{"id":5294,"date":"2025-01-08T21:52:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T21:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/entertainment\/books\/lunar-new-year-celebration-ideas-for-kids-cultural-appreciation\/"},"modified":"2025-01-08T21:52:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T21:52:00","slug":"lunar-new-year-celebration-ideas-for-kids-cultural-appreciation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=5294","title":{"rendered":"Lunar New Year Celebration Ideas for Kids – Cultural Appreciation"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Cultural Appreciation<\/h2>\n

Currently, I hear more and more the term cultural appropriation<\/strong> used \u2013 the act of using things from a culture that is not yours, particularly without thought to respect that culture. I think this has left a lot of parents and educators confused and uncomfortable with whether to learn about festivals and customs of other cultures such as Lunar New Year and how to do so sensitively. As with everything, I think intent is so important to consider here. Coming from a place of cultural appreciation and celebration<\/strong> should be welcomed.<\/p>\n

I feel strongly that as parents and educators we should give opportunities for our children to learn about other cultures. The more we immerse them in other ways of life and help them to understand that we are all part of our one world \u2013 the more empathy for others I believe they will have. <\/p>\n

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Do Your Research<\/h2>\n

When looking to learn about a festival from a different culture be sure to do your research first. Try and speak with people from that culture about what it means to them, why they celebrate and what traditions their family has. When gathering resources such as books, videos and artefacts ensure they are true representations and avoid over commercialised products that may not be a fair portrayal of the culture.<\/p>\n

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Be sensitive in the words you use when you explore different customs, traditions and foods. Children listen very carefully to what we say, even if we think they don\u2019t! For example, someone trying a samosa and saying \u2018I hate spicy foods\u2019. Hate is a very strong word and can often leave our little ones reluctant to try new things and leave negative thoughts. I\u2019m not saying you lie to them, but think carefully of the words you choose \u2013 \u2018I really enjoyed how crispy the samosa was, it\u2019s a little spicy for me, what do you think?\u2019 \u2013 could be a more open response.<\/p>\n

Similarities and Differences<\/h2>\n

An important consideration for children is around similarities and differences. It\u2019s how they place themselves in the world. Help them to discuss these similarities and differences with appropriate language and showing appreciation for others. <\/p>\n

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Lunar New Year<\/h2>\n

Lunar New Year is a celebration each year sometime between mid January and mid February.<\/p>\n

In 2025 Lunar New Year falls on the 29th January and it\u2019s the year of the Snake. Find out more about the different animals and which year you are here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As with most things that we learn about together at home we start off with where. We use our globe and find where we are and then find the place or places we are discovering about. We talk about whether it\u2019s near or far, over land or water and how we might get there. <\/p>\n

After that, we get out an atlas to find out a little more. I like children\u2019s atlas\u2019 that have pictures of different landmarks, animals and objects relating to that place. It\u2019s a great way to start a discussion and you can find out what they already know.<\/p>\n

Floss, our daughter, was really surprised by how big China was in comparison to where we are in the UK. She also found a picture of a panda and would like to know more about pandas too!<\/p>\n

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Lunar New Year \u2013 Learning From Children<\/h2>\n

A lovely way to immerse children in different cultural celebrations is through short videos. I love the CBeebies ones where children are the staring roles. Here\u2019s a link to the ones we\u2019ll be watching<\/strong><\/a>. The first video introduces the preparation for the New Year and a New Year meal, the second one sees the same children at a Chinese street parade and the final one is a puppet show that tells the story of how the animals of the Chinese Zodiac came about. <\/p>\n

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Exploring Lunar New Year Crafts & More<\/h2>\n

Floss loves being creative so a lot of how we learn about other cultures and celebrations is through making things. For Lunar New Years in the past we\u2019ve made:<\/p>\n