Spark Study Buddy (Explorer): China dad transforms home into toy castle to distract daughter from electronic devices
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A Chinese father transformed his home into a toy castle to distract his daughter from using electronic devices.
Photo: SCMP composite/DouyinContent provided by British Council
[1] A father in central China is tackling the issue of phone addiction within his family. He turned his home into a fun toy castle, creatively using range hood piping to make a pink dragon that captured the hearts of many across the mainland internet.
[2] In a video shared by Henan Broadcasting System last month, the 35-year-old father, surnamed Zhang, from Zhengzhou, Henan province, explained why he changed his house. “If I don’t let my daughter use the phone or tablet, she needs alternative activities to engage her. Toys are ideal for a child around three or four years old,” Zhang explained.
[3] The pink dragon was inspired by the Year of the Dragon. He designed it using a 4-metre-long kitchen range hood pipe. He shared his journey on his Douyin account, “Creative Fun Brother,” which has more than three million followers.
[4] This process involved reinforcing the pipe with newspaper, creating a cardboard template for the dragon’s head, and moulding the horns from clay. He attached around 3,000 individual pink foam scales to complete the dragon. In the video, his daughter joyfully said: “This dragon is taller than me!”
[5] Zhang said that he had seen his young daughter, nicknamed Nini, spending lots of time in front of screens. He decided to make homemade toys to “compete for her attention”. Zhang has made nearly 300 toys for his daughter, including a train track along the ceiling of their home.
[6] He even turned their door into a playful game of Tetris. His daughter plays on one side while Zhang stands on the other, moving the blocks like in the classic video game. “I created this door just a few days ago and cut a large opening in the centre for the Tetris. This toy definitely requires help from dad,” Zhang said.
[7] Zhang also turned a power box in the wall into a charming “Mickey Mouse mouse hole”. It even has a miniature living space where Mickey can be seen lounging on a tiny sofa. This cosy nook features a carefully crafted pink table, blue chair, lamp, and TV, showcasing Zhang’s careful attention to detail.
[8] To address excessive screen time among children and teens, the Cyberspace Administration of China said that all mobile devices must include a built-in “minor mode”. This limits daily screen time to a maximum of two hours based on the user’s age.
Source: South China Morning Post, September 19
Questions
1. In paragraph 2, what does Zhang not want his daughter to do?
___________________________________________________
2. What are the dragon’s horns made of according to paragraph 4?
___________________________________________________
3. Based on paragraph 4, his daughter was … when she saw the dragon.
A. worried
B. pleased
C. shocked
D. scared
4. What did Zhang do to the door in his home according to paragraph 6?
___________________________________________________
5. Read the article again and circle the correct pronoun in each statement. (3 marks)
(i) It / He made a pink dragon from a kitchen pipe.
(ii) She / He likes the dragon very much.
(iii) She / It is taller than his daughter.
6. Write the correct punctuation for each statement. (3 marks)
(i) Zhang created a pink dragon toy from a kitchen range hood pipe _____
(ii) Wow, that pink dragon is amazing ____
(iii) Did Zhang’s daughter like the pink dragon toy _____
Answers
1. He does not want her to use the phone or tablet.
2. clay
3. B
4. He turned it into a game of Tetris.
5. (i) He; (ii) She; (iii) It
6. (i) .; (ii) !; (iii) ?