Last year we went Around the World in Kindergarten, and one of our favorite places to travel was China. This year, we are excited to pack our virtual bags and head back to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Read on to find all of the resources you’ll need to create a fun and engaging Chinese New Year celebration.
In a hurry? >>> Grab a free Chinese New Year Online Unit Study
One of my favorite things about homeschool is having time to enrich our lesson plans. Adding a mini- unit study about Chinese New Year gives us an opportunity to explore another culture’s traditions and celebrations in a hands-on way.
Books About Chinese New Year
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- See the beauty of China with the vivid photography from National Geographic with Holidays Around the World, Chinese New Year.
- Follow a young boy through Chinatown as he celebrates the Lunar New Year in the U.S. in the beautifully illustrated picture book, Sam and the Lucky Monkey.
- DEMI, award winning author of The Empty Pot, shares the traditions leading up to the Chinese New Year celebration in Happy, Happy Chinese New Year.
We love using Epic! books online to explore cultures all over the world!
They have a wide variety of National Geographic books and picture books that will motivate your young reader (and maybe even save your voice). >>> Try Epic! free for 30 days <<<
Free Printables
- Find a huge Chinese New Year printable pack from Royal Baloo suitable for pre-k through first grade (and we are using it for 2nd this year!).
- Learn about the Chinese zodiac with this fun free printable Chinese New Year Zodiac Matching Game from Teach Beside Me.
- Use a free printable from Thrifty Jinxy to create a traditional Chinese Red Envelope and have good luck and good fortune in the new year!
Free Online Unit Study
Techie Homeschool Mom offers a FREE Chinese New Year Online Unit Study! These are perfect for last minute lesson plans. You won’t need to print anything or purchase any extra books. Just round up a few supplies and learn together from websites and videos.
This free online unit study is appropriate for any age student and can be used with multiple kids across a range of ages.
Chinese New Year Recipes
Enjoy your favorite Chinese foods like sticky rice and spring rolls; then have a few traditional treats like oranges, kumquats, and fortune cookies. For dessert, try one of the following New Year desserts.
- Children and adults alike will love these Chinese Almond Cookies from Dessert Now Dinner Later.
- Try traditional nian gao, a Chinese Sticky Rice Cake. What to Cook Today gives you three recipes to choose from – stove top, steamer, and slow cooker.
- Chocolate Slopes shares her grandmother’s recipe for no-bake, chocolate Chinese New Year Cookies.
Chinese New Year Crafts
- Create your own Chinese New Year Firecrackers from recycled toilet paper tubes with these instructions from This West Coast Mommy.
- Make Chinese Drums for your celebration with directions for this simple paper plate craft from Artsy Momma.
- You celebration wouldn’t be complete without Chinese Paper Lanterns. Find directions for this simple and fun craft on Nurture Store.
Educational Videos
Your little ones will love celebrating Chinese New Year with Kai Lan. Season 1, Episode 10: Happy Chinese New Year, Amazon, 24 min
- Find out about the history of Chinese New Year from the History Channel. YouTube, 2:41
- Watch a read aloud of The Story of Nian, a Chinese New Year Story from Fun With Mandarin. YouTube, 3:01
Top elementary geography posts from the Resource Room:
Great roundup of resources. I love including everything from crafts to foods to history with my children.
Thanks so much! Me too, but I’ll admit our cookies are probably going to burn. We’ll keep trying! Lol!
What a great collection! Thanks for including my Lucky Red Envelopes. I’ll be sharing this post on social media!
Thanks Chrysa!