Father’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to show Dad how much you care than by creating something special together? If you’re looking for places to take Dad this weekend, check out our list of Father’s Day brunch recommendations.

To make your celebration extra special, download this Zip file packed with adorable, easy-to-make Father’s Day crafts that you and your kids can do at home!

 [Download Your Free Father’s Day Craft Zip File Here!]

Don’t miss out on this fun opportunity to make Dad’s day unforgettable. Whether it’s a silly homemade card or a keepsake he’ll treasure forever, these crafts are sure to put a smile on his face.

Images: Freepik

Gingerbread houses are adorable! And you can’t deny that they smell exactly how the holiday season is supposed to smell. *sniff sniff*

I have a 3-year-old little girl at home who loves arts and crafts, cookies, and singing Christmas songs. And if you combine all those ingredients together, the perfect holiday activity is making a gingerbread house together! Here’s where you can go to buy yourself some authentic gingerbread houses as well as some less authentic (but still delicious) ones.

Pro Tip: Top up on extra candy at the supermarket. Most kits come with the bare minimum of decorative candies.

IKEA

When it comes to Christmas, IKEA gets pretty festive, carrying everything from decorations to trees. Their food section even has gingerbread house kits available. The VINTERSAGA Gingerbread House kit is affordable and conveniently packaged with everything you’d need. All the parts you need for this minimalistic house come in the box and you take it home to build yourself. IKEA couldn’t be a more perfect place for DIY gingerbread houses.

Find it:
1 Taiyanggong Lu, Dongbahe (northwest corner of Siyuan Qiao), Chaoyang District
朝阳区东坝河太阳宫路1号（四元桥西北角）
Open: Daily from 10am-10pm
Tel: 800 810 5679

No-Brand Gingerbread House Kit

I got a few sets of this kit for a gingerbread house-making party upon the recommendation of another parent. Unlike with the IKEA kits, the gingerbread components in these kits are handmade at this Taobao store’s bakery. The kits arrived at my door within two days. Upon opening my first box, however, I was so upset! One of the gingerbread walls had cracked and some decoration pieces had cracked as well. It wasn’t too big a deal, though, as I sent a quick message to the seller with a photo of the issues and a request to replace my broken pieces and they immediately responded to my request with a brand-new DIY box sent out the very next day. Kudos to their customer service!

The Budget Gingerbread House Kit

If you’ve got a bunch of kids coming over and aren’t looking to blow half your paycheck on kits, then this one is a good option. From their small 6cm kit for RMB 20 to their fanciest 10cm kit that comes with extra colored icing and LED lights for RMB 56, this Taobao shop has got some of the cheapest quality kits online.

The Peninsula Beijing

Finally, there’s the crème de la crème of gingerbread creations in Beijing. The last of this year’s Christmas Santa meet and greet events at the The Peninsula Beijing, on Dec 25, will feature a gingerbread house as the children’s craft. From 3pm to 5pm the kids will get to make a gourmet gingerbread Christmas tree with the hotel’s pastry team, listen to stories read by Santa, watch a cool performance, and take iconic holiday photos with the big man and his elves.

Find it:
8 Jinyu Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区金鱼胡同8号
Tel: 8516 2888

Got other recommendations for where to get gingerbread house kits? Let us know in the comments below.

Images: Mina Yan, IKEA

I love crafting with my little girl. Even if what we make isn’t as intricate as the store-bought toys, she seems to love them way more. Maybe it’s because Mommy made them, or maybe it’s because she had a hand in creating them (like her bright red police car). Either way, in this house, we love making our own toys.

Our latest DIY addition is a parking garage for all her cars. I’m a newbie when it comes to DIY crafts and this one is perfect since it doesn’t require any precise measurements. It took way less time than I had expected and watching my toddler come up with all sorts of different ways to play with it makes it time well spent.

This craft takes approximately 40 minutes.

