It’s definitely a good way for your kids to learn more about China through Chinese art because Chinese art is not only rich in variety, creativity, craftsmanship, and fun. But also includes a lot of meaningful stories, history, and knowledge.
Wondering what kinds of Chinese art are suitable for your kids to learn? Don’t worry, I’ve helped you prepare an elaborate list, including 5 unexpected Chinese arts you might have never heard about.
So let’s explore the list!
1. Chinese Sugar Paint, Fun and Tasty!
Kids love eating sweets, kids also love play. But what if I tell you there is one activity for kids providing both sweets and entertainment?
Yes, you’re not hearing wrong, there is one and it is a kind of exclusive Chinese traditional art called Sugar Paint!
Sugar painting is one of the most important traditional folk handicrafts in China, having been included in the list of National Intangible Heritage.
Compared to other mainstream art which is requiring a lot of professional training and studying, sugar paint seems easier to reach.
With a history of more than 500 years, sugar paint is originated in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) and started to gain more popularity in the Qing Dynasty (1616 – 1912).
Because of its unique artistic way to create lots of fun for people, sugar paint quickly receive wider recognition not only around the Si Chuan, which is sugar paint’s birthland but around the whole country.
My sweet Memory with Sugar Painting
Personally, I love this snack. I remember when I was in primary school, one of the most exciting things for me is seeing the sugar paint booth near my school and I always couldn’t wait to buy one.
The booth was selling two kinds of painting: Chinese characters and the Chinese zodiac. What’s funny is that my parents were not giving me too much money, so I always chose the Chinese characters which is much cheaper, but I would ask for the characters I thought were the most complex, “然”. Yes, this was the most complex character I thought of at the time. So embarrassed.
It’s easy to be done with your kids
What’s more important, sugar paint is extremely easy for ordinary people to get involved in this art. You could simply prepare a piece of brown sugar, and cook it with water, making it hot and liquid.
Then you will have the most exclusive and tasty “oil color”. Find a spoon and a tool and a slab of marble as the canvas, you can bring your kids’ artistic talent into full play at home, drawing whatever they like, writing whatever they want.
After that, you and your kids can share their beautiful and sweet mater-piece with each other or neighbor. What a great weekend activity for your family!
2. Chinese Water Calligraphy: It’s so free!
I’m sure most of you have heard about calligraphy. I think this is the most “Chinese” art among all my recommendations because it’s literally asking you to write Chinese.
You must have known a lot of benefits of learning Chinese calligraphy, such as better language learning and familiarity, getting better concentration, hand-eye coordination, and so on. It certainly is good for kids to learn.
Chinese Calligraphy might be hard for some
But some people might think the entry barrier to learning calligraphy is somewhat too high. For one thing, you probably need to know the basic Chinese characters of writing first.
For another, which is the most crucial factor, the usage of ink, brush, and rice paper is too complicated for a foreigner because different styles of calligraphy require specific inks, brushes, and papers.
It’s hard to truly master calligraphy art, even for the native Chinese people. Not to mention the costs are so high for buying all those disposable stuff. Therefore, seldom foreign people are willing to spend time on it, which is a pity.
A new way to enjoy the Chinese Calligraphy
I’m so excited to tell you that the situation has been largely changed. Nowadays China, there is a very popular and brand-new way to learn calligraphy.
It doesn’t need you to buy various inks and papers, it doesn’t require you to have a desk, and it doesn’t even require you to stay in a room. All you need are just a brush and a bucket of water.
People call it water calligraphy. It starts just getting popular in the past few years. I’ve seen increasingly many people, including younger generations, bring their big brush and a bucket of water to the square or park and find a small space on the floor to start writing. What an innovative and environmental way!
Now you must be wondering if the brush and water are special editions. The answer is “No!” The brush is just a regular brush but in a big size. The water is just regular water, with no chemical stuff in it. All those worries are killed!
Now grabbing the brush and bucket filled with water, let your kids start learning Chinese calligraphy in your backyard and have some nice family time together.
3. Chinese Pottery Craft: Lots of fun with clay!
When given a piece of ordinary soft pottery clay, most kids are instinctively motivated to explore its inviting soft, and responsive sensory qualities.
They poke it, squeeze it, hit it, pick it up, and pound it down. Each time they act on the clay, the clay adjusts and responds.
These changes mean very little to us as adults, but for a kid these changes in clay are magical.
