On Sunday February 16th, the UBC Asian Library welcomed kids and families to campus for Kids Take Over UBC 2025! This year’s theme was Bridges Across Time, Seasons, and Cultures in Asia, in collaboration with the Nitobe Memorial Garden and the Chung | Lind Gallery. We had approximately 520 guests visit us between 11am-4pm to participate in a wide array of programming and fun, which included Japanese woodblock printing, henna, origami, colouring, solving riddles, playing Asian games, and Storytimes in Korean, Japanese, Persian, Punjabi, and Mandarin.
Storytimes
Throughout the day, librarians, students, and volunteers read stories in our Storytime corner, reading in Asian Languages with English translations. These storytimes are designed for all ages and are meant to bridge the gap between languages through story, teaching important cross-cultural lessons along the way!
Crafty Fun
There was a wide variety of crafts for all-ages during Kids Take Over UBC, including a custom-made Asian Centre colouring sheet and supplies for making bookmarks and cards. Origami paper was also available for kids to get creative with, or to fold a ttakji and play the Korean game of ttakjichigi.
Japanese Woodblock Printing
A popular activity during this year’s Kids Take Over UBC event was Japanese woodblock printing. Using a specially designed woodblock from artist David Bull, children created their own print of the Catbus from Studio Ghibli’s Totoro to take home. The process involved preparing ink on the woodblock and then spreading it evenly over a moistened piece of paper in three stages. Kids and youths of all ages were able to enjoy this unique experience!
Asian Games for the Family
A rotating selection of games from different regions in Asia were available throughout the day for kids to explore and play! These included sabangchigi (Korean hopscotch), solving Chinese riddles hanging off lanterns, Yunnori, Go, and many more.
Henna
Henna artist Sumeet Grewal provided henna art for little hands in the Asian Centre auditorium later in the afternoon. Kids learned about carefully allowing the henna to dry, and were excited to have beautiful designs to take home and show off!
Photo credits: Shirin Eshghi Furuzawa
People
