Hi boys and girls and welcome to another Fun Friday Day. The next 6 days are going to be full of special celebrations: Chinese New Year, Pancake Tuesday, and Valentine’s Day. We have lots of interesting and fun activities here to help you and your family to celebrate them. Please take photos of any activities that you do and send them to kids@stphilips.ie or post them to your teacher on SeeSaw. We would really love to see them.
Chinese New Year
Today is the beginning of the Lunar New Year Festival that is also known as The Chinese New Year. The festival is celebrated in many different parts of the world. Here are some fun ways that you can take part in the festival.
Story
Here are some stories from China and about the Lunar New Year.
- The Willow Pattern Story – You might recognise the blue pattern in the picture below from plates and bowls. My granny had lots of them! This is the very old story of the pattern.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj5uTZG6G90&t=1s
- The Great Race – The story of the Chinese Zodiac
This explains why each new year of the lunar calendar is named after a different animal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4WlzNrpUCs
Art
- Use the Chinese characters in the photo to try and write your name and the names of people in your family. Remember that Chinese writing goes from top to the bottom not from left to right!
Paper Fortune Cookies
You will need: paper or thin card, scissors, glue, colourful markers or pens.
Step 1: Get your fortunes ready on thin strips of paper. Think of kind things you can write about who you will give the cookie to; or something lucky that might happen to them.
Step 2: Decorate your sheet of paper or thin card. You can also use patterned wrapping paper. Use a cup or glass to draw a circle and cut it out.
Step 3: Dab some glue inside the top edge of the circle. Match the bottom edge up with it, and pinch until the two pieces stick together. Do not press a crease along the centre fold.
Step 4: Insert your paper fortune now before you fold up your cookie. To fold your fortune cookie, continue holding the glued edge with one hand. With the other hand, hold the ends of the fortune cookie with your thumb and middle finger.
Step 5: Press your forefinger into the centre of the cookie. As you press in, use your other hand to guide the back edge into a fold that kind of “hugs” the cookie as it fold.
Step 6: Dab a bit of glue into the fold and pinch your fortune cookie together until it holds.
Step 7: Give someone you love their fortune cookie to brighten up their day.
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Valentine’s Day
- This Sunday, the 14th of February is St Valentine’s Day. Here is a very short video explaining the history of St Valentine’s Day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fmy1MX42b8&t=15s
- Read the funny poem in the photos below by Jack Prelutsky about a boy who gobbled up his mother’s Valentine’s chocolates!!!
Art
Valentine Caterpillar:
You will need: Card, coloured paper, glue, scissors, a pen or skinny marker
Step 1: Cut out 5 small hearts.
Step 2: Write a cute message on 4 hearts, and draw a caterpillar’s face on 1 heart.
Step 3: Assemble the hearts and stick them onto the card to make a caterpillar (see picture below)
Step 4: Draw in the legs and antennae.
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Pancake Tuesday
On Tuesday, the 16th of February, it will be Pancake Tuesday. You can make lots of pancakes at home and enjoy them. Make sure to send us some photos of your pancakes.
Story
Here is a story that I loved when I was in school called The Big Pancake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1QRqpAOHu0
Art
Paper Pancake Man
You will need: Paper, a stapler, paint, old newspaper or tissue
Step 1: Cut out 2 big circles and paint them
Step 2: Staple them together leaving a gap to stuff the doll with newspaper or tissue
Step 3: Staple shut and decorate as you wish
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Active
Couch Island Game
- Choose two areas that you call "islands", these might be the couch and another chair or if you are outside it might be a picnic blanket and a hula-hoop circle.
- Place "stepping stones" between the two "islands". For example, you could use cushions or table mats or towels.
- Pretend that everything in between is the sea, filled with crocodiles, giant jelly fish, or sharks waiting to catch someone who steps off the islands or stepping stones. One person can hop between the islands, while the other acts like a crocodile, shark or jelly fish and tries to catch them if they step off. Then swap over.
