Free Mandarin activities for children aged 3–5

Keep the activity small and shared

These activities are suggestions for an adult and child to try together. Choose the one that interests your child, and stop while it is still enjoyable. Age labels on our story shelf are flexible shared-reading suggestions, not assessments.

You can use English, Mandarin, or another home language to discuss the pictures. Children can join in through pointing, drawing, acting, and listening before they want to say a new word.

Activity 1: find the little leaf

Open The Little Seed and find the leaf word card. Play the recording, then point to the picture. If your child wants to, say “leaf” and “叶子” together. Show the pinyin yèzi as a reference while using the recording for the sound.

Take the idea outdoors: look for a leaf, notice its shape and colour, and draw it. Leave unknown plants and seeds in place and choose an activity appropriate for your setting. The printed word card can sit beside the drawing.

1. Hear the word.
2. Point to the leaf.
3. Draw a leaf you noticed.
4. Return to the word another day.

Activity 2: help Little Fox’s garden

In the 3D Library, open Plant with Little Fox. Plant the seed, give it water, and choose sunshine. Drag the objects or use the matching buttons—both complete the same garden steps.

Talk about the order: first a seed, then care, then a growing plant. Story time moves quickly, so the leaves appear sooner than they would on a real plant. The garden text explains that real seeds need time, water, air, and warmth; leaves use sunlight as the plant grows.

Activity 3: hear, point and match

Use the listening adventure under the book. Play the English-and-Mandarin word recording and pick the matching picture. There are three words: seed, grow, and leaf. The activity lets your child listen again and try another choice.

For another story, open the vocabulary flashcards and choose three words together. On a phone or tablet, the word buttons use available English and Mandarin device voices. You can also hear words in the bilingual story video.

Print a little adventure

The Little Seed activity sheet contains three bilingual cards, three drawing spaces, and a question to discuss: “How did Little Fox help the seed grow?” Choose Print / Save as PDF to use the browser’s print dialog.

A plain sheet of paper works too. Draw a seed, a watering can, and two leaves, then retell the story with your pictures. You do not need to buy a sticker pack or complete every section to enjoy the free activity.

Find the next story

Try the First Mandarin stories collection and the suggested ages 3–5 filter. Preview the story and decide whether its theme and length suit your child today. Save a favourite to make the next visit easier.

If your child wants the same story again, follow their lead. You can change just one part of the activity: hear a different word, draw another picture, or ask a new question.