Celebrating Cultures Activity: Create Your Own Celebration Lanterns

At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool, our Creatively Shine™ curriculum theme, “Celebrations Around the World,” explores how different cultures celebrate through unique traditions, decorations, and festivities. To help you bring this theme to life at home, we’ve designed a fun, hands-on project that your child will love: Celebration Lanterns!

Lanterns are a symbol of joy and light in many cultural celebrations around the world, from the Chinese Lantern Festival to Diwali in India. This activity lets your child create their own lanterns while learning about global traditions.

What You’ll Need:

Construction paper or cardstock
Scissors (child-safe)
Glue, tape, or a stapler
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
Decorative supplies: stickers, tissue paper, glitter, etc.
A battery-powered tea light (optional, for a soft glow)

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Talk About Lantern Traditions:
Begin by introducing the idea of lanterns and how they’re used in celebrations around the world. For example:

The Chinese Lantern Festival marks the end of Lunar New Year celebrations with beautiful glowing lanterns.
In Diwali, lanterns symbolize the triumph of light over darkness.
In Sweden, Saint Lucia’s Day features candles and lanterns as symbols of hope and warmth during the winter.

2. Create the Lantern Shape:

Take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half lengthwise (so it looks like a long rectangle).
Help your child make evenly spaced cuts from the folded edge toward the open edge, stopping about an inch from the top. These will form the slits that create the lantern’s texture. You can make the cuts as long toward the open edge as you’d like. Different cut lengths will create different shapes!
Unfold the paper and gently curl it widthwise into a cylindrical shape, with the slits running vertically. Secure the edges with tape, glue, or a stapler.

3. Decorate the Lanterns:
Encourage your child to decorate their lantern with drawings, stickers, or patterns inspired by different celebrations. For example:

Use bright colors and dragon motifs for the Chinese Lantern Festival.
Draw small candles or floral patterns to represent Diwali.
Add snowflakes and stars for winter celebrations.

4. Add a Handle (Optional):
Cut a strip of construction paper and attach it to the top of the lantern to create a handle. This makes it easier for your child to carry or display their lantern.

5. Light It Up:
If you have a battery-powered tea light, place it inside the lantern for a soft, safe glow. Remind children that real candles should never be used for paper lanterns.

Creating celebration lanterns encourages fine motor skills, creativity, and cultural awareness. As children design their lanterns, they’re learning about symmetry, patterns, and the significance of light in global traditions. This activity also fosters an appreciation for diversity, helping children understand that while celebrations vary, they often share common themes of joy, hope, and togetherness.

Encourage your child to create multiple lanterns to represent different traditions or plan a mini “lantern festival” at home, where they display their creations for the whole family to enjoy!