Five Ways to Bring Chinese to Life This Summer
Summer is a wonderful time for children to keep Chinese alive in a light, playful, and meaningful way. Instead of treating Chinese as only a classroom subject, summer gives children the chance to experience it through travel, friendship, culture, food, nature, and real-life connection.
Take a look at five ways to bring Chinese to life this summer for your kids.
#1. Travel to China
If your family is considering a trip to China, two – four weeks can give your child something that is difficult to recreate in a classroom: a real reason to use Mandarin and total cultural immersion. A trip can also deepen their understanding of Chinese food, history, geography, and everyday family life. Most importantly, successfully using even a few words of Mandarin can give a child a powerful sense of confidence and motivation to continue.
This summer, our Chinese language learners from the US and France flew to China for a real travel experience. From busy cities to beautiful nature, they explored famous sights, local food and drinks and made friends in China.
What should a family of four budget? For a two-week, mid-range trip covering three or four cities, families may need to budget approximately $7,000–$14,000, including international flights. Also check out some what to do and what not do do for your China travel.
#2. Make Real Connections
Language becomes more meaningful when we use it to connect with people.
Our teacher Michelle has been teaching Lucas, a young learner from Boston, since December 2025. This summer, Lucas and his family travelled to China, and he met Michelle in Shanghai for the very first time. They shared dumplings, visited the zoo, and created a special memory together.
Lucas mom said ‘immediately after Lucas saw Michelle he started speaking Chinese and suddenly (his sister) Olivia was also interested.’
Looking for a fun and flexible way to help your child learn Mandarin? Our online classes are available at family-friendly times across Asia, Europe, and the US. Explore our online Chinese program for children, or book a free trial class and help your child bring Mandarin to life.
Another meaningful connection happened through Gloria, a China travel consultant. Gloria has been helping our learner families plan their trips to China — from travel ideas and itinerary planning to booking support. This summer, she met one of our learner families from France in Shanghai. Read her blog on top 10 practical tips on traveling to China in 2026.
#3. Experience Chinese Culture
Immersion does not always mean formal study or travelling far. It can happen naturally through everyday life — eating Chinese food, visiting a Chinese grocery store, listening to Chinese music, or joining a local Chinese immersion camp.
This summer, our learners in the UK and the US have been creating beautiful memories through Chinese culture: buying Chinese snacks, making and tasting Chinese food, playing Chinese music on the piano, and participating in local Chinese immersion camps.
#4. Discover Summer Adventures
One of the most exciting parts of summer learning is discovering how children in other countries spend their holidays.
Children in China travelled across the country for family visits, outdoor adventures, and memorable summer experiences. Let’s follow in their footsteps and discover where their summer journeys took them!
Meanwhile, our learners in Delaware enjoyed trips to the beach, river cruises, and visits to farms, where they met and petted the animals.
There are so many ways to make summer fun! What did you do this summer, and which activity was your favourite?
#5. Share the Journey
Is your child learning Mandarin Chinese? Help them keep their language skills fresh, stay motivated, and connect meaningfully with Chinese culture—all while having fun this summer! Join our Summer Digital Exchange Program and bring Mandarin learning to life. Through this informal program, students can exchange summer photos and short videos with children in China, and discover how their peers on the other side of the world spend their summer holiday.
Join our Kids Chinese Program and bring Mandarin learning to life.
Book a free trial online class for your child to make learning Mandarin Chinese fun and grow global citizens.
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