Activity:
Yuan Xiao Jie
Yuan Xiao Jie, also known as the Lantern Festival, takes place during the first full moon of the year, and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The festival takes place in the evening, with lanterns to illuminate the streets. Traditionally, the lanterns will have a riddles written on them for entertainment. Bring a bit of the fun of Yuan Xiao Jie to your home with this lantern activity.
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What You Need:
- Construction paper
- Streamers
- Glue
- Stapler
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Felt tip pens or pencil crayons
- Ruler
- Glitter, sequins, stickers and whatever else your child wants to use to decorate
- Internet (optional)
What You Do:
- Have your child fold a piece of the construction paper in half lengthwise so it forms a long and skinny rectangle.
- Tell your child to position the paper so the fold is facing him. Ask him to use the ruler to measure one inch down from the top edge of the paper (the end that's not folded) and make a mark with the pencil. Then, he should draw a straight line lengthwise one inch from the edge. Tell you child that it's important to not cut beyond this line.
- Help your child use the scissors to cut lines from the folded edge of the paper up to the line he created.
- Ask him to open the paper and match the edges of the paper together to form a cylinder-like shape.
- Have your child use the glue to attach the two uncut edges. Let dry.
- Using another piece of construction paper, your child can measure and cut out a one-inch wide strip across the length of the paper to be used as the handle.
- Instruct your child to use the stapler to attach the handle to the top of the lantern.
- Challenge your child to think of a riddle, and have him write it on the lantern. Then, write the answer on the inside of the lantern. If he's stumped, let him do some research on the Internet to find one he likes. We used this one: I am the beginning of the end, the end of every place. I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I? The letter E!
