Monday, January 31, 2011

Chinese New Year

This Thursday is the celebration of the Chinese New Year.  We will be welcoming in the Year of the Rabbit all week!

Crafts
Chopstick Picture Frame- we'll use wooden chopsticks to make a special picture frame

Paper Fan-  a cardboard rectangle and a tongue depressor will be transformed into a beautiful fan

Paper Lanterns- similar to the Halloween lanterns we made last year, these lanterns will be used to decorate our dining room for the new year feast

Egg Carton Dragon- no Chinese New Year celebration is complete without a dragon puppet

Red Envelope- we'll make a red paper envelope and maybe Eva will find some lucky money in it on Thursday

Activities
Chinese Yo Yo- using a spool, some string and two popsicle sticks, we'll make this Asian take on the yo yo

Chinese Character Memory Game- Eva's been getting really good at playing Memory so this version will help her look carefully at the details

Chopstick Transferring- we'll use chopsticks to move felt fortune cookies from one bowl to another

Rice Sensory Tub- the snow is emptied out and in it's place is a lot of rice- one of Eva's favorites

Cooking
Lucky Noodles- we'll make a yummy noodle lunch

Chocolate Covered Chinese Noodles- a sweet treat to celebrate the new year with

Books
My First Chinese New Year Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year LTF: A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book (Lift-the-Flap, Puffin) Lanterns and Firecrackers: A Chinese New Year Story (Festival Time) The Runaway Wok: A Chinese New Year Tale Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year (Reading Rainbow Books) Sam and the Lucky Money Happy New Year! / Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai! This Next New Year The Runaway Rice Cake D Is for Dragon Dance Bringing in the New Year (Read to a Child!: Level 2)

February: Asia-China

We are saying goodbye to the cold and snow of the Arctic and heading over to Asia.  Our first stop in Asia will be the big and beautiful country of China.

Here is how the month will look:

February Theme:  China

Weekly Themes:  
              *  Chinese New Year
              *  Building and Construction
              *  Mountain Life

              *  Valentine's Day (okay this has nothing to do with China but we can't ignore it!)

Science Unit:  Tools

Books

It's Cool to Learn About Countries: China (Social Studies Explorer) China in Colors (A+ Books) China (A World of Food) Orange Peel's Pocket Lin Yi's Lantern Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival The King and the Seed Boy Dumplings The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books) Food in China (Food Around the World) Welcome to China (Welcome to the World) Zen Shorts (Collector's Edition) (Zen) [Hardcover]

WINNER!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the giveaway and welcome to all the new followers!!!

And now for the winner:
Comment number 5 is:


Sandi said...




I "like" little learners lounge on Facebook!

Congratulations Sandi!  I'll be emailing you to get your address- enjoy the book!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Groundhog Day GIVEAWAY!!!!

Eva just got a copy of a Groundhog's Day book we already own so I'm doing a quick giveaway- just from now until NOON tomorrow (1/31).  Here's the book:
Groundhog Gets a Say
There are two ways to enter:
1.  Become a follower of Little Learners Lounge (or tell me you already are) and leave a comment
2.  Like us on facebook (or tell me you already have) and leave another comment

I will do the drawing at noon EST tomorrow Monday, January 31 and will express mail it to the winner.  Good luck!