Here’s what you’ll need:
One large cardboard box
Small cardboard pieces
Hot glue gun
Exacto knife & ruler
Tape

Step 1: Cut out a big piece of cardboard.

Step 2: Since your big cardboard piece will most likely have folds, cut out a smaller piece and tape it to the back to reinforce your base piece.

Step 3: Take one long piece of cardboard and split it into four smaller pieces. Roll them into pillars and use tape to secure them.

Step 4: Find a smaller box with sides if you can to make the top part of your parking structure. Cut open half of one side to use for the ramp.

Step 5: Use a pencil to mark where you’ll be putting your pillars and secure them to your base with a hot glue gun.

Step 6: Find a long piece of cardboard and connect it to the top part of your parking structure and to the base. This will be your ramp.

Step 7: Use smaller pieces to add sides to your ramp. Trust me, you’ll need these when your kid starts pushing all their cars down at the same time.

Step 8: Smooth out the bottom of your ramp and secure it to your base with tape. This will help the cars from skipping when they get to the bottom.

Step 9: Then add sides around the entire base to keep the cars from falling off. And voilà, you’re done! Add in some parking space and decorate it however you like.

Pro Tip:
Flatten out those nice kuaidi boxes and keep a stack handy. They’re made from such durable cardboard material and are perfect for DIY crafts at home.

Did you enjoy making this with your kids? Search #jingkidsCrafts for more kitchen table crafting ideas.

Images: Mina Yan

Kayla Brown moved to China from her native Bahamas in 2016 to study Clinical Medicine. She graduated from Peking University and today she’s a neurosurgical resident at Tiantan hospital/makeup artist with her own beauty salon where she also hosts events and workshops for those interested in makeup and DIY skincare products.

I met her when she came to my place to do my makeup and she struck me as an approachable person, one that’s very easy to talk to.

We had a nice chat while she was working on my face and it came up that she knew not a word in Chinese when she first arrived: “I’d respond to Ni hao with a smile and a friendly wave…I was afraid I’d mess up the pronunciation and offend someone.”

Being a student is hard enough, but being a student who doesn’t understand or speak the language spoken in the country is hard on a totally different level. And let’s not forget it’s medicine and medical vocabulary we’re talking about here: “It was an intense and rigorous program taught completely in Chinese. I had a panic attack in my very first semester before finals week…I literally forgot how to breathe. Eventually, anxiety became a normal part of student life and we helped and supported each other through it the best we could”, says Kayla about her university life.

Although studying for free in China does have its perks, I wanted to know what made Ms. Brown choose medicine as a career in the first place: “I’ve watched my mother struggle with mental illness my entire life. As a kid, I felt helpless to assist her in the way I know she deserves. Helping her and others like her through educating myself was and still is my main career motivation”.

Becoming a brain doctor became Kayla’s first and foremost goal despite all the obstacles: “Medicine is an already challenging field to study, but studying in a foreign language where you’re expected to not only learn, but read and write characters you just learned a few months ago…had me outside at 4am reciting and writing lines as if I was losing my mind. To use the word difficult to describe studying medicine in Chinese would be offensive to all the students who’ve experienced such as program “.

Although Kayla’s medical career is just starting and there will definitely be hardships to conquer, she admits that she’s looking forward to every step of the way: “I’m super excited because neurosurgery excites and humbles me at the same time. I know firsthand the importance of healthy brain function. Having observed them in action, I have great respect for surgeons in China and relish every opportunity to learn from them”. Apart from training in the field of brain surgery, she’s also doing medical research at Beijing Neurological Institute.

This lady is definitely something else because when she’s not busy being a neurosurgeon and doing research, she offers makeup services to expat and local ladies in Beijing.

Although makeup artistry was never a personal goal of Kayla (A.K.A Dr. Kay among her clientele), she was encouraged to start considering it by other women of color in Beijing and it turned out to be a creative outlet away from the pressures of school.

