The most delightful part of celebrating the New Year in childhood was donning new clothes and hats, running around the streets, and marveling at the festive lanterns! The vibrant red and patterned lanterns embody the rich Chinese spirit of joy, reunion, and beauty during the New Year. As the Lantern Festival approaches, let our children experience the authentic Chinese New Year atmosphere! Engage in paper cutting and lantern making to create unique, beautiful lanterns that will adorn your home with color and symbolize unity and happiness for another year.
Materials needed: 1 sheet of red and yellow construction paper each, 1 pair of safety scissors, 1 stapler, 1 tube of white glue or glue stick, and 1 red pipe cleaner.
Steps for making the lantern:
1. Fold the red paper horizontally and cut it evenly from the fold using safety scissors.
2. Tear off a small part of the yellow paper after folding it horizontally, then roll up the remaining paper along the longer edge, securing the opening with a stapler by an adult or teacher. For ease of handling by young children, the stapler can be replaced with white glue or a glue stick.
3. Apply white glue to the long edges of the cut red paper and roll it around the yellow cylinder as shown in the diagram.
4. Attach a thin red strip as a handle to complete the colorful paper lantern.
