Understanding Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. It marks the start of the lunar calendar and typically falls between late January and mid-February. In 2025, Chinese New Year will begin on January 29th, ushering in the Year of the Snake. Tips for Celebrating Chinese New Year in the Classroom. Here are a few suggestions to create an engaging, hands-on learning experience that blends cultural exploration with fun classroom activities! 1. Integrate Language Learning. Chinese New Year is a fantastic time to introduce phrases in Mandarin or other languages. Chinese New Year holds deep cultural importance and is rich with symbolism. This celebration marks new beginnings and is steeped in ancient traditions that continue to shape modern observances. Cultural Importance and Traditions. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. For this activity, students must understand a tradition for each holiday and be able to draw a symbol related to it. Once they have drawn the symbol, they create a free verse shape poem to tell or explain about that symbol and tradition for the Chinese New Year! This is a fun Chinese New Year craft and makes a great bulletin board, too! Chinese New Year activities provide a magical opportunity to teach students about rich traditions, customs, and values while making learning fun and engaging. Even though most of our students may not be Chinese, celebrating this festival fosters cultural awareness and inclusivity are key components of any well-rounded education. Learn More: Marin Mommies. 23. Chinese New Year Bingo . Learn and review all the symbols, animals, decorations, and traditions with this special bingo card. This is a great party game for celebrations across cultures to help western countries get familiar with different components that make up the Lunar New Year. Learn More: Maple Planners. 24. 3. Learning About the 12 Zodiac Animals. Lunar New Year is an excellent opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and zodiac signs. Chinese astrology assigns a different animal sign to each Chinese year, with the current cycle beginning in 2021 with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Rat and ending in 2030 with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Ox. The Race for the Chinese Zodiac by Gabrielle Wang (Grades K–4), Celebrate the World: Lunar New Year by Hannah Eliot (Grades K–3), and PoPo’s Lucky Chinese New Year by (Grades 1–4) are also books that introduce elementary-aged students to Lunar New Year or various Asian cultures. To help your students learn about the rich traditions and symbolism of this ancient festival, I’ve prepared a trio of activities for the Chinese New Year: Happy Chinese New Year Digital Breakout. Are you ready to embark on a cultural journey and unlock the mysteries of the Chinese New Year? The Year of the Snake digital breakout awaits your These Lunar New Year activity pages are perfect for curious kids who enjoy learning through hands-on activities. Whether you’re homeschooling, celebrating as a family, or just introducing your kids to different cultural traditions, these printable pages are both fun and educational. Your kids will love these Chinese New Year activities, too. As the most celebrated festival in China, the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival (春节), is a time of joy, reunion, and cherished traditions. In this article, we delve into the heart of Chinese New Year customs, exploring the significance of red packets, couplets, and the grand reunion feast that marks the beginning of a new lunar year. Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year are dates not to be missed in the calendar. It is important to explore different festivals and cultural celebrations from around the world with your toddlers, so this blog aims to provide some fantastic activities and ideas for Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year you can carry out in your early years settings! We hope that these Chinese New Year charades, along with the additional activities, provide a fun and interactive way for your children to learn about this remarkable celebration. As your family embarks on this journey of exploration and discovery, we trust that it will foster a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural traditions associated About Us. I have been a teacher for over 20 years. In this time I have led many classroom Valentine’s Day Activities. My efforts to support student learning by forging strong student, parent, teacher relationships and the incorporation of up to date technology in the classroom, along with a lot of hard work led to the honor of being named as an LAUSD Teacher of the Year in 2023. A common Chinese New Year’s greeting in Cantonese is “Gung hay fat choy,” which means “May you become prosperous.” On Chinese New Year, the themes of happiness, wealth, and longevity are celebrated. On Chinese New Year, families reunite, special foods are eaten, fireworks are lit, and children receive money in lucky red paper envelopes. 3. Learning About the 12 Zodiac Animals. Lunar New Year is an excellent opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and zodiac signs. Chinese astrology assigns a different animal sign to each Chinese year, with the current cycle beginning in 2021 with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Rat and ending in 2030 with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Ox. Chinese New Year activities for kids and Lunar New Year lessons, plus Spring Festival printables! We cover Chinese Lunar New Year history, traditions, Chinese New Year facts for kids, crafts for Chinese New Year, food and more! Awesome addition to your holidays studies and Chinese culture, inclusiveness, and diversity lessons for your curriculum or teaching resources for family fun at home or Chinese new year science activities. Here are some Entertaining and Learning Chinese new year science activities for preschoolers and students of all ages: 1. “Dragon’s Breath”: Create a colorful chemical reaction by mixing baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring in a clear bottle or plastic bag. This creates a “dragon’s breath The Chinese New Year is almost here, get ready to explore with these adorable Chinese New Year Activities for Preschool. Set up these creative learning activities as you explore the Lunar New Year with your preschooler. In Celebrating Chinese New Year you will be learning about traditions, fun facts, and cultural activities like dumpling-making, lantern creation, and Chinese zodiac calendar design. Active Learning Features: Reading.
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