The book mentions how social dim sum dining is, so we made a couple tables (i.e. The customers would point to a menu item, and the kids had to locate it on their carts! Oh, and we also included a cute place setting for your customers (template here). To play the game, kids rolled the carts up to their customers. Each cart came with a menu (the template is here): When the carts were finished, it was time for the matching game.

The book mentions that an open teapot means you are requesting a fresh pot – something we really wanted to replicate for this project. Then add a handle, spout, and bead knob on top! The circular part of the template becomes the teapot’s hinged lid: To make the teapot, circle and tape the rectangular part of the template to create the teapot’s body. Would you also like to serve tea? The tea cups are leftover bits of card stock circled into miniature cylinders. Thanks to Lin’s awesome illustrations on the front and end papers of the book, the dishes are labeled with their English and Chinese names. Time for the food! Color and cut the dim sum dishes from the template, then glue them on top of construction paper (or patterned paper) circles.

We also added gold mirror board and patterned tape to make the cart extra fancy. Use leftover box cardboard to make a cart handle. Secure the flaps in place with tape or hot glue.Īdd a wheel assembly to the bottom of the box (you’ll find instructions and alternative wheel suggestions here). Fold the flaps down to create the lower “shelf” of the cart. Next, cut hinged rectangular flaps in the long sides of the box. Scissors, tape, and glue for constructionįirst, the cart! Use a box cutter to create a square in one of the short sides of a box (leave the other short side intact).1 dim sum restaurant place mats, printed on 8.5″ x 11″ card stock.1 teapot template, printed on 8.5: x 11″ card stock.

1 dim sum menu template, printed on 8.5″ x 11″ card stock.1 dim sum dishes template, printed on 8.5″ x 11″ card stock.1 large box (ours was 4.5” X 4.5” x 9” – a large tissue box works too).Pork buns, fried shrimp, egg tarts…the carts have something for everyone! The book concludes with an excellent essay about dim sum – it’s history, traditions, and social aspects. Follow a family as they sample the many little dishes served at a dim sum restaurant. We read Dim Sum for Everyone! by Grace Lin (Alfred A. In addition to being stocked with deliciously delectable dishes, the cart is a bilingual matching game with an additional story time social twist! Hungry? We invite you to peruse the contents of this adorable dim sum cart.

Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin