I’m the first to admit I’m not very creative or crafty. However, when we visited the Botanic Gardens in Montreal over the summer, there was a lady who was offering origami lessons to kids at the Japanese garden.  So we all sat down, and 10 minutes later, each of us had a beautiful flower made out of origami paper. We have great origami paper, in various colors and patterns for you at our store. Check it out and stock up for cold weather activities. They are also great as stocking stuffers!

The Little One has been loving to do Tangram lately, so I diligently looked up some more options online and found quite a few websites that the little ones can practice on the computer.  Tangram is an ancient game originated in China, consisting of 7 geometric shapes and put together to form shapes.  Check out these sties to see if your kids will enjoy them too.

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/area/tangram.html

http://www.creativeimaginations.net/PAGE4.html

http://games.ztor.com/tang/

So now that Chinese New Year is over, my Chinese friends and I have been exchanging ideas about what we did for the kids’ classroom presentations for the New Year.  A friend told me a really cute idea, that I am definitely stealing for next year.  She got some of the calligraphy brushes, ink, and some rice paper at a local Pearl River in New York.  She demonstrated how to write a few simple Chinese words to 20 first graders!  I thought that was such a wonderful idea!

I learned the Chinese calligraphy when I was little, but I haven’t touched a Calligraphy brush for a very very long time.  I had pretty good hand writing too!  There is something really relaxing about holding a brush, and drawing these characters.  There are 2 types of ink you can use, inkstick, or pre-mixed bottle.  The pre-mixed bottles are the most convenient, but I really enjoyed using the inkstick.  The ink from the inkstick is made from lampblack (soot) and binders, and must be rubbed with water on an inkstone until the right consistency is achieved.  It takes a lot of patience to get the right consistency, but there’s something really soothing about it.

When the kids are a little bit older, I am definitely going to introduce this to them.

It’s a snow day here in NJ today, actually, it’s more like a blizzard day.  I was supposed to present Chinese New Year to two kindergarten classes today, but I guess that’s not happening.  Well, here’s the craft I was going to have the class made.  It’s a very cute dragon, and the boys definitely enjoyed making them.  Chinese people see dragons as power and goodness, and Dragon dance symbolizes the bringing of good luck and success in the coming year.

I found the craft from Oriental Trading.  The only warning is that there is a lot of pre-assembling work, especially for my 5 year old class.  I spent a few hours putting the ribbon through the hole and pre-packaging the pieces together.  I do love the result though, so it is worth it!

Have fun!

Craving fastfood but do not want the calories?  Maybe give this origami hamburgur a try.  These are so cute.  Each kit comes complete with enough paper to make your own cheeseburger (with all the fixings), fish burger, fries, a cold drink, and a tray to carry it all on.  They can be found at the Japanese American National Museum Store.

For other origami options, I love these animal ones available at our website.  I especially love the fact that it comes with a pop up play scene for the pretend play.  Can’t beat the $6.95 price for sure.

Moon Festival day is always on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the year based on the Lunar calendar. This year, it will be this coming Saturday, October 3rd. Legend has it, that is the day when the moon is the fullest, and the brightest. To celebrate this special occasion, families often gather together for dinner, known as tuán yuán fàn before eating moon cakes and drinking tea in the courtyard to appreciate the natual beauty of the moon.

For children, however, the lanterns are usually the highlight of the evening. Oftentimes, the kids will make their own, using wire, rice paper, and glue to create art master pieces of pandas, rabbits, dragons, snakes, etc. In some areas, there are also competitions for the best lantern!

This year, you can take part in this special celebration with your children by decorating a lantern for the Moon Festival similar to the one on the left. Click here to buy.