North Down Museum's famous Neill's Teddies feature in a special video which has been created as part of Northern Ireland's Museum's Council's Playful Museum's programme. The video is part of a workshop which introduces Chinese New Year to under-5s.
The video sees the six Neill's Teddy Bears invited to a party at the museum, but Teddy must first find his five friends by journeying throughout the building and exploring the collection.
He finds his friends in the Sir John Newell Jordan Collection which exhibits objects related to Chinese life and culture. This speaks to the theme of the workshop which is Chinese New Year (12th February 2021).
The workshop aims to promote cultural diversity and awareness by introducing under-fives to the story of Chinese New Year and does this using the 12 Zodiac animals. The workshop includes (in addition to the video) a story, song, a 'do you know' activity and other fun activities.
The video is available to view below. Once children have watched the video, parents and teachers can use the downloadable resource and activity sheets to explore the theme.
This workshop is suitable for children aged 3 - 5 years.
Neill's Teddies Explore North Down Museum Video
Activity / resource sheets can be downloaded below:
Neill's Teddies Introduction. Learn more about these famous bears.
Read the short story of 'The Great Race' and answer questions.
'The Great Race' Song Sheet
'Do You Know' Activity. Fact sheet about each animal in The Great Race.
More Fun Activity Sheets (printable for children to complete)
More about The Jordan Collection
The Jordan Collection comprises of heirlooms from the Orient, which belonged to Sir John Newell Jordan, one of Britain’s most eminent diplomats.
Born at Balloo on the outskirts of Bangor in 1852, Sir Jordan travelled widely throughout Asia, gaining an in-depth understanding of the Chinese character and culture, which set him apart from contemporary diplomats.
This collection includes a variety of ornate Oriental pieces, including carvings, textiles and teapots, as well as a hand-drawn map of the Forbidden City. All of the items were donated to Bangor Borough Council in 1968 by Sir Jordan’s son, Robert.
Just for fun, we have selected some objects from The Jordan Collection which feature animals associated with Chinese New Year. (click on the images below to enlarge)
Interesting Fact: All of the dragons featured on these objects are specifically five-toed or five-clawed which is a sign of The Emperor. Only he was allowed to use it so anything bearing this type of dragon was connected with the royal palace and was probably an Imperial gift to Jordan.
Project Co-ordinator: Emma-Jane Smethurst (Intern NIMC)
Videographer: Jill Curran (Sightseer Video)
Free
Ages 3 - 5 Years
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