Dr. Kay’s beauty studio is located in Baiziwan, where she also hosts beauty events:  “I started with these events mostly because I wanted to share my love for creativity in the beauty space and DIY; plus I have the space for it! I’m currently organizing one DIY event each month”. Both men and women are welcome to join these workshops where they get to choose and with Kayla’s help make their own skincare products.” After they are done, I provide the packaging, and cute labels and they are free to take them home and enjoy.”

As for the price, it depends on the product being made. For the attendees, there is also an option of choosing the number of products they’d like to do. Whether it will be as low as RMB 99 or as high as RMB 299 really only depends on you.

Being this busy and having two full-time careers must be draining: “Meditation, creative projects, and planning events and workshops (sounds like work, but I enjoy it) keep me sane. I’m also a super organized person. Daily planners, post-its, digital reminders, and alarms are all necessary to help me stay on top of my crazy schedule”, admits Dr. Kay. When it comes to her social life, it’s not at the top of her priority list: “Needles to say, at the end of a long, tiring week, I’m not that interested in socializing. I’d rather cook some random vegan dish, invite some friends over to hang out for a bit, or just SLEEP”.

The next DIY workshop will take place on Sep 25. Learn how to make a clay mask, body mist, or a lip gloss with Dr. Kay’s assistance. The price starts from RMB 92. If you’re interested in attending this or any of the upcoming events, search for this WeChat username: heydrkay

Photos: Kayla Brown

Arts and crafts is an enjoyable way for kids to learn about nature and develop their creativity and coordination skills while enhancing their connections with their environment.

Early years art teacher Jacob Dong led his Year 1 class into the world of minibeasts. In line with their current Unit of Investigation on sustainability, Mr. Dong and his class used recycled materials to create their artworks.

Materials:

1. one recycled bottle

2. one long sock

3. four pipe cleaners

4. two buttons

5. some bead

Steps:

First things first: Create your minibeast’s body!

1) Choose your favorite bottle shape.

2) Take a colorful long sock (or cut a long stocking).

3) Make sure one end of the sock is closed; otherwise, tie a knot and turn the sock inside out to hide the knot.

4) Slide the bottle inside the sock.

Second, your minibeast needs antennae and eyes!

1) Tie a pipe cleaner around the bottleneck and twist both ends together.

2) Shape the antennae as you like.

3) Slide one button and some beads onto each end of the pipe cleaners to give your minibeast big eyes.

Finally, minibeasts have six legs, don’t they?

1) For each pair of legs, twist one pipe cleaner around the body, and make sure the legs face the ground, opposite the antennas.

2) Twist the legs into the right shape.

Images: Dulwich College of Beijing

This article appeared in the jingkids 2022 Graduation issue

Feeling crafty or just want to add a touch of homemade flavor to your Christmas this year? Well, you and your kids can make presents instead of buying them by getting busy at a couple of Beijing’s most kid-friendly DIY workshops, which are perfect for scratching that artsy itch with painting, building miniatures, woodworking and more!

Handmade DIY Experience Center 洋芋手作DIY体验馆

This DIY spot located in the heart of the CBD offers a huge choice of crafts but seemingly specializes in miniatures. Choose from an array of tiny decorations to pimp your phone cover or Airpods case, or add some bling to your hair with a customized hair clip. You can also design a plaster wreath, picture frame, and fridge magnet with all the tiny decorations they provide.

Other craft offerings include painting plaster figures of popular cartoon characters such as Hello Kitty and Stitch, and candle-making in the form of cookies, cakes, or a classic glass jar. For kids still learning to handle their fear of the dark, what better way to help encourage bravery than by getting them to design and put together their own night light?

All these workshops last at least two hours, and instructors provide one-on-one guidance in Chinese. On Dianping, there’s a special voucher that lets you choose two trial experiences from candle-making, plaster figures, fridge magnets, and more for RMB 188.

Search 洋芋手作DIY体验馆 on Dianping to choose your craft and see more pictures!

