Easy Chinese New Year Paper Crafts for Nannies and Au Pairs

Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays, and is a time of feasting with the family, celebration, fireworks, and gift-giving. It is a 15-day holiday, beginning on the first day of a new moon and ending with the full moon on the day of the Lantern Festival. This year Chinese New Year is February 14, 2010. Practice saying Happy New Year in Chinese with the children -- phonetically Gung Hay Fat Choy.

Below are some simple paper crafts to do with children to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Paper Fan
You will need:
Piece of paper
Two wide Popsicle sticks
White glue
Sticky tape
Colored pens

1. Have the children decorate the paper with butterflies, flowers, cherry blossoms, or calligraphy with colored pens.
2. Then, pleat the paper back and forth into equal folds.
3. Glue a Popsicle stick onto each end of the paper. The Popsicle sticks should stick out above the top of the paper.
4. Once dry the children can pull the Popsicles sticks together and tape them in place to make the fan.


Chinese Lanterns
Chinese New Year ends with the beautiful Lantern Festival. Here’s how to make paper lanterns with the children.

You will need:
Construction Paper
Tissue Paper
White glue
Scissors
Hole punch
String

1. Fold construction paper in half lengthwise.
2. Cut lines through the fold to about 1 ½ inches from the top of the paper at about 1 inch intervals.
3. Glue strips of tissue paper along the uncut side.
4. Have the tissue paper hang at the bottom. Make two small holes in the top. Tie some thread through to hang the lantern.

Tomorrow on the Be the Best Nanny Newsletter blog: Chinese New Year Recipes