Chinese New Year is coming and it will be the year of the dragon. In Chinese culture, the dragon represents power, authority, and kindness. We put together ten creative ways for young learners to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, at home or as after-school activities. Download our free resource pack here.

#1: Art – Spot it

The dragon is a symbol of power in Chinese culture. For a long time, the five-clawed dragon image was reserved for the emperor’s exclusive use. Take a look at these objects decorated with dragons, do you know what they are? Find the answer in our resource pack.

#2: Music – Rap it

Chinese people claim they are heirs of dragons. Click the video below for an awesome rap song ‘Heirs of the Dragon’, by American singer and songwriter Leehom Wang. He reinterpreted this song along with his family’s touching story of migrating to New York. Get the song lyrics in English and Pinyin in our resource pack.

#3: Game – Join it

Oracle bone script (Chinese: 甲骨文; pinyin: jiǎgǔwén) is the oldest known form of Chinese writing. Join the dots to discover how to write ‘Dragon’ in the oracle bone script. What does it look like? Find the original character in our resource pack.

#4: Story – Read it

Read the Four Dragons tale. Find out how four dragons became the four biggest rivers in China. Click the video below to listen to the story:

#5: Language – Solve it

Figure out these English words and Chinese phrases that include ‘dragon’. Take a guess, what do they mean? Find answers in our resource pack.

#6: Food – Taste it

Noodles are eaten as a staple food across northern China. In some areas,  families make noodles from scratch daily. Usually, women roll out the dough by hand, while men carry out the noodle dance – playing dough ‘violin’, pulling skeins of dough into hundreds of strand noodles. Click the video below to see a noodle dance.

The long thin appearance of dragon whisker noodles resembles the whiskers of a Chinese dragon, hence the name. Get a dragon whisker soup noodle recipe in our resource pack.

#7: Manga – Circle it

In the Japanese manga Dragon Ball, the hero goes on a quest to search for seven Dragon Balls, which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Can you find all seven Dragon Balls in this picture?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/quizzes/dragon-ball-super-find-the-seven-dragon-balls

#8: Design – Create it

A Chinese dragon has deer-like horns, camel-like head, rabbit-like eyes, snake-like neck, sea serpent-like belly, fish-like scale, eagle-like claw, tiger-like paws, and ox-like ears. Unleash your imagination and create a dragon of your own.

#9: Event – Hunt it

Join an online bilingual event ‘We’re Going on a Dragon Hunt‘ to discover dragons around the world and search for dragons in Chinese art and music, stories, and festivals, as well as ancient and modern languages. Celebrate the New Year of Dragon with Chinese children to gain a different perspective on the dragon’s role in culture. Book your place here.

#10: Connect – Pen it

Join our pen pal program to share your hobbies, favorite food, and animals with Chinese children. Make writing fun and find new friends in the Year of Dragon.

(1). Godzilla wrote about his favorite Godzilla; (2). Casey wrote about all his pets

Email us at story@creativechineseclub.com to register your interest.

Do you have a creative way to celebrate the Dragon Year? Share with us in the comment box.