Preschool - Weekly Highlights
This week, our preschoolers embarked on an exciting exploration of China, delving into its rich traditions and customs through engaging activities. They discovered various aspects of this captivating region, including the art of Calligraphy, traditional festival foods, and the awe-inspiring Great Wall of China, the largest man-made structure in the world.
Chinese Calligraphy - 福 (Fu)
Our young learners had the chance to explore Chinese calligraphy, an ancient art form characterized by elegant brushstrokes that convey meaningful symbols. They learned about the character 福 (Fu), symbolizing luck, happiness, and fortune. The children discovered how this symbol is often displayed upside down on doors and windows during celebrations to welcome good fortune into homes. They enhanced their fine motor skills, concentration, and appreciation for diverse languages and writing styles by painting and drawing the Fu character with paintbrushes and black ink.
Exploring Ancient Chinese Pottery
This week, we delved into the significance of tea in Chinese culture, learning about tea ceremonies and the history of Chinese pottery and tea ware. The art of the Chinese tea ritual extends beyond mere preparation and consumption. Our curious preschoolers explored beautiful ancient pottery from the Neolithic Era and admired antique clay pots for tea preparation. They used their creativity and fine motor skills to craft teapots or cups inspired by these exquisite ancient designs.
Exploring Chinese Traditional Food - Tangyuan
In celebration of the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, we explored traditional foods associated with the festival, such as Tangyuan, or glutinous rice balls, also known as Yuanxiao. The children had the opportunity to create their own sweet dumplings using play-dough, rolling, filling, and shaping them into delightful sweet balls.
Lantern Festival
This week, we celebrated the Lantern Festival with parents, a joyous occasion marking the end of the Chinese New Year festivities. The children learned that during this festival, people light and release lanterns as symbols of hope and good luck for the coming year. They enjoyed festival activities with their families, learned about the traditions of the Lantern Festival, made special sweet dumplings, and had a wonderful time together.
Women and Girls in Science
In addition to exploring Chinese culture, the children participated in a STEAM activity focused on important women in science, particularly Marie Curie. We read about her life and discussed her groundbreaking discoveries in radiation, which led to the development of X-rays, aiding doctors in examining the human body. The children engaged in hands-on learning by examining X-ray images and identifying body parts such as hands, legs, shoulders, and teeth. They also created their own "X-ray" art by printing their hands on black paper to mimic real X-ray images.
Valentine’s Day
We concluded this wonderful week with a celebration of Valentine’s Day, emphasizing themes of love, kindness, and friendship. The children participated in heartwarming activities, such as creating a Love Jar filled with acts of love and kindness. They crafted their own special recipes to gift to loved ones, made love potions, and created pretend sweets and chocolate boxes in our dramatic corner, the 'Pastry Shop.' They also crafted handmade Valentine’s cards filled with hugs. This celebration provided an opportunity to teach preschoolers about kindness and ways to express love, not just on Valentine’s Day but every day!