It’s a good thing Andrew McArten’s favourite animal is the dog. It came in handy recently when he needed to create an image associated with the Chinese New Year.
With some help from his mom, Andrew, created the image of a dog, in honour of 2018’s Year of the Dog, during a lunar craft day at Todmorden Mills Heritage Site.
Colleen McArten, a music teacher at an East York elementary school, decided to put other things aside that day so that she could bring her son Andrew and his sibling to the Toronto district school board PA day at the Heritage Site.
“I’ll do report cards tonight when the kids go to bed,” Colleen McArten said.
From noon to 4 p.m., Jan. 20, at the site, East York families developed crafts to celebrate animals associated with the Chinese New Year. The children incorporated their creations into a lunar banner. Elizabeth Novak is the site’s historical interpreter.
“We have parents that come in who may help their three-year-old, but then you might also have a two-year-old who just wants to scribble on a piece of paper,” she said.
Novak explained that the intention was to inspire the children to create images of animals celebrated each Chinese New Year. Most important, she added, was to ensure families had a fun outing.
“It’s all about everyone coming and having a good time,” she said.