Aside from learning Mandarin as a solid foundation to extend kids ability to communicate globally, learning Chinese culture has been one of the most recurring themes to be brought up. Learning Chinese culture will not only enrich kids’ knowledge, but also fosters deeper understanding and respect for traditions. Engagement in Chinese culture supposedly starts from an early age to support immersion and understanding. Throughout this article, we will discuss how to teach Chinese culture through fun activities to children.

Teaching kids Chinese culture has been seen as highly beneficial. While Chinese culture is not usually as common as learning Mandarin, a general knowledge of traditions can provide the following benefits. 

1. Cultural awareness – China has been known for its varying cultures across the region. Given the many traditions being incorporated throughout different practices, teaching Chinese culture to children can help them develop an open-minded behavior, preparing them to be connected globally with other people.
2. Future Opportunities – Having a basic understanding of Chinese culture is not only important to show respect to heritage, but can also build a solid foundation to different opportunities, such as education and employment. This early education in culture can help children foster interest in studying the global world and opening many career paths, especially those that are connected with Chinese culture. 
3. Appreciating Diversity – As previously mentioned, Chinese culture is tied to many varying traditions. Learning and understanding Chinese culture in this case can acknowledge diversity among one another and learn how to appreciate it while connecting with others. 
4. Sparking Creativity – Chinese culture often comes in many different forms to help children understand the significance of said traditions. Visually rich media such as pictures and videos are often utilized, especially for younger learners. These types of media will not only help children to gain more confidence in learning Chinese culture, but also provide them with ample solutions to explore more while sparking imagination through cultural engagement. 

As previously mentioned, introducing kids to Chinese culture at an early age can help broaden curiosity and knowledge. Given how rich these cultures are, it can be rather challenging to find the right tradition to start with. This guide will help suggest Chinese cultures that can be taught to kids. 

• Chinese Festivals

China is known for its wide selection of festivals. Some of these festivals are very popular worldwide, such as Chinese New Year Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. These festivals can be a great starter for kids to learn Chinese culture since festivals are usually filled with different activities that encourage active participation. Here are a few Chinese Festivals that you can choose from.

• Chinese New Year – Celebrated at the start of Spring, Chinese New Year is one of the biggest and well-known festivals. With the celebration lasting for approximately 15 days, this festival is the right moment to gather with family and incorporate other Chinese traditions.
• Mid-Autumn Festival – This festival is celebrated once the moon reaches its full phase during Autumn. This festival symbolizes appreciation toward the moon for granting a great harvest. During this festival, it is common for people to enjoy a nice portion of mooncake and make lanterns.
• Dragon Boat Festival – Celebrated during the fifth month of the Lunar Calendar, this festival is held to commemorate the death of Quyuan, who has shown extreme patriotism through classical poetries. During this festival, one of the common attractions is Dragon Boat Racing that involves approximately 30-60 people to paddle the boat.

• Arts and Crafts

Learning arts and crafts is another alternative that you can try when teaching kids about Chinese culture. This method will not only help kids to learn culture in a fun way, but also boost creativity by incorporating different types of art. Activities that can be tried include lantern making, calligraphy, and painting.

• Folktales

Folktales is the perfect way to teach Chinese culture in an interactive and engaging way. Stories that take place in China often include Chinese cultures while giving adequate context for kids to understand. Aside from learning about culture, folktales can help kids to understand the moral of the story. 

• Music

Music is another alternative to try while trying to spark kids’ creativity during Chinese culture learning. In the context of cultural learning, music is not limited to songs, but also learning traditional music instruments such as erhu and guzheng. 

For kids who don’t grow up in a Chinese household, learning Chinese Festivals can be quite tricky. However, it doesn’t mean that teaching Chinese Festivals to kids is entirely impossible. Here are some recommended effective steps to start with while teaching Chinese Festivals. 

• Active Participation

One of the easiest ways to start learning Chinese Festivals is to actively participate in any ongoing festivals. This step can be highly effective to give kids a first-hand experience of celebration. During these celebrations, try teaching your children about some common practices during Chinese Festivals, such as giving red pocket during Chinese New Year. 

• Media Immersion

With how rapid our current technology is, Chinese culture can be carried by diving into available media such as stories, videos, and music. Learning through media such as storybooks and folktales can help children understand better about Chinese culture and provide enough context to learn the origin of said traditions. 

• Get Creative With Crafts

Another way to teach children about Chinese culture is letting them expand their creativity by doing crafts. A few crafting ideas that you can try include making lanterns, decorating places with Chinese ornaments, and making calligraphy. While doing these fun activities, try teaching kids what each craft symbolizes. 

• Visiting Local Events

During big Chinese festivals such as Chinese New Year, local events are usually held in different places. Although these events are not 100% precise with how Chinese festivals are celebrated, bringing kids to local Chinese cultural events is a great start to let kids experience festivals. Local events usually include Chinese themed stalls, parades, and even workshops. 

Aside from teaching kids individually, Chinese cultures can also be incorporated into the classroom with different engaging activities. The implementation of Chinese cultures will not only help kids understand better, but also practice teamwork and allow smoother communication with peers to learn deeper about the topic. To spark your classroom activities while teaching Chinese culture, here are five Chinese New Year crafts that you can consider. 

• Classroom Decoration

Decorating a classroom for Chinese New Year can be a fun way to involve every student to contribute their ideas. Let them discuss the concept and gather materials needed to decorate the classroom. As a teacher, you can encourage them by letting the kids know about common practice and decoration during Chinese New Year. 

• Making Red Envelope

Red envelope is a staple part of Chinese New Year celebrations which is usually used to give pocket money. To help children learn this Chinese New Year tradition, you can try providing them with plain red envelopes that they can decorate to their hearts’ content. 

• Lantern Making

Another creative way to let children learn Chinese New Year cultures while crafting is by teaching them to make paper lanterns. As a starter, you can try providing a few examples and different materials to give children freedom in creating their own designs. 

• Coloring Pictures

For younger children, coloring activities can be another alternative worth trying. By printing pictures related to Chinese New Year celebrations, children can improve their motoric skills while expanding their creativity in choosing and implementing color. This step can also be further enhanced by encouraging children to make a short story or description based on the pictures they’ve colored. 

• Calligraphy

Calligraphy is a common practice that can help children write Chinese characters. To incorporate Chinese New Year Cultures, you can try teaching students how to write Chinese New Year Greetings such as 新年快乐 and 万事如意. This method will not only help expand creativity, but also support students in learning Mandarin in a fun way. 

Learning Chinese cultures is equally important as learning Mandarin. Learning both culture and language can help children cultivate interest while opening education and career opportunities in the future. Whether you are planning to teach your children Chinese culture or Mandarin as a second language, taking courses are highly encouraged to connect children with experts. Visit us to learn more about the arrangement.