It’s been a wonderfully vibrant and very Chinese week in the unit as we’ve been celebrating the Year of the Snake! The atmosphere has been buzzing with excitement as the children immersed themselves in a variety of hands-on activities, all linked to this fascinating festival.

One of the highlights of the week was creating our very own Chinese dragons. The children loved using  an array of materials to bring their dragons to life. Of course, no Chinese New Year celebration would be complete without a dragon dance! With their handmade dragons in hand, the children paraded around, swaying and stomping in time with traditional Chinese music—it was such a joy to watch.

Food is always a big part of any cultural celebration, and the children had a fantastic time preparing and tasting noodles. They even had a go at using chopsticks, which led to plenty of giggles and determination as they tried to master the tricky technique!

We also took a closer look at China on our map, sparking lots of curiosity about this vast and beautiful country. The children were particularly fascinated by the story of the Chinese Zodiac and enjoyed finding out which animal represented the year they were born in.

Another special moment was attempting some Chinese writing. The children showed incredible focus as they carefully copied Chinese characters, and we were so impressed with their efforts! It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and pride in trying something new.

This festival is always a favourite, and it’s easy to see why—the combination of dragons, dancing, storytelling, and food makes for an unforgettable experience. We’ve had an incredibly busy week, but most importantly, a week filled with laughter, learning, and lots of festive fun!

Mr Gradwell was feeling poorly so he booked an appointment at our hospital and was given several injections to make him feel better.