Happy Chinese New Year! The first day of Chinese New Year starts with the new moon, which appears between January 21 and February 20. The Chinese New Year is decided by China’s lunar calendar and falls on the first day of this calendar. This holiday is celebrated in countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many more countries around the world. Introduce this international holiday in your classroom with these fun Chinese New Year lessons and activities from Teachers Pay Teachers.
FREE Lesson: Chinese New Year Dancing Dragon and Chinese Lantern (Grades 1–6)
This free activity helps you celebrate Chinese New Year by guiding students through making an accordion-fold “dancing dragon” and paper plate Chinese lanterns. The unit explains the significance of each symbol and provides detailed directions to make each one. Download this free lesson here!
Preparing for a Chinese New Year Short Story (Grades 2–3)
This unit includes a short story about a boy and his family preparing for Chinese New Year. The boy wants to turn his luck around, so he prepares for the holiday by cleaning the house, getting a haircut, and trying hard in school, all of which seem to go wrong. The unit also includes a reading comprehension page, a Chinese calendar page, a short answer activity page, and a parade-mapping activity page! Find this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Chinese New Year: Making Books (Grades 1–6)
This unit includes background information on the holiday, reading recommendations for different reading levels, facts about the Chinese calendar, and instructions for making a Chinese New Year book! The unit provides reproducibles of the Chinese calendar and writing prompts so your students can embrace the holiday! Get this unit here, on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Good Luck Messages and Box Dragon Project (Grades K–3)
This unit teaches students about the traditions of Chinese New Year, including cleaning, good luck messages, and the dragon parade. Students can help clean up the classroom, write positive messages for the bulletin board, and help make a box dragon for your very own dragon parade! The unit includes directions, suggestions, and information on the holiday! Find this unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Chinese New Year Cards and Money Pouch (Grades 1–5)
This unit provides instructions for making origami Chinese New Year cards, traditionally made with red paper. It also includes a pattern and template for making a money pouch that holds small coins. Get this unit here, on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Chinese New Year Bulletin Board (Grades K–6)
This unit provides instructions and reproducibles to make a Chinese New Year bulletin board! The bulletin board is red with a paper dragon background, a chart of Chinese zodiac signs, and cut and paste letters that say “Gung Hay Fat Choy!” (Happy New Year!) Find this unit, here, on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Make the most of this opportunity to educate students on this holiday by incorporating some of these activities into your lessons. There are plenty of crafts and activities that celebrate Chinese New Year, many of which practice the traditions of this holiday.
For more information about the history and traditions associated with Chinese New Year, check out: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/china/spring-festival.
Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.