Footsteps Farnborough celebrates Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, takes place on the first new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20.

With bright colours, new smells, stories and activities, the children at Footsteps Farnborough, enjoyed the celebrations as part of their Understanding the World, as part of Early Years Foundation Stage.

The event allowed the children to discuss and participate in a variety of traditions and experiences that they may not get to experience at home.

The children all joined in trying a selection of Chinese food, making stir fry in their cooking activity and enjoying trying a variety of healthy vegetables. They also got creative making masks to acknowledge the year of the rat.

Some view the rodent as being symbolic of intelligence and quick-witticism, as demonstrated in a popular story told as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Manger Claire, said: “We’ve been very lucky to have first hand experience from staff who celebrate Chinese new year and have brought in traditional Chinese new year decorations, ang pow pockets and their own stories of celebrations. This has enabled us to experience Chinese writing and language too.

We have been playing traditional Chinese music and have made dragon puppets just like the ones we’ve seen in the dances and have plans to do our very own dragon dance (with a sheet to cover us and a dragons head that we’ve made today). We have experimented trying to use chopsticks too. Kung Hei Fat Choy!”