Useful traditional Tet experience activities for preschool children in Ninh Giang

We witnessed the Tet atmosphere at Hong Phong, Ninh Hai, and Dong Tam Kindergartens. These are the schools that won high prizes in the district-level Talented Junior Chef Competition. During the 3 days of January 29-31, these 3 schools organized the school-level Talented Junior Chef Competition and many festivals to welcome the spring of 2024 in a joyful and exciting atmosphere.

Unlike previous years when only a small space with spring colors was built in the school yard, this year, Hong Phong Kindergarten organized many spring market booths for children to celebrate Tet.

The entire school yard is filled with spring colors with 9 booths designed in different colors, from folk with bamboo blinds, parallel sentences, woven bamboo baskets, banh chung, jam, banh te, sticky rice of all colors to booths with elaborately prepared gates made of balloons...

Ms. Phan Thi Dung, Principal of Hong Phong Kindergarten, said: “It took a week for teachers, parents and children to prepare various booths, presenting a vivid and practical picture of the Tet fair, close to the local context awaiting the new year. Children participated in many activities to experience booth preparation, display, buy, sell, walk around, visit, draw pictures, practice calligraphy, etc.

At Ninh Hai Kindergarten, the school organized for 310 students, teachers and parents to wrap Chung cakes. Teacher Bui Thi Phuong May proudly watched the 5-year-old children wipe dong leaves and practice wrapping Chung cakes.

Ms. May shared: “For preschool children, it is always more difficult for them to approach traditional cultural features, especially making banh chung, than for students in higher grades. Before the children practice directly, the teachers always accompany them to help them understand more about the meaning of banh chung and the wrapping process. Together with the teachers, the children are given specific instructions on helping adults cut leaves, scoop rice, etc. Immediately after completion, the children are rewarded with delicious banh chung. That way, the children will be impressed and remember it for a long time, most of them are very excited about this experiential activity.”

Little Nguyen Tieu Nam, 5-year-old class D, Ninh Hai Kindergarten happily said: "I really like making banh chung with lots of meat and beans. I will bring banh chung home for my grandparents and parents."

The 2024 Spring Festival of Dong Tam Kindergarten took place in a lively atmosphere. The school organized for children to make jam, make Tet calendars, decorate peach trees, display fruit trays, and play folk games. 350 children from nursery to kindergarten age groups of the school participated in age-appropriate folk games such as: tug of war, mandarin squares, rock-paper-scissors, saw-saw, etc.

Teacher Dinh Thi Thu Huyen, Principal of Dong Tam Kindergarten, said that the program "Children are happy to welcome Tet" is a meaningful gift that Dong Tam Kindergarten and parents give to students on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2024, so that children can experience the Tet atmosphere at their second home.

"This is also a useful activity, helping students understand more about the meaning of Tet, appreciate the traditional cultural beauty of the national Tet holiday. The program is also an opportunity for parents to directly participate in school education activities, thereby creating a connection between family and school in caring for, nurturing and educating children," Ms. Huyen shared.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tham, Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of Ninh Giang district, said that after the success of the district-level Talented Junior Chef Competition, we have developed a plan for 24 kindergartens in the district to organize school-level competitions for children to compete in knowledge, make gai cakes, and cakes. In the 2023-2024 school year, the kindergarten level of Ninh Giang district organized a workshop on innovating educational methods based on projects, in which the gai cake project was selected as the focus. This issue is not only related to nutrition education in kindergartens but also spreads culinary specialties, hometown identity...

On this occasion, kindergartens in the district also organize traditional Tet activities in a practical way for children to experience and practice, imbued with traditional Vietnamese culture, suitable to their cognitive ability and living conditions. Through these activities, not only do they create useful experiences, but they also help children understand more and be aware of preserving the traditional cultural beauty of the nation, contributing to improving the quality of education in the locality.