Have you ever wondered how we come up with our printable ideas at Lingo Buddies? While Pinterest offers endless inspiration, the real magic happens when I observe children at play and witness their learning in action.

As a former teacher, I’ve had firsthand experience guiding students through the process of learning a new language. Now, as a mom, I see things from a fresh perspective. This dual lens shapes the way I design our worksheets for learning Mandarin Chinese.

Let’s face it—many traditional worksheets rely on rote repetition, the classic “practice makes perfect” approach. But for children aged 3 to 8, this stage of exploration is about making sense of the world. The last thing I want is for their introduction to Mandarin to feel dull or disconnected. My goal is to bridge the gap between language learning and their everyday lives. It’s this connection—linking words to their world—that makes learning stick and fosters a lifelong love for Mandarin.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a really fun holiday for the kids learning Mandarin Chinese because of all the kids-friendly traditions and delicious Chinese desserts.  It is probably the second most important Chinese holiday after Chinese New Year.  There are many ways to celebrate the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival with your little one, from lantern making to pomelo hat wearing.  There are also a lot of legends and folklore about Mid Autumn Festivals that you can enjoy with your child.

Your kids will love journaling with this personalized goldfish journal set!  This goldfish journal is created to help your kids identify their 5 senses and describing events of their day with 5 senses.  As they complete each journal page, they will effortlessly pick up an array of Chinese words like the weekdays, weather, and each sense. 

This mooncake papercraft is the perfect introduction to the world of origami!  I made this origami with my nephew of 3 and half and it was a piece of cake for him or mooncake I would say.  It’s definitely the easiest mooncake paper craft you can make with preschoolers and kindergarteners.  Not to mention that they get to learn about the Chinese character “month/moon” [月 | yuè] while they are at it!

The Chinese New Year is a truly magical time for adults and kids alike.  It’s a long celebration that begins a month before the actual date and ends 15 days after (Lantern Festival).  The Chinese New Year is a great way to spark your kids’ interest in the Chinese language because of all the creative stories and symbols built around this holiday.