Activities

Many people have emailed asking about Chinese activities. I hope this page can give everyone somewhere to start!

The Chinese name for the game is included at the beginning of each description. Hover over the Chinese characters to find out how it is pronounced in Cantonese.

Paper Cutting

Paper cutting is a traditional Chinese folk art. Delicate paper cuts are made for decorating the house during celebrations. They can also be gifts. Some very sophisticated designs can be seen at
Chinese Folkart: papercuts
Paper-cuts and Stencil Prints by Yu Ping and Ren Ping
Shantung Papercuts
Jianzhu, Henan Papercuts
Habei, Hubei Papercuts

On the right is a template for "double happiness". It is usually for weddings but can be used for any kind of general celebration.
For this activity you will need:

• red paper
• scissors (preferably a fine, small pair)
• cutter/razor or some kind of X-acto knife (use with care!)

Fai Chun Writing

Fai Chuns are a special feature of Chinese New Year. I have written some and they are on my site.
My Fai Chuns my calligraphy is not very good, but I have explanations for what the Fai Chuns mean.
Fai Chuns by Chinese teachers
HK school children with their Fai Chuns

I can write and send a Fai Chun to you in the post if you need it for a stall, display, etc. Email me to ask!
To write your own Fai Chuns you will need:

• red paper
• black/gold ink
• a soft brush (watercolour ones are fine)
• some old newspapers
• wiping cloth (in case of spills)

Bean-bag tossing

This is a good game for smaller groups. Perhaps a tournament?
You will need some small bean bags (small enough so that you can hold about four or five in your fist)

How to play:

• Put all the bean bags on the floor/table. (To make this easier to read, I'm going to label them A, B, C, D etc)
• Toss one of them (let's call it A).
• Before A lands, you have to pick up one other bean bag B, then quickly catch the bean bag A that is falling, so that you have both A and B in your hand.
• Repeat, toss A. Now you have to pick up two bean bags, B and C, and catch A.
• Repeat, toss A, now pick up B, C, D, and catch A.
• Each time you only toss one bean bag, but you pick up more and more bean bags. When you drop any of the bean bags, you lose.
• In a group, play in turns. The last person to remain wins!

More challenging variations! Played with one hand only, or toss more than one bean bag at a time!

Bamboo Sticks Game

You will need a lot of bamboo skewers (or anything that is a slim, long, regular, toothpick-y shape...)

How to play:

• Hold a large bundle of the skewers vertically on a table.
• Release the skewers so that they fall into a disorganised pile. Now the game begins!
• Take turns. Each person has to remove a skewer from the pile without causing another skewer to move.
• If he/she suceeds, he/she can take the skewer.
• Otherwise, if another skewer moved, he/she has to give up and let another have a try.

Hint: You can use a skewer that you have removed to help you remove another skewer! It is thinner than your fingers, so you will be able to deal with more "tricky" situations.
For variation, you can paint the skewers (not the entire skewer maybe, just paint bands of colour) so that the skewers have a different value (yellow band- 1 mark, green band- two mark, etc) This might lead to different stragedies for removing the skewers.
Some photos of this game (half way down the page).

Red packets

Laisee, or red packets, are usually given by married couples/elderly people to unmarried people/children to wish for good luck and happiness for the people who received the red packets. This usually happens during Chinese New Year, but sometimes at birthdays, and other festivals too.

Usually some money is put into the red packets, but you might ask everybody to write an auspicious or hopeful/happy kind of message, and put them in red packets, and exchange them (much in the way of exchanging gifts)!

You will need:

• Red packets (or red paper to make packets)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paper and pen for cheerful message, or sweets

Other resources

Flag of China (CIA World Factbook)

Chinese Traditional Clothing
A link to some photos of traditional Chinese clothing (might need to download Chinese support). It gives an idea of the texture and colours.

Folk Songs
Feng Yang Drums --about a corrupt officier whose rule made Feng Yang, orginally a prosperous place, into a barren, poor district
Kang Ding Love Song --about love in the town of Kang Ding
Lift Up Your Veil ---a song, again, about love, quite cute!
The Moon Curved Shines over Nine States --a sad song, a wife thinking about her farraway husband (Nine States=China in the olden days)

 

Contact me...

Email: wingying_chow222@yahoo.com.hk