Chinese New Year - Brooklyn Children's Museum

Activities to do with your students
Fu Sign
Materials
8” x 8” sheets of red construction paper
Black acrylic paint and paintbrushes
(or thick black markers or crayons)
Glue
Glitter
Metallic paper
Markers
Ruler
Scissors
Fu Character template
Lucky Symbols Sheet
What To Do
1. If students aren’t already sitting in groups at tables or desks
pushed together, have them create groups.
2. Begin with a discussion about good luck and items that people
believe bring good luck.
3. Hold up/refer to the lantern and Fu sign from the case when
explaining the good luck symbolism of Chinese New Year
decorations. You may want to point out the other good luck
symbols on the sign and lantern. Place the Fu sign so that all
can see it and explain that many New Year decorations include
sayings of good wishes for the New Year. The most popular of
which is an upside down “Fu” meaning “good luck is coming.”
4. Remind students that part of the preparation for New Year is
making the decorations and let them know they will be creating
their own Fu signs for the holiday. Demonstrate how to follow the
Fu template using a paintbrush to paint the Chinese character.
5. Provide each group with black paint, glitter, metallic paper,
markers, Fu templates, scissors, and glue to share. Distribute
one Lucky Symbols sheet, an 8” x 8” sheet of red construction
paper and a paintbrush to each student.
6. Encourage students to use symbols they have seen during the
Chinese New Year unit as well as what is on the Lucky Symbols
sheet to decorate their Fu signs. Maybe they want to include
their favorite zodiac animal? Maybe they want to include other
lucky symbols? Have the case’s resource books and objects
available for students to refer to for ideas.
7. Once complete and dry hang the students’ work around
the classroom.
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