February, Celebrate Chinese New Year with New Year Surprise!

Story Box Library Activity of the Month: February 2024

Little Brother is told by his brother and his friends that he's too small to help out at the Spring Festival. He's too little to fly a kite and he's not strong enough to hold a dragon pole. But Father says he has a special job to do. What can it be? He knows it's not hanging the lanterns up, as Father has already done that. He knows it's not choosing the treats from the hawker as Father has already chosen a duck. He knows it's not serving tea or lighting firecrackers as he did those jobs last year. Follow Little Brother through the village to find out what his special job is.

Celebrate Chinese New Year, with this activity available from Story Box Library linked to the story: New Year Surprise! Written and read by Christopher Cheng, illustrated by Di Wu, and published by National Library of Australia, 2016.

Make your own Chinese New Year lanterns.

What you need:

Red A4 paper

Sticky tape

Hole punch

Scissors

String or ribbon

Instructions:

Fold your page in half vertically.

Cut along the folded edge at 1 - 2 cm intervals. Do not cut all the way through.

Once you have cut your paper, open it back out and gently connect the two shorter sides of the paper. Secure these sides together with some sticky tape.

Use a hole punch to create two holes at the top of your lantern and thread a piece of ribbon or string through the holes and hang your lantern somewhere in your home!

To access Story Box Library and activities online, free with your Waimakariri library card number and PIN, go to our Tamariki/Children's eLibrary, from our Tamariki/Children’s Space, where you will also find more resources that are relevant to preschool, and primary school aged children.