Hello to All the Children of the World’ is a beautiful thing to show children as the word ‘Hello’ is explored in language after language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nYjGy_ZUG8

If there are children, families and educators within your centre who speak languages other than English, explore how you can encourage them to share their own special words for things and how fun it is for all of us to learn a little from one another’s mother language. If possible, plan something in advance – songs are a great way to share language with children and you never know who might like to share theirs.

International Mother Language Day aims to promote multiculturalism, linguistic diversity and to celebrate their associated cultures. In the case of China and the Chinese language, a big part of their culture is the Chinese New Year…

To celebrate the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year in your centre, be aware that this year is the Year of the Goat! While children in your centres won’t have been born in the Year of the Goat as the last was in 2004, it is still fun to incorporate the animal into your art and craft activities. In fact, you could talk about all 12 of the animals involved in the 12-year cycle Chinese calendar – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Chinese New Year is also a time for feasting with family and celebrating, so you might like to offer some Chinese cuisine. Kidspot has plenty of Chinese food ideas for children. And you can head here for a great bunch of ideas for your art and craft relating to Chinese New Year…

If you have a fantastic idea to share about celebrating the Chinese or Lunar New Year, or International Mother Language Day, we’d love to hear it. Let us know on Facebook.