Some of my favorite childhood memories are of celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with my cousins at my grandparents’ house in Taiwan.
I still remember running around with our paper lanterns and lighting sparklers on the front porch. Now that I have kids of my own, those are the kinds of memories I want to recreate for them even though we’re celebrating far from Taiwan.
Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival doesn’t have to be elaborate. A few simple traditions reading a favorite book, making a lantern, eating mooncakes, or learning the story behind the holiday can help our kids feel connected to the culture in a way that’s fun and meaningful.
And when you’re raising bilingual kids, culture gives the language context. Mandarin becomes more than something we’re asking our kids to learn, it becomes part of the traditions and memories we share as a family.
So whether you grew up celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival or you’re starting these traditions with your kids for the first time, here are 20+ simple and fun Mid-Autumn Festival activities to try together.
Read a Book About the Mid-Autumn Festival
What better way to introduce kids to the Mid-Autumn Festival than through a good story?
Books are an easy way for kids to learn about the traditions, legends, and meaning behind the holiday especially if you’re celebrating far from family or don’t have many Mid-Autumn Festival events nearby.
Here are some of our favorite Mid-Autumn Festival books for kids:
Chinese Children's Books on Mid Autumn Festival
simplified Chinese
Beautiful story about loss and adoption surrounding Mid Autumn Festival celebrations.
simplified Chinese
Follow a child’s experience celebrating the holiday with family.
More Chinese picture books on Mid Autumn Festival
Simplified: MidAutumn Festiva, Happy Mid Autumn, There was once a Mooncake Village
Traditional: Fox Family’s Traditional Feast: Moon Cakes, The Mysterious Note in the Mooncake
bilingual board book for kids on the holiday, available in simplified/traditional Chinese
Bilingual Books on Mid Autumn Festival: Our Moon, Moon Cakes, The Legend of Change, Chang’e Flies to the Moon,
English Books on Mid Autumn Festival: Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival, Mooncakes, Our Moon Festival, The Shadow in the Moon, Mid Autumn Festival, Beneath the Same Round Moon, Mooncake Means Family.
Learn about the Story Behind Mid Autumn Festival
Learn about Mid Autumn Festival through kid friendly educational videos on the holiday.
Here’s one in English.
This is a fun and silly live action reenactment of the story behind Mid Autumn Festival from one of the popular kid channels in Taiwan told in Mandarin Chinese.
Netflix also has a wonderful movie on Mid Autumn Festival called Over the Moon!
Audio is available in Mandarin Chinese!
This would be great for a family movie night!
Moon Cakes 月餅
Moon cakes are central to Mid Autumn Festival celebrations and enjoyed during the holiday.
This small pastry symbolizes unity and is rumored to have been a way messages were delivered during revolutions in China’s history.
Nowadays there are many different interpretations of this treat from ice creams to mochi moon cakes.
Whether you choose to buy some edible ones from your local Asian market (or bakery) or one of the following fun hands on moon cake activities for your family, here are several options to include moon cakes this holiday!
Play Dough Moon Cakes
I purchased this mold from Amazon and used this recipe to make home made play dough for some hands on moon cake fun!
For older kids, you can have them add play dough egg yoke and red bean paste that are usually found in these moon cakes. But I just went for a the simple straight forward one colored moon cakes.
These are fairly easy and requires low prep. My three year old did need some assistance from me.
If you’re looking for something simple, Culture Tatortots has pre-made moon cake kits!
Moon Cake Toys
Bitty Bao has a beautiful magnetic moon cake wooden toy set to add to your child’s play kitchen.
Pretend play is a wonderful way to immerse your child in the culture and build their Mandarin vocabulary!
Be sure to also check out these beautiful felt moon cakes from Le Petit Dumpling!
Lanterns
I have such fond memories of running around my grandparents’ house with my cousins holding our paper lanterns. So of course I had to include this part of the celebration for my daughter.
Here’s a lantern you can make out of a Kleenex box
Here’s a simple paper lantern tutorial:
Pomelo Hats 柚子帽
Another fun memory I have of 中秋節 is eating sweet pomelos and the adults making a hat out of the rind.
The word for pomelo in Chinese is 柚子 (yòu zi) which is a homophone for “prayer for son.”
So that’s why people eat this fruit during this holiday, as a sign for prayer for protection over the children in the family.
Another legend is that wearing this hat makes it easier for the Moon goddess 嫦娥 (cháng’é) to see the children from the moon and as a result give her blessings to them.
If there are no pomelos at your local Asian grocery store, you can also use a grapefruit or you can use my pomelo hat printable! (Info on end of post on how to access printable).
How People Really Celebrate in Taiwan
When we were living in Taiwan, adults would get together and barbecue all sorts of meat and fresh seafood outside.
This is actually unique to Taiwan.
How to Access My Mid Autumn Festival Printables
To access the free printable register below if you have yet to do so.
After confirming your email address, you’ll receive a password to access the printables.
If you’ve already registered, simply head over to my printables libray and enter the password to download a copy of my Mid Autumn Festival printables.
How Do You Celebrate Mid Autumn Festival?
How do you celebrate it? What are some fond memories you have of the holiday? Please share below.
I’d love to hear from you!
If you do the activities I shared above, please tag me @spotofsunshinechinese on social media. I would love to see your celebrations!
More Great Mid Autumn Festival Activities for Kids
For some more fun Mid Autumn Festival activities, check out the following posts:
- MidAutumn Festival Books from Mais Storybook Library
- How to Celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival from Chinese American Family
- Mid Autumn Festival Activities from Mama Baby Mandarin
- Mooncakes and More! Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival! from Little Passports
- Global Ed:Chinese Mid Autumn Moon Festival free Mid Autumn Festival printables from Miss Panda
More Goodies
For some more fun activities and read up on how I’m teaching my daughter Chinese, check out the following posts:
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