Studying is usually boring and difficult for kids, but it should not be like that! Knowing more about their surroundings should be fun and exciting, just like learning Chinese. So, how can you encourage your babies to learn Chinese naturally without forcing them?
Introducing Chinese to kids in a fun way is important. When children are relaxed and happy they are more open to learning new things and will feel more confident about their abilities. Everyone knows that kids love animals and there are many fun ways to learn Chinese for kids, so let’s start with animals!
Take your preschoolers around town, go to the countryside, or even use flashcards to guide your kids through the very first step of learning Chinese. Teach them how to recognize and say these farm animal names.
Farm Animals
Cat 猫 (māo)
Cow 牛 (niú)
Donkey 驴 (lǘ)
Duck 鸭子 (yā zi)
Dog 狗 (gǒu)
Goat 羊 (yáng)
Goose 鹅 (é)
Hen 母鸡 (mǔ jī)
Horse 马 (mǎ)
Pig 猪 (zhū)
Rabbit 兔子 (tù zǐ)
Sheep 羊 (yáng)
Turkey 火鸡 (huǒ jī)
Some other fun ways to learn about animals is with toys. You can find farm animal toys at the toy store or supermarket if your child doesn’t already have them. Make a farm with your child outdoors in the park or an area with grass. Your child can add sticks or blocks to make pens and houses for the animals.
You can even create a farm animal sensory bin using a large empty container that is low enough for your child to reach inside easily. Simply put the farm animals in the container and add shredded paper, sand, dried macaroni, dried beans, dried rice, or even soap and water. Your child can search for the animals while playing with the natural material.
Once they find the animal, say the name in Chinese. Eventually, your child will repeat the names of the animals and will remember the names. Add cups, empty bottles, and spoons for a fun scooping and pouring activity. Your child can pretend to feed the animals.
After your child learns how to say the names of domestic animals, you can introduce them to the wild animals below.
Wild Animals
Antelope 羚羊 (líng yáng)
Arctic wolf 北极狼 (běi jí láng)
Badger 獾 (huān)
Bald eagle 白头鹰 (bái tóu yīng)
Porcupine 豪猪 (háo zhū)
Bat 蝙蝠 (biān fú)
Bear 熊 (xióng)
Camel 骆驼 (luò tuó)
Chimpanzee 黑猩猩 (hēi xīng xīng)
Coyote 郊狼 (jiāo láng)
Deer 鹿 (lù)
Elephant 大象 (dà xiàng)
Elk 麋鹿 (mí lù)
Fox 狐狸 (hú lí)
Giraffe 长颈鹿 (cháng jǐng lù)
Gorilla 大猩猩 (dà xīng xīng)
Hedgehog 刺猬 (cì wèi)
Hippopotamus 河马 (hé mǎ)
Kangaroo 袋鼠 (dài shǔ)
Koala 考拉 (kǎo lā)
Leopard 豹 (bào)
Lion 狮子 (shī zi)
Lizard 蜥蜴 (xī yì)
Mole 鼹鼠 (yǎn shǔ)
Monkey 猴子 (hóu zi)
Otter 獭 (tǎ)
Owl 猫头鹰 (māo tóu yīng)
Panda 熊猫 (xióng māo)
Rhinoceros 犀牛 (xī niú)
Raccoon 狸 (lí)
Bison 野牛 (yě niú)
Reindeer 驯鹿 (xùn lù)
Squirrel 松鼠 (sōng shǔ)
Tiger 老虎 (lǎo hǔ)
Walrus 海象 (hǎi xiàng)
Wolf 狼 (láng)
Woodpecker 啄木鸟 (zhuó mù niǎo)
Zebra 斑马 (bān mǎ)
Polar bear 北极熊 (běi jí xióng)
Possum 负鼠 (fù shǔ)
Chipmunk 花栗鼠 (huā lì shǔ)
Penguin 企鹅 (qì’é)
Another fun way to teach your child about animals is to hide their toy animals in their house, give them a little bag to search for the animals. Once they find an animal, clap and make a big deal out of them finding the animal and say the name of the animal in Chinese. Your child can also hide the animal toys for you to find. Kids love Hide and Seek games.
To level it up, they can also learn about where these animals live:
Farm 农场 (nóng chǎng)
Ocean 海洋 (hǎi yáng)
Forest 森林 (sēn lín)
Rain Forest 雨林 (yǔ lín)
Desert 沙漠 (shā mò)
Grassland 草原 (cǎoyuán)
Polar 极性 (jí xìng)
Swamp 沼泽 (zhǎo zé)
Your child can paint pictures of these different homes and put the toy animals in each home once the paintings have dried. You can also print out pictures of these animal homes and put them up on the wall. Using flashcards or printed pictures of animals, your child can match the animal to the home using tape to stick the animal to their home.
Learning about animals and their homes in Chinese will not only help toddlers improve their Chinese learning skills but also create an adventurous and curious mindset. Preparing these activities for your preschoolers is a great start to a bright future.
To learn animal names in Chinese for kids, you can download the Galaxy Kids app – the best Chinese learning app for kids!
