Chinese New Year Activities for the Primary Classroom

Imagine your classroom buzzing with excitement, little faces lit up with curiosity. That’s the magic we unlock when we dive into teaching our young learners about Chinese New Year. It’s not just about the dragons and lanterns (although those are pretty cool), but it’s opening up a world of traditions, stories, and celebrations from across the globe. Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, isn’t just a party – it’s a cultural journey waiting to be explored. In this blog post, I’m sharing with you five Chinese New Year activities that I use in my classroom to capture the spirit of the Chinese New Year while sparking imagination, curiosity, and a sense of connection in my classroom.

Chinese New Year celebrations are so much fun to learn about in the primary classroom. By bringing this festive celebration into our lessons, we’re giving our kiddos a passport to understanding, respect, and an appreciation for the beautiful mix of traditions out in the world. Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!

5 Chinese New Year Activities

These five activities will bring Chinese New Year to life in your primary grade classroom. They are hands-on, super-fun activities that practice essential skills while learning about an important cultural event. The first three Chinese New Year Activities can be found in my Chinese New Year Activities for 1st Grade.

1. Chinese New Year Activity Reading Passage

Alright, let me share how I kick off Chinese New Year with my awesome bunch of students. We start with a short passage explaining what this holiday is about.

Before jumping into the reading adventure, we preview the questions that accompany the passage. This way, they have a clearer idea of what they are reading and can look for details to help answer questions.

Then we read the passage together without stopping or looking for answers. Next, we reread it, but this time we are looking for evidence to help us answer each question.

I created a black and white version and a color version of this worksheet so you can choose what works best for your crew! I really like using the colored version of the reading passage because the questions are color-coded. To help my students see how the text holds the answers to the questions, we highlight the evidence in the same color the question is written. Projecting the colored version is a great way to review student answers after they have completed the activity.

This activity is so great for kicking things off and delivering some baseline knowledge about this holiday and how it’s celebrated.

2. Chinese New Year Activities for Vocabulary

Now that I’ve filled my learners in on the lowdown of what this holiday is all about, it’s time to equip them with the tools they need to navigate Chinese New Year. I’ve created several Chinese New Year vocabulary activities that turn learning into a lively exploration of words related to the celebration.

I kick things off with the Chinese New Year Vocabulary page. We start by checking out the list of words at the bottom. Then, we dive into the visuals. Together, we match up the correct vocabulary words with the images that make them pop. Once we’ve conquered the matching game, I pair up my students for the next adventure.

Cue the Mixed Up Vocabulary page. It’s a vocabulary puzzle party! All the words are in a jumbled mess, and it’s up to my students to play word detectives to unscramble them. Prepared with their Chinese New Year Vocabulary page, they unscramble the chaos, putting each word back in its proper place. To seal the deal, they jot down the number of each word in the box next to the matching image.

And for those moments when centers, early finishers, or solo exploration call for some vocabulary zest, I’ve got the crossword and word search ready to roll. This way, my students are constantly in contact with the Chinese New Year vocabulary.

3. Chinese New Year Activities with Graphing

Now that my little crew has the lowdown on Chinese New Year, I’m all about weaving this celebration into every nook and cranny of our lessons. The more they interact with a concept, the more it sticks!

One math activity my kiddos enjoy working on in math class, in a center, or independently is the Chinese New Year Graphing activity.

At the top of the page, I’ve placed all the adorable animals from the Chinese New Year calendar. My little learners are tasked with counting how many of each one and tallying them by the correct animal.

Once they have all their tallies written down, I have them add to find the total of each animal. Then below at the bottom of the page, they graph the number for each animal. They can color in the graph or use a bingo dauber to fill in the spaces.

Not only are they becoming more familiar with these Chinese New Year critters, but they’re also flexing those graphing muscles. It’s a double whammy of fun and learning!

4. Chinese New Year Lantern Craft

Imagine your kiddos creating a craft that’s not just about gluing and cutting but crafting a bit of Chinese New Year enchantment. These lanterns are symbols of good vibes and tradition. Once the artistic chaos settles, hang those lanterns around the room. Amid all the creative buzz, have a quick chat about why lanterns hold such significance in Chinese celebrations. It’s a mini cultural journey happening right there in your classroom!

