News & Events

A Loud and Colourful Chinese New Year Celebration at Taarana School

14/02/2023

While celebrating festivals can be challenging for neurodiverse children, it is an excellent opportunity for them to learn and have fun.

Early this month, Taarana School’s students and teachers kicked off the Chinese New Year festivities with a fun-filled celebration!

While celebrating festivals and holidays can be challenging for neurodiverse children, it is also an excellent opportunity for them to learn and have fun. And that is what Taarana’s teachers and therapists had in mind when they put together this special event.

A New Dance for a New Year

The students gathered in the assembly hall for warm-up activities to start the day. They participated in simple movement songs and learned a new dance inspired by a traditional Chinese New Year performance – a great way to get everyone in the festive spirit and ready for the day’s events.

A Delicious Yee Sang Toss

Next, the students headed outside to participate in the Yee Sang toss! This traditional activity involves mixing ingredients and saying words to bring good luck for the new year. The students mixed snacks representing the classic Yee Sang colours and then sat down to enjoy their creations.

Masterpiece Dragon Puppets!

The students then moved on to a fun arts and crafts activity. They watched a video on making dragon puppets with all the needed materials to make their own. They used colour pencils, scissors, glue, and paper to create their masterpieces. Meanwhile, students who needed an alternative activity occupied the time stamping to make a tree with leaves.

Photos for Posterity

After all the creative work, it was time for a group photo session. Each class and their teachers took a photo against a Chinese New Year-themed backdrop, with red umbrellas, a red bench, and a replica kumquat tree. What a great way to remember this special celebration!

Fun Festive-themed Games

It was then time for some fun games! The first game, ‘Feed the Rabbit,’ had the children use tongs to pick up carrots and walk through an obstacle course to drop the carrots into a rabbit-themed bowl. The second game, ‘Search the Red Packets,’ involved the students wading through a pool of red packets filled with puzzle pieces. They found the puzzle pieces, completed the board, and had a blast! Different levels were provided for the students’ different ability levels, making it a fun and educational experience for everyone.

A Loud and Colourful Finale

The day ended with a bang (literally!) with the pop-pop firecrackers. The teachers demonstrated how the firecrackers worked and guided the children to play with them safely. As might be expected, they had a blast! Finally, the students and teachers worked on tidying the hall to end the day.

Celebrating Chinese New Year at Taarana was a fantastic way for the students to learn and have fun simultaneously. Who says holidays can’t be educational too?