Lunar New Year Activities
The Lunar New Year is a festive holiday celebrated by millions of people around the world, and it’s a great opportunity for teachers to incorporate some fun, low prep activities into their classrooms. Whether you’re teaching students about the history and cultural traditions of the holiday or simply want to add some excitement to your lesson plans, there are plenty of easy and engaging ways to celebrate the new year. From games and classroom surveys to math and literacy activities, there are a variety of activities that can be enjoyed by students. So get ready to ring in the Year of the Rabbit with these fun and educational Lunar New Year activities for 2023!
What’s Included in the Lunar New Year Low Prep Activities Packet?
The following activities are included in the Lunar New Year Low Prep Activities Packet:
- Chinese / Lunar New Year Addition Bump
- Chinese / Animal Zodiac Spin & Graph
- Zodiac Animals
- Zodiac Animal Scramble
- Zodiac Animal ABC Order
- Zodiac Animal Word Search
- Chinese / Lunar New Year Symbols
- Can You Eat with Chopsticks Survey?
- Comprehension Check: Chinese New Year
- Comprehension Check: Lunar New Year
- Chinese Lantern Festival / Lantern Festival
- Chinese New Year Picture Writing Prompt
- Lunar New Year Writing Prompts
- China Picture Writing Prompt
- What is your favorite part of the Chinese New Year writing prompt (boy and girl versions)
- What is your favorite part of the Lunar New Year writing prompt (boy and girl versions)
- How would you catch a dragon writing prompt
- Chinese Numbers 1 to 10 tracing worksheet
- Count and Color New Year objects
- New Year Ten Frames (1-10)
- Chinese Coin Addition
- Chinese Dominoes Addition
- Chinese Coins Subtraction
- Money Count (Tally Marks)
- Color by Code: Number Words
- Color by Code: Tally Marks
- Chinese / Lunar New Year Word Search
- Label the Dragon
- Label the Rabbit
- Chinese New Year Scrambled Sentence
- Lunar New Year Scrambled Sentence
- The Dragon Dance scrambled sentence
- Chinese Zodiac scrambled sentence
- Lunar Calendar scrambled sentence
- What’s Your Animal Sign? (3 pages)
- Zodiac Animal Coloring pages (12 pages)
- Comparing New Year’s Customs Graphic Organizer
- Chinese / Lunar New Year KWL Chart
- My Chinese / Lunar New Year Booklet (Vocabulary)
- My Chinese / Animal Zodiac Book
Let’s take a look at a sample of the activities included in the Chinese New Year Activities packet.
Lunar New Year History and Cultural Traditions
There are a variety of activities that teachers can use to help students learn about the history and cultural traditions of the Lunar New Year. A great activity to start with is the Lunar New Year KWL (Know, Want to Know, Learned) graphic organizer. Before beginning a lesson on the holiday, have students brainstorm what they already know about the Lunar New Year and record their thoughts in the “Know” column. Next, have them list any questions or topics they want to learn about in the “Want to Know” column. As you go through the lesson, have students fill in the “Learned” column with new information they acquire.
Students can also complete the Venn diagram to compare and contrast the traditions of the holiday with their own cultural practices.
One of the most exciting parts of the Lunar New Year are the symbols and traditions associated with the holiday. From red envelopes and lanterns to the mythical dragon dance, there is so much for students to learn about and explore. There are numerous activities that can be incorporated to teach students about Lunar New Year symbols including comprehension checks, writing prompts, booklets students can make, and coloring pages.
There are activities that are suitable for a wide range of student abilities. Younger students can complete the Lunar New Year symbols worksheet and practice reading and writing words at the same time.
By participating in these activities, students will not only learn about the history and cultural traditions of the Lunar New Year, but also gain a greater appreciation and understanding of other cultures.
Zodiac Animals and the Lunar New Year
The Chinese zodiac is an integral part of the Lunar New Year celebration, with each year being represented by one of 12 animals. Learning about these animals and their symbolism can be a fun and educational activity for students of all ages.
What’s Your Animal Sign? Lunar New Year Activity
A fun activity for students to do during the Lunar New Year is to find out their Chinese zodiac animal sign. To do this, have students use a chart that matches their birth year with the corresponding animal. Once students have determined their animal sign, have them research the characteristics and traits associated with their sign. This activity not only helps students learn about the Chinese zodiac and its significance in the Lunar New Year, but also allows them to discover more about themselves and their personality traits.
Other activities that explore the zodiac animals include worksheets for students to practice their abc order, graphing, a booklet students can make, and a word search.
Lunar New Year Low Prep Literacy Activities
Incorporating literacy activities into your Lunar New Year lesson plans is a great way to engage students and enhance their understanding of the holiday. One fun activity is using scrambled sentences to review concepts related to the holiday.
Another activity is using writing prompts to encourage students to reflect on the holiday and its cultural traditions. These activities not only help students practice their literacy skills, but also allow them to think critically and creatively about the holiday.
Label the dragon and label the rabbit worksheets are fun and educational activities for students to enjoy during the Lunar New Year. Students use the words to label the different parts of the dragon or rabbit on the worksheet. This activity helps children learn new vocabulary and practice their reading and writing skills.
Lunar New Year Low Prep Math Activities
There are many math activities that can be incorporated into the Lunar New Year celebrations, such as lucky coin addition, addition with Chinese dominoes, matching envelopes with numbers to the tally marks, and color by code math activities. These activities can help children develop important skills such as number sense, place value, and problem-solving, all while having fun and participating in cultural traditions.
Writing Chinese numbers 1-10 is a fun and educational activity for the Lunar New Year. To begin, children can practice writing the numbers using traditional Chinese characters. This can help them develop fine motor skills and improve their handwriting.
Lunar New Year Classroom Survey
This classroom survey about eating with chopsticks is a fun and interactive way to celebrate the Lunar New Year. To conduct the survey, students can go around the room and ask their classmates if they can eat with chopsticks. The students can then mark down their responses on the tally chart. This activity not only helps students practice counting and data collection, but it also allows them to learn about the cultural tradition of using chopsticks as utensils. After the survey is complete, students can analyze the data and discuss the results as a class. This activity can be a great way to promote cultural understanding and math skills in the classroom.
Lunar New Year Coloring Pages
Lunar New Year coloring pages are a fun and creative activity for students to enjoy during the holiday. These coloring pages feature the Chinese zodiac animals. Students can use a variety of coloring tools, such as crayons, markers, or paint, to bring the pages to life. As they color, students will practice fine motor skills and creativity. They can also learn about the cultural traditions and symbolism associated with the Lunar New Year. Coloring pages can be a great way for students to relax and have fun while also learning about this important holiday.
For the Year of the Rabbit, there is also a Trace the Rabbit worksheet.
Chinese New Year Activities for Google Slides™
Selected Lunar New Year activities have been created for Google Slides™. Click play on the video to see a sample of some of the activities in action. These digital activities have been updated for the 2023 Lunar New Year.
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