Age: 3 to 8+
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Time: 1 hour+
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Materials: glass jar per child, glue, water, tissue paper
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Skills: Naturalist, Fine Motor, Sensory, Self Esteem, Focus & Self Control, Creativity
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Eight years ago, we stumbled on a lovely way to embrace the change so many of us feel as we turn the clocks back in fall— make lanterns to light up and welcome the first night of darkness.
If wildly different cultures share fall lantern-lighting festivals, from the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in China and Vietnam to Germany's St. Martin's Day festival, there must be some magic to the practice. Here's our perspective: the frustrating loss of daylight we used to rage against each time daylight saving time ended (aka “fall back”) is actually an incredible opportunity to stop and be mindful of the cycles of nature. It is also a chance to teach kids not to fight but to lean into change—habits of mind that will help them navigate life. And, what better way to construct a learning moment than to take children outdoors at night with a colorful lantern that they have made?
Even more so, this year has been heavy for all of us, and we all need a chance to stop and reflect on what has given us hope in the midst of such challenges and what hope we will bring into the winter and the new year to come. There has never been a more important time for rituals of connection and hope like the Lantern Walk.
There's no shortage of ways to make lanterns. We really like this method and love doing it outside.
In addition to helping your kids learn to embrace and even celebrate life's inevitable changes, this activity helps kids develop several critical skills.
As kids hold and use a paintbrush, pick up delicate tissue paper squares, and press the paper firmly but gently into place, they develop fine motor control in their hands. If you know that your child struggles with this, work “as a team” with him or her on the frustrating parts. Working with tricky materials like glue, tissue paper (especially outside in the fall breeze) and a round jar requires that kids attend to the task at hand. Plus, they have to resist the temptation of other pursuits and stay focused until the task is complete. Kids also have to pay close attention to their lanterns once lit, or they could easily blow out!
Provided you let kids do as much lantern decorating on their own as they can, their approach to lantern-making is also a window into who they are. Kids make their own choices about the colors, shapes and placement they use, expressing their tastes and sense of design. When a finished product feels to a child the true result and reflection of him or herself, then he or she develops a sense that "I am capable" and that "I am worthy." These are aspects of a positive self concept that kids will need to tackle academic and social challenges as well as to find and maintain happiness in life.
Great deals on DIY kits designed for learning through play. Check out the Circle Time Essentials Kit to make the most of this season!