Chinese New Year

Chinese Money Tree Activities

February 2, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Chinese money trees have been part of Chinese New Year celebrations since the 1980s and are a symbol of luck and wealth. People buy money trees for their homes and place them in strategic places. They also purchase and display shiny, metallic tree ornaments laden with gold coins. Here are art and sensory Chinese money tree activities your early learners will enjoy.

Chinese Money Tree Tray

Set a tree drawing inside a wooden tray. Add containers with Chinese coins and green and gold gems.

Invitation to decorate a Chinese money tree with gold coins and acrylic gems.

Feel free to download this template for the project.

Tree PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

Invite your little learners to decorate the tree.

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Chinese New Year Sensory Tray

February 1, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Year of the Ox Chinese New Year rice-based sensory tray with a bull figurine and red and gold loose parts.

Chinese New Year (also called Lunar New Year) will be celebrated on February 12 in 2021. It is the most important holiday in China and is celebrated by Chinese people and interested others all over the world. The holiday marks the end of the coldest winter days and the beginning of spring. Since it is the year of the ox, why not join in the festivities this February with an ox-themed Chinese New Year sensory tray.

Ox Facts

Domesticated oxen are often castrated adult male cows, as this makes them easier to handle.

Ox horns are very long.

Being very strong animals, they can pull heavy loads.

As dependable work animals, oxen transport people and supplies, help with field work, and power machines.

Oxen used to roam in herds in the wild.

Chinese New Year "Year of The Ox" rice-based tray featuring a bull figurine and red and gold loose parts.

Character Qualities Of The Ox

The ox is a cherished animal in Chinese culture, as it is hardworking and reliable, and was used in agriculture by peasants to plow fields. Positive character qualities are attributed to the ox. And people born in the year of the ox are considered to be logical, disciplined, diligent, trustworthy, and talented. And who wouldn’t want to emulate these qualities!

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Chinese New Year Sensory Play

January 14, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Chinese New Year sensory tub with red and gold accessories in a dyed chickpea base.

Have you ever dyed chickpeas? I finally gave it a try, and it is soooo addicting! I made the first batch red to use for Chinese New Year sensory play.

In experimenting, I thought the chickpeas looked nice in a combination of dark red, speckled red, and natural hues. All deep red chickpeas seemed overpowering in the sensory tub.

Chickpeas dyed with varying amounts of red acrylic paint.

How To Dye Chickpeas

A quick and easy way to dye chickpeas is with acrylic craft paint.

Supplies to collect:

large bag of chickpeas

red acrylic craft paint

measuring cup

tablespoon

large sandwich bags

plates or trays

Scoop one cup of chickpeas into a large sandwich bag. Add a tablespoon of red acrylic craft paint. Seal the bag well and knead the chickpeas for a few minutes until they are covered in paint.

Open the bag and set it on a table. After ten minutes, pour the chickpeas onto a tray or plate. They will be completely dry in another ten minutes.

Chickpeas dyed with red acrylic paint for sensory play.

To get a speckled paint look, add half a tablespoon of paint to one cup of bagged chickpeas and knead well. Repeat the drying process.

Then color a cup of chickpeas with one-quarter tablespoon paint.

Leave some chickpeas undyed. This will give you four color varieties to add to a tub or bin for Chinese New Year sensory play.

To have enough chickpeas for a group sensory tub, dye more of them!

Note: Acrylic paint washes off hands, tables, dishware and cutlery easily. If it spatters onto your clothes, wipe the paint off with a wet cloth before washing.

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Chinese New Year Sensory Bin

January 29, 2019 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

The Chinese New Year officially begins on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, and it will be the Year of the Pig. The pig is the 12th and last zodiac animal. Some ancient storied explanations are:

The pig was the last to arrive at an important meeting because he slept in.
A wolf destroyed the pig’s house so he had to rebuild it before he could get to the meeting.
The pig stopped to enjoy a feast while taking part in a race. He resumed the race but not surprisingly came in last.
Being pretty pudgy, the pig moved the slowest in the race.

Fascinating Facts About Pigs

Although pigs often get associated with being smelly and dirty, they keep quite clean if they are in a temperature-controlled environment. They only roll around in dirt when they get hot, and this is because they cannot sweat.
As far as smarts go, pigs are considered to be one of the most intelligent animals in the world. As pets they can figure out how to open a cupboard and can be trained to shake a hoof and roll over.

Predictions For The Year Of The Pig

The Year of the Pig might just be a positive one for everyone! People born in the Pig Year are attributed with an agreeable personality, balanced lifestyle, hardworking nature and enjoyment of life. These qualities are thought to have a positive influence on all people.

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