Asian Drumming Crafts, Recipes & Books for Kids

Author Debbi Michiko Florence and I will be making some noise with our February offering in our Asian Culture series. This month we explore Asian drumming through books, crafts and recipes. We will be learning about Japanese Taiko and Chinese Lion Dance which also has drummers.

This is part two of our 6 Part Asian Craft and Culture Series:

• November 2017: Asian New Year
• February 2018: Asian Drumming
• May 2018: Pink Flamingo Day
• August 2018: Picnic and Scavenger Hunt
• November 2018: Snow Statues
• February 2019: Sumo

Asian Drumming Crafts, Recipes & Books for Kids

Recipe: Almond Cookies (adapted from Allrecipes)

• 2-3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup lard or butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 40 almond slivers (or whole almonds)

Activities: Make a Drum

You will need:

• 2 corks
• 2 bbq skewers (I used heavy duty ones)
• twine or string
• glue
• coffee container or oatmeal box
• construction paper or wrapping paper to decorate
• 12 inch balloon
• scissors

Directions:

1. Insert a bbq skewer into the cork by making a hole and wiggling back and forth until the tip is inserted. Glue in place. Repeat with other bbq skewer and cork.

2. Cut out construction paper to fit around carton and glue onto container. My piece of construction paper did not fit all the way around, so I used the leftover scrap to cover the can completely.

3. Cut the narrow part of the balloon off.

4. Stretch the balloon over the can and then wrap string or twine around, tying in place.

5. You are ready to play!

Make a Hachi-Maki (Japanese headband)

Free downloadable PDF here: hachimaki craft. Here’s part of that PDF:

Illustration copyright Elizabet Vukovic for the Hachi-Maki craft.

Asian Drumming Children’s Book List

Taiko Drumming: Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl by Debbi Michiko  Florence, illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic

Eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi isn’t sure what to do for the talent show at school. Her mom introduces her to traditional Japanese drumming, taiko, and she is game to learn. Will she be able to win the talent show and beat out Maggie Milsap (aka Miss Perfect)? [early chapter book, ages 6 and up]

Lion Dance: Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin

This board book celebrates getting ready for Chinese New Year and there is a lot of work to be done including cleaning the house, getting new clothes and preparing a special meal. It’s worth it, though, because Chinese New Year also means  fireworks, lion dancers, and a dragon parade at the end.

Lion Dance: Lion Dancer, Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year by Madeline Slovenz Low and Kate Waters, photographs by Martha Cooper

Six-year-old Ernie Wan has practiced all year at his father’s kung fu studio to be a lion dancer at the Chinese New Year parade. The lion dance will bring good luck in the new year by scaring away evil spirits. The photographs depict his family as they get ready for Ernie’s big event. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Lion Dancer: Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is a Classic by Susan Tan, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte

The sequel to Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire is out March 27th, 2018. The book starts with a Chinese New Year celebration at Chinatown. Cilla dresses in red, receives a red envelope, distributes good luck oranges throughout the house, watches a lion dance parade, and eats a mooncake. [chapter book, ages 8 and up]

To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

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