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Celebrating Chinese New Year at Sunflower Children's Centre
At Sunflower Children's Centre, we take pride in celebrating different cultures and traditions, and Chinese New Year is always a special time of year for our children. This vibrant festival provides a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn about Chinese culture through hands-on experiences, music, art, and storytelling.
Our Chinese Parade
One of the highlights of our celebration is our annual Chinese Parade. Each room prepares for the parade by creating their own unique decorations, including colourful lanterns, fearsome dragons, and beautifully designed masks. The children put their creativity to work, using a variety of materials to craft these festive items. When the big day arrives, they proudly showcase their creations in a joyful parade around the centre, immersing themselves in the spirit of the festival.
Singing and Music
Music is a key part of our celebrations, and the children love singing the song Kung Hei Fat Choi to the tune of Frère Jacques. The lyrics go:
Kung Hei Fat Choi, Kung Hei Fat Choi,
Happy New Year, Happy New Year,
There's a Chinese dragon, There's a Chinese dragon,
There's nothing to fear, There's nothing to fear.
As we sing, we keep the rhythm by beating a drum, adding to the festive atmosphere and encouraging the children to join in with movement and sound.
Role-Playing and Learning in the Home Corner
To deepen the children’s understanding of Chinese New Year, we enhance our home corners with props related to the celebration. This includes traditional Chinese outfits, play food items, and symbolic decorations. Through role-playing and interactive activities, children engage in meaningful learning about customs and traditions associated with the festival.
Food and Symbolism
Another important aspect of our celebrations is experiencing Chinese cuisine. Our meals are specially catered to include traditional foods enjoyed during Chinese New Year. As we share these meals, we discuss the symbolic meanings behind different elements of the celebration. For example, the colour red is considered lucky and symbolises prosperity, while foods such as dumplings and noodles have cultural significance in bringing good fortune and long life.
By celebrating Chinese New Year in this engaging way, we provide our children with a deeper appreciation of different cultures while developing creativity, social interaction, and joy. We look forward to continuing this tradition every year, making it a truly special experience for all at Sunflower Children’s Centre.
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
With many thanks to Dawn Gibbons for writing this article.
Dawn is the operations manager at Sunflower Nursery and a member of the EuHu Teacher Board.