For this reason, I’m sure the Chinese porcelain craft can have the attention of kids. It is the process of modeling, cooking, forming, and drying clay.
Through learning Chinese porcelain crafts, kids got the opportunity to play with their favorite clay and make various pottery by themselves, like flower vases, bowls, cup, and so on.
Well, in my opinion, besides the “clay” factor, there are lots of other positive sides for kids to learning Chinese pottery crafts.
Other benefits of learning Chinese Pottery
For example, Chinese pottery craft is one of the oldest arts in China, it almost witnesses the development of whole Chinese history. During the study, your kid can acquire some solid historical knowledge about China with fun.
Also, handcrafting beautiful pottery requires a lot of artistic sense and solid modeling, which is a very serious work needed tons of patience. Kids can feel the beauty of art during the process and sense strong satisfaction by completing their own work.
Last but not least, pottery can be a very memorable thing, not only because of the fun process but also because the pottery can be conserved for a very, very long time.
My little experience
When I was 7 years old, I did join a Chinese pottery craft class and made a lovely flower vase by myself. It was so much fun and after more than 20 years, the flower vase is still sitting on my desk with flowers nowadays.
Whenever I see the vase will remind me of those very good times. It becomes one of my most valuable gifts from my childhood.
4. Chinese Paper Cutting: That’s so Chinese!
There is an original elegant Chinese art called Papercutting. I think it is one of the most beautiful and creative arts in China.
By using knives or scissors to cut the papers in bold red color, Chinese people are creating various complicated and creative theme patterns with their extraordinary craftsmanship.
Paper cutting is a hollow-out art. The content varies from the animals and plants to the vividly daily life scenes, indicating their happy lifestyles. Also, some people are even creating a series by paper cutting to tell you an interesting Chinese mystique.
Does Paper Cutting hard to learn?
It is not hard to learn but very difficult to master high-level paper cutting. During the process, you need to know how to steadily grasp the knife and evenly press the paper with some strength.
Flexibility is key but any single hesitation or wiggling will lead to imprecision or damage the whole image, so it also requires a smooth non-stop cutting skill.
For good mastering this art, you need to really commit yourselves to it, putting in lots of effort, practice, and imagination. Just for this reason, letting your kids learn a bit about paper cutting can greatly improve their handicraft skills, creativity, and patience.
Nowadays, paper-cutting art has developed into forms that can comprehensively represent Chinese traditional folk culture. It can serve as the door for opening the world of traditional Chinese folk art.
If you want your kids to learn more about Chinese culture, this is it. Just go find a knife (or a pair of scissors) and a piece of paper for your kids and let them enjoy this elegant Chinese art.
5. Chinese Shadow Puppetry: Build up your own opera!
Shadow puppetry is the oldest form of puppetry in the world. It began 1,000’s years ago. In China, shadow plays are often folk tales and legends of the past, many based on Chinese opera themes.
It is attracting people with its lingering music, exquisite sculpture, brisk color, and lively performance. With one mouth telling stories and a pair of hands handling the puppets, you can present a complete opera show with a bunch of simple settings.
How to play the Chinese Shadow Puppetry?
Traditional Chinese shadow puppets are flat and made of leather. Normally, the puppets are made from separate pieces and joined together with wire or string so they can be more flexible and realize more complicated motions.
They are controlled by long rods and moved behind a white translucent screen made from paper or cloth.
A lamp on the puppeteer’s side of the stage provides the light, the audience on the other side sees the moving shadows. Cut-out areas within the figures allow light to shine through.
Tell the stories you like!
Of course, you don’t have to only use Chinese-style puppets and ways to play shadow puppetry. Actually, contemporary shadow puppetry is not a stubborn art and you can design the puppets and the stories based on your own interest.
If you would like to tell a story of the animal kingdom, just go make a bunch of animal puppets, if you want to present a Western fairy tale, just go make a pair of prince and princess puppets for your stories.
What I’m trying to say is that shadow puppetry truly is a unique art form with enormous freedom to create.
Let your kids learn this art not only can find them a way to express their own fantastic ideas but also can significantly improve their crafting ability.
Try to imagine what a great time it will be if you can spend the weekend time at home with your family and prepare a complete shadow opera show to let your kids tell their favorite stories. I think it’s definitely one of the most perfect activities for you and your family to enjoy.
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