Instructions for Creating Paper Lanterns

Materials Needed:

• Colored construction paper (red and gold are traditional colors)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• String or yarn

Steps:

1. I begin by explaining to my class the importance of lanterns in Chinese New Year celebrations. I explain how they symbolize good luck and are often used to decorate homes and public spaces.
2. Then, I have each student choose a piece of colored construction paper. Red and gold work well for this activity because they are the traditional colors.
3. Students will fold their paper in half “hamburger style”. Starting in portrait format they will fold the top down to meet the bottom.
4. With the folded edge at the top, I show students how to cut the paper into strips. The most important part is to leave the top edge (the folded side) uncut. This uncut portion will be the lantern’s handles. I find that about 1 inch is a great size for this.
5. Next, students open up the paper and decorate the top and bottom bands, as well as the strips. Some ideas we use to decorate the lanterns are Chinese symbols, animals from the zodiac calendar, or any other festive designs.
6. Once the strips are decorated, I help my students roll the paper into a cylinder. The two top bands and the two bottom bands should connect. I’ve found that a piece of tape or a quick staple works better to hold the lantern together.
7. Attach a strip of construction paper, a piece of string or yarn to the top as a handle.
8. I hang the finished lanterns around the classroom to create a festive and colorful Chinese New Year display. My kiddos love seeing all of their lanterns hung up!

5. Zodiac Animal Masks

Another Chinese New Year activity my learners have enjoyed is making animal masks for one of the animals from the Chinese Zodiac calendar. It’s a chance for my awesome students to unleash their inner artist.

Call me crazy, but I don’t use templates or copies of the animals for this activity. Instead, I let students use construction paper, crayons, and markers to make their creations. If anyone would like help with the mask shape, I will do a directed drawing style instruction for each of the animals. After that, we project some pictures of the animals on the board that students can reference.

Now, once these masks are done, it’s time to put them to use. We’re talking imaginative play, storytelling sessions, review of facts about Chinese New Year, and more. And. . . if we’re feeling extra adventurous, a mini parade in the classroom or down the school hall will be in order. Your students will proudly march, showcasing their masks, and sharing cool facts about their chosen zodiac animal.

Materials Needed:

• Construction paper
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• Craft sticks or string
• Hole punch
• Scissors
• Glue

Steps to Create a Zodiac Animal Mask:

1. Before the crafting even begins, introduce the Chinese zodiac and its twelve animal signs to the students. I bring out this craft after we have read the reading passage, worked on vocabulary, and completed some of the other activities in the bundle that have the 12 animals on them.
2. I lay out the materials needed for this project – namely construction paper in all the colors! I also project images of the animals that students can look at as they create.
3. Students will choose the animal they want to create and get started. If they would like help with the shape of the mask I will do a directed drawing activity for each of the animals.
4. It’s time for students to design and decorate their animal masks. You will be amazed at how focused they get and how seriously they take this activity.
5. Once they are done, use a hole punch to create holes on either side of the mask, near the ears. You can use these holes to attach a ribbon so students can tie their mast on. Or. . . you can try gluing craft sticks to the bottom of the mask so students can hold their mast up.

Let the Chinese New Year Activities Ring in the New Year!

And there you have it – some of my favorite activities for teaching students about Chinese New Year. You can find even more activities in my Chinese New Year Activities bundle. Turn your classroom into a vibrant hub of Chinese New Year excitement. From reading passages to crafting lanterns and zodiac animal masks, each activity adds its own touch of magic to the cultural journey you’ll take your students on. It transforms into a playground of curiosity, creativity, and cultural connection.

These Chinese New Year activities create moments that linger in our students’ memories. The Chinese New Year adventure we’ve embarked upon isn’t just confined to the pages of a book or the strokes of a marker. It comes alive in the smiles, excitement, and understanding radiating from our young learners.

May your students’ curiosity be ignited, their creativity unleashed, and their understanding of diverse traditions enriched. Let the Chinese New Year adventure begin, and may it resonate in the hearts and minds of our little learners for years to come. Gong Xi Fa Cai (May you have a prosperous new year)!

Looking for More?

Check out these posts for more fun and engaging activities to use with your students!

• Winter Activities: Weaving Magic into Lessons
• 3 Terry Fox Activities to Inspire Your Students
• A Tribute to Roald Dahl and His Whimsical World

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