Kids celebrate the Chinese New Year

Youngsters at Winchcombe Farm Day Nursery in Upper Tysoe learned about traditions and mythology of the different animals used in the celebration, which ended at the weekend.

Younger children sampled Chinese cookery and ate with chopsticks while older children studied tangrams, a Chinese system of creating patterns using only seven shapes. Children also made lanterns and studied Chinese writing, as well as making a dragon to welcome in the year of the Rabbit, while the parents of one pupil brought in calendars and other items.

Business manager Catherine Foxall said: “The Chinese New Year is a very important holiday. It is celebrated in late January to early February depending on the year and starts on a new moon, ending with the lantern festival on the full moon 15 days later.

“The children had great fun taking part in Chinese restaurant role plays and making crafts to help them understand about the importance of the occasion. We celebrate many festivals from different faiths at Winchcombe Farm to help our youngsters learn about other cultures.”