Hi! I’m Hui Hui. Pick a session.
WillyChinaKidsTap a session to open the pack full screen. Sound on.
Inside the pack
A peek inside
Unlock the rest of Week 1
Session A is free to try. Add your details to unlock Sessions B and C and the family finale, with its certificate.
We only ask about you, never your child. We’ll send you a welcome email with a link back to Week 1, an email when the next week is ready, occasional WillyChina Kids news and, if you said yes, information about online lessons. You can unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy policy.
Week 1 is unlocked on this device.
The week
How Week 1 works
Three short sessions and a family finale. Do them in order, one a day or so. Each session opens with a quick “do you remember?” warm-up.
Hello, goodbye and thank you
Meet Hui Hui, learn three words and choose the right one for each moment.
Numbers one to five
Count from one to five with a listening game and a hop.
Tones and tracing
Clap and count, hear the four tones and trace three characters.
Show your family
Say all eight words for the family, then get a certificate.
The eight words, with audio
Parents and carers
For grown-ups
Your job as the grown-up
You don’t need to speak Mandarin. Hui Hui does the Mandarin, and the narrator gives every instruction in English. Your job is to sit with your child, join in and cheer.
Tap For parents at any time to see what to do right now, the week’s words with audio, a “try it at home” mission for each session, and your child’s record of finished sessions.
Hear yourself
Your child records a word and plays it back next to Hui Hui’s voice. The recording stays on your device.
Your child’s privacy
We never collect your child’s name, age or photo. Progress and the certificate name stay on your device.
Grown-up links
Any link that leaves the pack asks a grown-up first.
Want a real teacher too?
Hui Hui can model the sounds, but can’t listen back and correct your child’s tones. That is what a teacher does. WillyChina teaches children one-to-one online from age 5, with lessons from 30 minutes to 2 hours. See Mandarin lessons for kids, read how Mandarin fits a homeschool plan or book a free intro call.
One way to fit it in
Free Mandarin for kids: a simple plan for your week
Short and regular works well, so spread Week 1 across a few days rather than doing it all at once. Here’s one way to do it.
- Day 1: Session A. Meet Hui Hui and learn 你好 (nǐ hǎo, hello), 再见 (zàijiàn, goodbye) and 谢谢 (xièxie, thank you). Use them at home for the rest of the day.
- Day 2: Session B. Count from 一 (yī, one) to 五 (wǔ, five). Count stairs, toys or apples together afterwards.
- Day 3: Session C. Clap and count, hear the four tones and trace 一 二 三 (yī, èr, sān: one, two, three).
- Day 4 or the weekend: the finale. Your child says all eight words for the family, then prints or saves the certificate.
Missed a day? Just pick up where you left off.
What the research says
Three tips that help children learn
Let them try first
Ask your child to say the word before you tap Check. In a study with 10-year-olds, practising remembering helped children learn more than studying again (Karpicke and colleagues, 2016).
Little and often
Spread practice across the week rather than doing it all at once. As a benchmark, Victoria’s education department recommends that schools teach a language for at least 150 minutes a week, spread as evenly as possible (Victorian Department of Education).
Listen to the tones a lot
Children can get better at hearing tones with practice (Kasisopa and colleagues, 2018), and the dipping third tone is tricky for many (Lin, Pollock and Li, 2025). Replay Hui Hui as often as your child likes.
Questions
FAQs
Is Week 1 really free?
Yes. Session A is open to everyone. Sessions B and C and the family finale unlock free when a parent or carer adds their details.
What age is it for?
Children aged 5 to 10, with a grown-up nearby. Younger children may need more help with tapping and tracing, and that’s fine.
Do I need to speak Mandarin?
No. Every instruction is in English, and Hui Hui says every Mandarin word. The parent panel has the words with audio, so you can learn alongside your child.
Does my child need to read?
No. Each word is spoken aloud, and the activities use pictures, listening, tapping and tracing. The characters and pinyin are on screen for children who are ready for them.
What does my child learn in Week 1?
Eight words: 你好 (nǐ hǎo, hello), 再见 (zàijiàn, goodbye), 谢谢 (xièxie, thank you) and the numbers 一 (yī) to 五 (wǔ), one to five. Your child also hears the four tones and traces 一 二 三 (yī, èr, sān: one, two, three).
What happens to my child’s voice recordings?
They stay on your device and are never uploaded.
Is there a Week 2?
Yes. Week 2: Me and my family is ready. If you unlocked Week 1 on this device, Week 2 is already open.
After Week 1
What to try next
Ready for more? Week 2: Me and my family is here: mum, dad, me and you, the numbers six to ten, and saying your name.
- Count on to 100 with the Chinese numbers chart and audio.
- Play with the four tones using the tones cheatsheet.
- Find your zodiac animal, then say its name in Mandarin.
- Learn Happy birthday for the next family birthday.
- Discover Chinese festivals and the stories behind them.