木本木工坊 Wood Workshop

If you’ve got a thing for wooden toys as I do, why not get the older kids involved in making their very own? Mu Ben Mu Gong Fang, located in the east of Beijing near the Antique Furniture Street, specializes in woodwork and proudly displays wooden toy planes, swords, guns, rocking chairs, and more on their walls.You can even make your own wooden music instruments such as a ukulele or finger piano.

There’s plenty of DIY and learning to be done as kids will be involved in the actual sawing, sanding, drilling, and gluing of the wooden craft they choose, under the watchful guidance of the store instructors of course. Adults are welcome to help, and you should be prepared to spend almost a full day there.

As with wooden toys, these workshops come with a heftier price tag, though one can argue that the durability and longevity of the wood is well worth it. Prices start from RMB 299 for a parent-child combo to make their own toy gun.

Search 木本木工坊 on Dianping to pre-book your wood crafting session!

KEEP READING: Time to Huddle up Indoors at Our Fave Kid-Friendly Cafes

Images: Pexels, Dianping

Every week in July, we’ll bring the parents of Beijing their very own summer camp curriculum. We’re keeping it truly simple, uncomplicated, and as inexpensive as possible so choose activities a la carte or follow the entire week’s agenda – whatever helps!

This week our theme is Theatre and Design. I love theatre! I always have because my childhood was filled with it. From watching Julie Andrews belt out “The Hills Are Alive” on TV to physically being held in my chair by my mother during a Broadway performance of Cats because she was afraid I would rush the stage and sing along. I have been to performances in almost every country I’ve had the privilege of visiting and I always walk away with a deeper and more profound view of the culture and history. So this week I wanted to give our DIY Campers a road map to diving into China’s history through its unique theatrical heritage. Enjoy!

Monday: Watch and Learn

Start sparking their imaginations with either a live performance or an online video of a traditional Chinese program. In Beijing, I recommend the Peking Opera Highlights show because it features several different types of performances including kung fu, acrobatics, and traditional Peking Opera. Translations are provided during the performance and the costumes are beautiful. Some venues offer the option to let you watch the performers put on their elaborate makeup which has a lot of tradition behind it. If that’s not your style, you can also catch the acrobatic show or some traditional dances. This link might prove helpful in your search for events in the capital.

If it’s more convenient, you can also stream online. The Chengdu face-changing show is amazing and a quick search on YouTube will yield lots of results.

Talk to the kids about what they liked or didn’t like. Was there anything they want to learn more about?

Tuesday: National Museum of China

A lot of theatrical content is based on history. So, spend some time at the National Museum of China. The purpose of this trip is not to be stuffy or precise. It’s about getting inspired. I strongly encourage you to let the children guide this experience. What are they drawn to naturally? If they are loving the ancient armor, or are transfixed by the jade exhibit, or the boats in the maritime section are just the coolest thing they’ve ever seen then let them explore that. You don’t need to see everything. This is a quality, not quantity moment.

Invite older children to bring a journal or sketchbook where they can write down things they’re interested in or have questions about. Younger children should be encouraged to talk freely about what they see, and you can help them by taking notes as you go.

Wednesday: Research and Write

Pick one or two things that the kids were really interested in at the museum and help them do a little research about the topic or item. Based on what you find out, have them write a short script with you. It doesn’t need to be fancy, even just a basic outline with no set dialogue is fine. But you want a clear beginning, middle, and end to the narrative. 

It’s also fine if it is not historically accurate. Maybe the white snake (a real Chinese folk character you learned about in your research) has to fight off alien robots who are trying to steal her jade hair comb to power their spaceship. It’s okay, as long as it is a story they love and are proud of! 

 Thursday: Design and Build

Based on the story they wrote yesterday, have the kids design costumes and props they’ll need to act it out. Use found items and basic art supplies to get creative. If they are shy about acting try using paper bag puppets. Many children are happy to perform if they can’t see the audience and the audience can’t see them.

