The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is to celebrate the end of a successful rice harvesting season and to hope for another successful season next year. The festival is celebrated in many countries in Asia such as China, Japan, Vietnam, and more. In Japan, it’s called Tsukimi (Moon-Viewing). In Korea, it’s Chuseok (Autumn Eve).
As part of the mid-autumn festivities, families typically eat mooncakes and light up lanterns. The lanterns come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. You can decorate lanterns with anything, from traditional to fun designs. Likewise, you can do the same with mooncakes and decorate colorfully. Above all else, make Mid Autumn Festival for kids fun so everyone in the family enjoys it.
Below, you will find ideas to celebrate the mid-autumn festival that is great for both kids and the whole family!
Make Decorative Mid-Autumn Festival Paper Lantern Crafts for Kids
Paper Lanterns
You’ll first need to get some paper lanterns and you can easily find those at amazon. After you get the paper lanterns, let your kids decorate freely. And for that, I gathered some designs you can look for inspiration.
Picture Books in English for Preschoolers Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival
Round is a Mooncake
By Rosemary Thong, Illustrated by Grace Lin
A little girl’s urban neighborhood becomes a discovery ground for all things round, square, and rectangular in this lyrical picture book. Most items are Asian in origin, others universal: round rice bowls and a found pebble, square dim sum and the boxes that the pizzas come in, rectangular Chinese lace, and a very special pencil case.
Perfect for read-aloud or one-on-one sharing. Lesson Plans can be found here.
Bunny Lune
By Kae Nishimura
Bunny Lune gets a letter from his Japanese friend, Pyonko, about her Otsukimi celebrations and how rabbits are an important part of the lunar holiday. Soon, Lune becomes obsessed with going to the Moon himself. Does he achieve his dream?
Korean Celebrations: Festivals, Holidays and Traditions
By Tina Cho, Illustrated By Farida Zahman
This book allows children to experience Korean culture firsthand by involving them in games, crafts, stories, foods and other activities including preparing and enjoying delicious Songpyeon—sweet dumplings that everyone loves to eat on Chuseok.
