May is Asian Heritage Month, which is a time to recognize the many contributions and achievements made by Canadians of Asian heritage. It is also a time to celebrate the diverse histories and cultures of Asia. This month has been recognized in Canada since the 1990s, although, May was designated as the official month in 2002.
Since we are still in lockdown, there are some creative ways that we can celebrate Asian Heritage Month, this year. Here are a few activities that you can do while you are at home with the kids:
- There are so many countries in Asia, can you name all of them? Print out a map of Asia and label all of the countries.
- Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper; in China they also practice a similar art form called zhezhi. Why not take a look at some of our library books on origami or online to find out how to fold a lantern or a crane out of paper.
- Explore art from artists of Asian descent online. You can take a look at the Smithsonian's Museum of Asian Art or you can watch our Lunar New Year: Artist Talk with Chinese artist, Peter Suk Sin Chan.
- Up for a challenge? If you do not have two left feet, you could learn a traditional Asian Dance, perhaps a Chinese one. See here for our Lunar New Year Dance Lesson featuring Carol from the Carol C Dance Studio, which specializes in Chinese dances.
- Are you tired of staying at home with the same old scenery? Why not take a virtual vacation to India to see the Taj Mahal or go to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat? You can choose a country to explore with the whole family. Take a look at the video below for some tips on how to plan your remote getaway:
6. Lastly, you could also take a look at our list of childrens' books by authors of Asian heritage here:
Ebooks and books for kids by authors of Asian heritage.
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