Then practice acting out your story. This is a great way to work on sequencing and language development.

 Friday: Let’s Put On a Play!

Let them set up a room in the house and perform the play for friends, neighbors, or their stuffed toys. Remember, this is not about the final product. No one is going to win a Tony award here. It’s about the process and having a great time learning and creating.

We would love to see what your child came up with. Join our WeChat Group and send pictures or videos via the QR code below!

KEEP READING: DIY Summer Camp Week 2: Natural Shapes

Photo: Pexels

It’s a rainy, yucky, terrible, no-good week! And that makes it perfect for a few fun at-home projects.

Here’s a recap of some of the best “make your own fun” projects we’ve featured over the past six months. Almost everything you need is probably already in your house, and I promise these projects are much easier than most YouTube tutorials!

Strega Who? This easy art project, based on the beloved children’s book “Strega Nona,” will keep the kids busy so you don’t have to.

Tactile Table: This is part science, part magic, and all educational fun. Once made it can be saved in a ziplock bag to be used over and over again.

Art To Keep Cool: Are you finding this summer heat unbearable? How about some art that’ll keep the kids cool while they get creative?

Feed The Birds: This bird feeder is not only zero-waste, it will also provide an afternoon activity that gives kids a chance to observe nature from their window for several days afterward.

I’m Huuuuungry! This healthy hummus will keep children’s fingers occupied and their tummies full.

For even more fun DIY projects, and to post pictures of what you make, feel free to join our DIY summer camp group by scanning the QR code below.

KEEP READING: DIY Summer Camp Week 2: Natural Shapes

Images: Unsplash

Every week in July, we’ll bring the parents of Beijing their very own summer camp curriculum. We’re keeping it truly simple, uncomplicated, and as inexpensive as possible so choose activities a la carte or follow the entire week’s agenda – whatever helps!

This week, our theme is Life Skills: Cooking. I love talking about food and cooking with kids. It builds so many incredible skills such as math, science, nutrition, and financial planning. Here is a suggested event schedule but don’t overthink it and as always you can ask for help and support in our DIY Camp Group (scan the QR code at the bottom of this article to join if you haven’t already).

Monday: Cooking Class

Start by getting inspired. Check out a kid-friendly cooking class at a place like Black Sesame Kitchen or The Hutong. If you would rather learn from the comfort of your own kitchen, there are literally thousands of free kid cooking videos on streaming platforms.

Tuesday: Nutrition and Meal-Planning

Cooking is a great way to teach kids about healthy eating and balanced nutrition. Talk about how a healthy plate has all the colors of the rainbow and make an old-school collage! Take all your old magazines and let the kids cut out pictures of food they think looks both yummy and healthy.

Now that they are inspired, have them plan a meal they would like to cook for the family. Look up recipes for the things they want to make.

Wednesday: Grocery List and Budget

Pull out those recipes from yesterday and take inventory of what you already have in the house, then make a grocery list.

Have your child plan a budget for the meal. What do they think it will cost?

Ask them to make sure they have the cooking tools they will need as well. If a recipe calls for an immersion blender but you don’t have one, help them come up with solutions. Is there room in the budget to buy one? Is there a similar recipe that doesn’t need that tool? Will a regular blender work?

Thursday: Grocery Shopping

Head to the store with your list and budget in hand and help them find their ingredients. This is a good time to talk about why some products are more expensive than others. Branding and marketing, fresh produce versus frozen or canned? What do they think is worth paying extra for and where is it better to save money?

Friday: Let’s Cook!

Today they will cook a meal and serve it to their family or friends! As with any project, help them self-evaluate. What went well? What can they be proud of? Did they learn anything new? Would they do anything differently next time?

We would love to see what your child came up with. Join our WeChat group and share pictures or videos by scanning the QR code below.

KEEP READING: Download the Jingkids DIY Summer Camp Calendar!

Photos: Pexels