AP Mandarin Classes Enjoy Creative Brain Breaks
Aug 14, 2026 | by Ildi Carlisle-Cummins
This week, our new Mandarin Teacher Wenquing Yan, found a creative way to break up block periods for her AP Mandarin Classes: playing a Chinese children's' game on the deck!
The game is called 丢手绢 (diū shǒu juàn), a traditional Chinese children’s game similar to the American game Duck, Duck, Goose.
While playing, students sang the Chinese “丢手绢” song together and cheered for each other in Chinese, shouting phrases like “加油!” (Go!), “快跑!” (Run!), and “抓住他/她!” (Catch them!). It was a fun way for students to practice Chinese naturally while also experiencing a traditional childhood game that many children grow up playing in China. By connecting 丢手绢 to a familiar game like Duck, Duck, Goose, students were able to discover similarities between their own experiences and those of another culture. Teacher Yan hopes activities like this can help students appreciate both similarities and differences across cultures and continue developing a global citizen mindset.
She told us, "it was wonderful to see everyone laughing, singing, speaking Chinese, and enjoying the activity together. I thought it would be a fun moment to share with the PCS community!"
We are grateful to have such a wonderful, enthusiastic new teacher here at PCS.