Last Saturday was the ringing in of the Lunar New Year. This gave Quartz room the opportunity to celebrate some Chinese customs.

First, we decorated a bit of our outdoor space and our room and with red lanterns. There was also a big bouquet of red carnations in the room.  We used our hands to splash and smush paint onto a large piece of paper and then cut it out in the shape of a rooster to commemorate the Year of the Rooster.  The poster was laminated and then displayed on a wall.

We also displayed a pomelo, which is considered an important and nutritious fruit in Chinese culture. Being the largest of the citrus fruits, it was fun to pass around and smell. On Tuesday, we peeled it and ate it for good luck!  A few of the children were so interested and fond of the thick peelings that they actually took them home.

On Tuesday, we also cooked sweet rice balls to symbolize our Quartz room family togetherness. First we took out a hot plate and boiled some water.  There were so many tiny, tiny, baby bubbles in the beginning.  But, we watched closely and eventually the bubbles got very large and they made the water move very quickly.  This indicted that it was time to put the rice balls into the water.  First they sunk to the bottom and then within a few minutes, they rose to the top (which meant they were done).  We scooped them out, put them on a plate, and then rolled them in sesame seeds.  They were delicious.  For most of us – it was the first time we had tried a sweet rice ball. This experience reminded us how much we certainly enjoy exploring different cultures!