As the Chinese New Year is just around the corner, MSS WHQ, XH and MH campuses are filled with laughter and their unique New Year activities!

One of the key ideas of the Montessori Method is to provide children with a “prepared environment”. Children at MSS experienced the atmosphere of the New Year in our Montessori environment, deepening their understanding of the New Year with the joy of the traditions.

New Year Activities at MH Campus

Minhang Campus had a New Year Parade with many booths being set up, which were prepared by teachers and children from each class, and the children prepared for the New Year’s activities themselves with great excitement, by being so involved in the preparation.

On site, there were a wide range of activities: Ancient Style Rubbing, Pitch Pot-Touhu, Sugar-coated Fruit Making, Writing ‘Fortune’, Chinese Fan Making, Glass Lamp Painting, Mystery Box, Riddle Guessing, Glass Lamp Painting, Surprise Blind Box, and Riddle Guessing. ‘), Chinese Fan Making, Glass Lamp Painting, Mystery Box, Riddle Guessing, Chinese New Year Manicure, and Cotton Candy Making. Chinese New Year Manicure, Cotton Candy Making, Picture Candy Making, Lion Dance, Face Changing Show, Chinese New Year Group Photo …children were thrilled by the variety of activities!

At the same time, MSS also had a New Year’s Eve themed activity that children were able to experience in their own classroom. Parents were invited to come into the classroom to read a story of Chinese New Year to the children, or make crafts, dumplings, and watch shadow puppets with the children. …… At MSS, cultural celebrations are an important part of our Montessori program, and we strive to create a community of inclusiveness, mutual appreciation, and respectful community.

New Year Activities at WHQ Campus

A New Year’s Eve activity with the theme of Welcoming Spring, Celebrating the New Year was in full swing at WHQ campus! The children and teachers prepared it carefully and went on stage to present a wonderful end-of-year show to the parents!

Festivals are the best opportunity for children to learn and experience culture. China is an ancient civilization with a long history of 5,000 years, and the depth of its culture is remarkable to the world. Since ancient times, the Chinese have celebrated festivals in their own unique way, passing on millennia of cultural traditions. This time, we welcome the new year by reciting classic poems such as Yuanri – New Year’s Day, so that children can taste the flavor of Chinese culture in its wonderful rhythms.

In addition, the children also presented performances that were rich in Chinese elements, such as drumming, Chinese dance and rice-planting songs. Through these traditional and cultural programs, we not only gave the children a deeper understanding of Chinese New Year customs, but also allowed them to feel the unique charm of traditional culture through hands-on experience.

This is not only a New Year’s celebration, but also a journey to trace the history of the civilization of the five thousand years. In the process, the children not only strengthened their national confidence, but also learned to pass on and carry forward the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation!

New Year Activities at XH Campus

Xuhui Campus planned a week-long New Year’s activity under the theme of Find the New Year – Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and New Year’s Customs”, leading children to dive into the profound Chinese culture together.

Under the guidance of the teachers, the children made paper cuttings, a traditional Chinese folk art, with their own hands. With the nice work, a piece of red paper could be made into a beautiful auspicious pattern, symbolizing the good wishes for the New Year.

Calligraphy is a treasure of Chinese culture, in order to let the children feel the charm of calligraphy, the Campus also organized the creation of the Chinese character “福”. The children used their brushes and ink and wrote down the Chinese character “福”, which is full of strength and beauty, to send their good wishes for the new year.

Lion dances are very popular among children! The lion dance is considered to be a lucky charm to drive away evil spirits and avoid harm, and it is a must at every festival or major event. It is said that there are more than ten different lion dance styles in the performance. Children dance to the beat of the drum. It is not only about physical coordination, but also feeling the fun of lion dance.

Shadow puppetry, also known as “lantern shadow play” or “earth shadow play”, is one of the ancient forms of Chinese theater. The children watched the classic plays of shadow puppetry attentively, and at the same time, they could learn the behind-the-scenes story of shadow puppetry, and experienced the historical inheritance and unique charm of this intangible cultural heritage.

By the End

All these new year activities, all the cultural elements and all the fun
will become a part of our children’s memory.
We wish you all a early happy new year!

‘Joy, feeling one’s own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul. ’–Maria Montessori