If kite-flying doesn't appeal:
- check out the list of resources I wrote about for Chinese New Year last year.
- There are many more ideas on Cybraryman's site, and at Larry Ferlazzo's blog.
- I found some lovely ideas to do with preschoolers for Chinese New Year on Fairy Dust Teaching.
- Tech Savvy Mama has excellent ideas too.
- Stay and Play has resources in a lovely pdf.
Crayola have some instructions for kite making and safety tips for kite flying. They suggest decorating the kite with one of the 12 animal zodiac signs. This first Crayola kite seems purely ornamental. The second one is simple but should fly. Here's a third Crayola kite, the air-flow, and they also have a more difficult Maori kite.
Gomberg Kites has a gallery of kites from around the world. The same website has instructions for kite-making under Artistry and Craftsmanship.
Song suggestions for your kite-flying:
- Let's Go Fly a Kite from Mary Poppins with separate music and lyrics or as a sung animation on Youtube.
- Rosie Thomas Kite Song
Book suggestion:
- Kite Flying by Grace Lin
- Not specifically about kites, but Riley and the Dancing Lion by Tania McCartney would also be a lovely picture book to share for Chinese New Year.
Kiting USA has some mini kite plans, plus galleries and more information. Here's another mini kite, made of straws and tissue paper, and a similar kite from eHow. There's also a miniature kite guild, with templates, but you need to register to download.
If your kids enjoy making things fly, you might like to check out my articles Let's Celebrate Australia Day (mini boomerangs) and Follow and Fly (paper aeroplanes.)
What will you do to celebrate Chinese New Year? Xin nian yu kuai!
Xin nian kuai le, lovely one! x
ReplyDeleteXie Xie!
ReplyDeleteYes, Happy Year of the Rabbit - and I'll join you flying a kite - I think I might manage that better than a boomerang... :) And for some more books that feature Asian kites, here's a Link to a Personal View Aline wrote some time back on PaperTigers. Demi's Kites is one of my favourte kite picture books, and accompanied by her Happy, Happy Chinese New Year! they are perfect for erm, Chinese New Year!
ReplyDeleteXin nian Kwai Le! thanks for all these ideas about kite making & flying. I have a sick child today who loves paper craft so we might just try one in the house. And fly it down the hall Thing One style...
ReplyDeleteHappy Chinese New Year! To bring in the year of the rabbit, I'll be giving away free digital copies of my book: Covert Youth Agency, The Case of Tangled Love. Just email me through my site: www.jasonancona.com (under "contact"} and say Happy Chinese New Year in your post. Promo good through tomorrow: 2-4-2011.
ReplyDeleteOh that sounds like fun! Paper boomerangs are great for indoors too - your child might enjoy flicking a mini boomerang and catching it on return. (See my last paragraph above for the link.) Being sick is lousy so anything in the way of distraction is useful. Oh, and do you know Tammy Yee's Origami page? http://www.tammyyee.com/origami.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for those links, Marjorie. I should know by now to search Paper Tigers when I research a blog post!
ReplyDeleteBoomerangs are so much quicker to make than kites but I must admit those mini kites are calling me!
What fun to celebrate with kites! Last year @Maggieswitz did an inquiry project with her students on making kites, it was a wonderful learning opportunity!
ReplyDeleteKite flying is one of those things that's bound to bring a smile to everyone's face I think Kelly!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great resources Susan! My little guys would love celebrating by making their own kites. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteNot strictly traditional to fly kites for New Year, Holly, but so much fun!
ReplyDelete