Mandarin Circle Time for Preschoolers: Immersion-Style Routines to Do at Home

By the end you can

• Say hello to the whole circle and to each child. 大家好 greets everyone at once and 你好 plus a name greets one child, with a two-handed wave and a one-handed wave.
  大家好！ · Dàjiā hǎo! · Hello, everyone!
• Ask how your child feels and answer with a face. Happy, tired or hungry, each with an action: a big smile, rubbing your eyes, patting your tummy. Your child points to Bao's face.
  你开心吗？ · Nǐ kāixīn ma? · Are you happy?
• Look outside and say the weather. Sunny, rainy, windy, cold and hot, with a shiver for cold and fingers wiggling down for rain. Your child points to the weather picture.
  下雨了！ · Xià yǔ le! · It's raining!
• Count the friends in the circle from one to five. Touch each knee as you count, then hold up that many fingers. Count people and toys with 个, and say 两 for two of them.
  一、二、三，三个人！ · Yī, èr, sān, sān ge rén! · One, two, three: three people!
• Pick a colour of the day and hunt for it. Name the day's colour, then walk round the room and touch everything you find in it.
  找一找红色！ · Zhǎo yi zhǎo hóngsè! · Let's find something red!
• Call names and answer I'm here. Ask who has come, and your child raises a hand or pats their chest to answer.
  我在这儿！ · Wǒ zài zhèr! · I'm here!
• Share a picture book, tidy up and say goodbye. Sit for a story and ask who is in the picture, put the toys in the basket, then wave goodbye until tomorrow.
  再见！明天见！ · Zàijiàn! Míngtiān jiàn! · Goodbye! See you tomorrow!

What’s inside

• Hello, Everyone: Say: Hello, Everyone · Play: Wave and Clap Hello
• How Do You Feel?: Say: How Do You Feel? · Play: Happy, Tired or Hungry?
• What's the Weather?: Say: What's the Weather? · Play: Point to the Weather
• Let's Count: Say: Let's Count · Play: Count and Clap
• Colour of the Day: Say: Colour of the Day · Play: Colour and Find
• Who Is Here?: Say: Who Is Here? · Play: Find the Friends
• Story Time: Say: Story Time · Play: Bao's Little Story
• Tidy Up and Goodbye: Say: Tidy Up and Goodbye · Play: Into the Basket
• Circle cards: Weather and Feelings Cards
• Circle time chart: My Circle Time Week
• All together: A Whole Circle Time

How to use this book

Eight short routines, done in the same order every day the way an immersion preschool does it. Ten minutes is plenty, and you read the Chinese aloud with the free audio to help.

1. Week 1: One routine a day. Play the routine's lines on the free audio, then say them together in the pause and do the action. Try the Play page after.
2. Week 1: Cut out the cards. Cut out the weather and feelings cards on page 19 to use on your circle time board.
3. Week 2: A full circle time. String the routines together with the chart on page 20: hello, feelings, weather, counting, colour, who is here, a story and goodbye.
4. Every day: Same order, big smiles. Tick one box a day, Monday to Friday. Repeat what your child says with a smile, and never correct a two-year-old.
5. Any time: All together. Page 21 shows a whole circle time from hello to goodbye, with Duoduo, Lele and Bao taking turns.

Who it’s for

Children aged 2 to 4 with a parent, carer or nursery teacher who wants Mandarin at home or in a small group. You read everything aloud; your child listens, points, claps and joins in.

Before you start: Nothing. You don't need to speak Chinese: every line has pinyin and English and is on the free audio, with a pause to say it back.

Frequently asked questions

What is circle time?

A short routine done together in the same order every day, as in many immersion preschools. This book has eight: hello, how do you feel, the weather, counting, colour of the day, who is here, story time, and tidy up and goodbye.

I don't speak Chinese. Can I still run it?

Yes. Play each line on the free audio first, then say it together in the pause. Every line has pinyin and English, and each routine has a simple action to go with the words.

How long does it take?

About ten minutes for the full circle time, one or two minutes per routine. In the first week, do one routine a day before putting them all together.

Does my two-year-old need to say the words?

No. Your child listens, points, claps and joins in when ready, and pointing or waving is a great answer. Repeat what they say with a big smile, and never correct a two-year-old.

What else is there for preschoolers?

Mandarin for Toddlers: Rhymes, Action Games and Coloring (Ages 2–4) has ten short rhymes to say and act out at the same age, and Mandarin for Preschoolers: First Words Activity Book, for ages 3 to 5, has first words to colour, circle, match and count.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 24-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class or my children?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

Keep going

Mandarin for Toddlers: Rhymes, Action Games and Coloring (Ages 2–4) · Mandarin for Preschoolers: Animal Sounds Coloring Book (Woof, Moo and Quack in Chinese) · Mandarin for Kids: Animals & Fruit · Colors and Numbers in Chinese for Kids: Printable Worksheets (Ages 4–6) · Browse all 294 workbooks