Songs
Mandarin sound, melody, rhythm and rhyme
Interactive Chinese early language education
Songs, flashcards, videos and activity books for early Chinese learning. 用歌曲、识字卡、古诗、视频跟读和互动活动开始中文启蒙
Materials for young children to hear, see, move with, and talk about Chinese—with YOU. Responsive parent-child interaction turns these materials into a language moment.
Make the most of early childhood’s heightened sensitivity to language through Mandarin sounds, words, rhythm, printables, and responsive parent-child interaction.
For heritage families, bilingual homes, and families learning Chinese as a non-native language.
The Tiny Chinese Classics method
Building blocks for a 5-minute interactive Chinese early language education routine
Early foundations for phonological awareness and print awareness
Flashcards
Characters, pictures, and poems
Play & Learn Videos
Slow echo, simple movements, and steady-beat clapping
Activity Books
Start with Ode to the Goose; color, match, trace, and talk
And guess what? The most important part of this routine is... YOU.
Research on early language development points to the value of responsive, back-and-forth interaction between children and adults.
Songs and videos can introduce Mandarin sounds, words, rhythm and rhyme. But when you point to a picture, clap a beat, echo a line, copy a movement, or talk about what your child notices, you turn that input into an interactive Chinese language moment.
See the research behind the 5-minute routineInteraction: Parent-child turn-taking was associated with language growth in a randomized parent-coaching trial. Rhythm: The brain extracts and synchronizes with regular temporal patterns; language relies heavily on this ability.
Level 1 printables
Start with words. Return to them in poems.
Words first. Poems next.
Start here · Simplified Chinese
20 Nature Words
20 printable cards · Chinese, pinyin & English
Explore the cards
Continue · Level 1
20 Nature Words + 20 Poems
40 printable cards · Chinese, pinyin & English
Includes the Ode to the Goose Starter Activity Book.
简体中文$4.99Buy on GumroadAlso available on Etsy
繁體中文$4.99Buy on GumroadAlso available on Etsy
Simplified Chinese · mainly used in Mainland China and Singapore
Traditional Chinese · mainly used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau
See it in action
One complete Play & Learn routine: 《咏鹅》 / Ode to the Goose
See how a song, simple movements, a nature word, one steady beat, and slow echo reading work together. This is the experience the cards and activities are designed to extend.
- Sing and move.
- Notice the word 鹅 / é — goose.
- Clap the beat and echo the poem slowly.
Before you begin
Questions families ask
Which printable should we start with?
Start with 20 Nature Words Flashcards for a simple point-and-say routine. Choose the 40-card Nature Words + Classical Poetry set when you are ready to meet those words again in matching five-character poems.
Do I need to speak Chinese?
No. The cards include pinyin and English, and the songs, slow read-alongs, and Parent Guides are designed to help non-fluent adults join in and learn alongside their child.
Why begin with five-character quatrains?
Level 1 pairs familiar nature words and images with short, repeatable five-character poems. Their clear rhythm and concrete imagery give children something to point to, move with, clap, and talk about. With simple melody and actions, they become a rich, nursery-rhyme-like experience connected to Chinese language and culture.
Are activity books included?
Level 1 currently includes the Ode to the Goose Starter Activity Book. A separate, full Level 1 Activity Book covering all 20 poems is in development.
Should I choose Simplified or Traditional Chinese?
Choose the script your child uses at home or school. Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China and Singapore; Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Both editions contain the same 40 cards.
What comes after Level 1?
Level 2 is planned to introduce longer poems, including seven-character quatrains. Level 3 will explore further classics and poems connected with actions, values, and everyday moral ideas. More themed word cards—such as action words and colours—are also planned.
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