CNY in the Flower Dome

As part of our Lunar New Year learning, the girls did a Scavenger Hunt in the Flower Dome at Garden's by the Bay. It's all decorated up for "Spring Festival," which is what China renamed the 14 day Lunar Calendar New Year period when they moved over to the Gregorian Calendar.

I had used Bingo Game cards as the base for our Scavenger Hunt. We were able to find almost all of the lunar new year symbols on it: the zodiac animals, the lion dance costumes, hóngbāo (red envelopes), firecrackers, gold coins, certain traditional mandarin characters, mandarin oranges, even the words "Happy New Year."

Waking through this dome of red lanterns, the floor was cleverly designed so that the your footsteps sounded like fireworks. We counted that as our Fireworks symbol on our Scavenger Hunt cards.  We found all the Zodiac animals on signs, but also as sculptures throughout the gardens. The girls were excited to learn a new dimension which was who their "Secret Friend" was based on the zodiac animal. MsE and Jonathan were paired; MsC and MsI; Our Helper and MsI; and MsC and me.

In absolutely typical fashion, we were both scolded for our behaviour and commended for the same thing. We were basically at the end of our visit, when the staff told the girls to quiet down and walk quietly. To be honest the girls were getting a little too excited, but we were a sharp contrast to the school class of about 20 - 7 year olds walking silently in pairs just a bit ahead of us. On the other hand, Uncle, in this case a very elderly Chinese gentleman, had just finished beaming at the girls, smiling and nodding at each of them in turn and enthusiastically looking at the card full of lunar new year symbols as MsE showed him what she had found on our Scavenger Hunt. You could tell he was positively thrilled over their excitement about the Lunar New Year.

I just smiled and and moved us along as I always do.  

MsE was the winner of the scavenger hunt. Finding the first full line of symbols on her bingo card. We all celebrated with ice cream.