Mention Dragon Boats and it brings to mind long and colourful wooden boats rowed by many people. But what has dumplings to do with the Dragon Boats?
Children at ELFA Preschool @ Serangoon learned about the relationship from the Dragon Boat Festival that is widely celebrated in China every year on the fifth day of the 5th Lunar month.
The Dragon Boat Festival celebration fell on 25 June 2020. The children turned up dressed in Chinese traditional costumes. Their teachers told them a story about a Chinese official Qu Yuan who faithfully served the state of Chu some 2,300 year ago, from which the making and eating of rice dumpling originated.
An interesting programme of art and craft, games and dumpling making were prepared for the children to enjoy. There was excitement and anticipation in all the classrooms as the children could not wait to dig their spoons into the aromatic ingredients for the dumplings and helped to wrap them up. Not forgeting the reward, having a bite into the soft and tasty self-made dumplings after they were cooked.
Children helping their teachers to scoop rice into folded dumpling leaves.
See! I can scoop the rice and raisins into the dumpling leaf.
Satisfied with my rice dumpling!
Children played games that were related to the festival