Chinese New Year preschool activities teach young children about Chinese culture and traditions through hands-on crafts, games, and learning experiences. These activities help preschoolers develop fine motor skills, creativity, and cultural awareness while celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Chinese New Year Crafts for Preschoolers
Crafts are an excellent way for preschoolers to engage with Chinese New Year traditions while developing their fine motor skills and creativity. Here are some popular craft ideas:
Paper Lanterns
Preschoolers can create colorful paper lanterns using construction paper, scissors, and glue. Cut strips of paper and help children fold them into lantern shapes. Decorate with stickers or drawings of Chinese characters.
Dragon Puppets
Make simple dragon puppets using paper bags or popsicle sticks. Children can color pre-drawn dragon templates or create their own designs. Add googly eyes and tissue paper for a textured effect.
Red Envelopes (Hong Bao)
Create mock red envelopes using red paper or cardstock. Preschoolers can decorate them with gold markers or stickers. Explain the tradition of giving money in red envelopes for good luck.
Paper Plate Animals
Turn paper plates into animals from the Chinese zodiac. For 2025, the Year of the Dragon, focus on creating dragon masks or puppets using paper plates as the base.
Chinese Fans
Fold paper into simple fan shapes and let preschoolers decorate them with Chinese-inspired designs or characters. This activity combines fine motor skills with cultural learning.
Chinese New Year Games and Activities
Engaging games and activities help preschoolers learn about Chinese New Year in a fun, interactive way:
Lucky Red Envelope Hunt
Hide red envelopes around the classroom or home. Each envelope can contain a small treat or a Chinese New Year-related picture for children to find.
Chinese Zodiac Animal Race
Set up a simple obstacle course and assign each child a zodiac animal. They must complete the course while pretending to move like their assigned animal.
Chopstick Practice
Use child-safe training chopsticks to pick up cotton balls, pom-poms, or small toys. This activity improves fine motor skills while introducing an aspect of Chinese culture.
Dragon Dance
Create a simple dragon costume using a long piece of fabric or connected boxes. Let children take turns being part of the dragon as they dance to traditional Chinese music.
Tangram Puzzles
Introduce preschoolers to tangrams, a traditional Chinese puzzle. Use large, foam pieces for younger children to create various shapes and animals.
Learning Activities
Incorporate educational elements to teach preschoolers about Chinese culture and traditions:
Chinese Character Writing
Introduce simple Chinese characters like “福” (fú) for good fortune. Use large brushes and water on dark paper for a mess-free writing experience.
Counting in Mandarin
Teach basic numbers in Mandarin Chinese. Use visual aids and repetition to help children learn and remember.
Chinese New Year Story Time
Read age-appropriate books about Chinese New Year. Follow up with discussions or simple comprehension activities.
Chinese Instrument Exploration
Introduce traditional Chinese instruments like the guzheng or erhu through videos or pictures. Create simple shakers or drums to mimic the sounds.
Chinese Food Tasting
Organize a tasting session with child-friendly Chinese foods like mandarin oranges, fortune cookies, or simple dumplings. Discuss the significance of certain foods in Chinese New Year celebrations.
Sensory Activities
Sensory play is crucial for preschool development. Incorporate Chinese New Year themes into sensory activities:
Red Rice Sensory Bin
Create a sensory bin with red-dyed rice. Hide small toys or figurines related to Chinese New Year for children to find.
Playdough Dragons
Use red and gold playdough to create dragon shapes. Provide tools like plastic knives and cookie cutters for added fine motor practice.
Chinese New Year Sensory Bottles
Fill clear bottles with water, red and gold glitter, and small Chinese New Year-themed objects. Seal tightly for a safe, engaging sensory tool.
Texture Collage
Create a collage using various textures like red silk, gold paper, and rough dragon scales made from painted egg cartons.
Scented Paint
Make homemade paint scented with Chinese five-spice powder. Use it to create Chinese New Year-themed artwork.
Art Projects
Encourage creativity with these Chinese New Year-inspired art projects:
Fireworks Painting
Use toilet paper rolls or fork tines to create firework-like patterns on black paper with bright paint colors.
Dragon Eyes Craft
Create large dragon eyes using paper plates. Children can paint and decorate them with sequins or glitter.
Cherry Blossom Art
Use pink paint and empty plastic bottles to create cherry blossom prints on paper. Add branches with brown paint.
Lantern Sun Catchers
Cut out lantern shapes from clear contact paper. Let children stick tissue paper pieces onto the sticky side to create colorful sun catchers.
Chinese Calligraphy Art
Introduce simple Chinese characters and let children practice writing them with paintbrushes on large paper.
Music and Movement
Incorporate Chinese music and dance into your preschool activities:
Lion Dance Practice
Teach simple lion dance moves and provide lion masks for children to wear during the activity.
Chinese Ribbon Dancing
Use long ribbons or streamers to practice simple dance moves to traditional Chinese music.
Musical Zodiac Animals
Play musical chairs with a twist. When the music stops, children must imitate the sound and movement of a called-out zodiac animal.
Drum Circle
Create a simple drum circle using homemade drums. Practice following a beat and creating rhythms inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations.
Tai Chi for Kids
Introduce simple Tai Chi movements as a calming activity. Focus on slow, deliberate movements and breathing.
Dramatic Play
Set up areas for imaginative play centered around Chinese New Year themes:
Chinese Restaurant
Create a pretend Chinese restaurant with menus, play food, and costumes. Encourage children to take turns being customers and staff.
New Year Market
Set up a mock market where children can “shop” for New Year decorations and foods. Use play money and price tags to incorporate basic math skills.
Dragon Boat Racing
Use cardboard boxes as “dragon boats” and have children work together to “paddle” across the room.
Fortune Teller Booth
Create a simple fortune-telling area with cards featuring positive messages or simple Chinese characters.
Zodiac Animal Dress-Up
Provide simple costumes or masks for each zodiac animal. Encourage children to act out the animals’ characteristics.
Science and Math Activities
Integrate STEM learning into Chinese New Year celebrations:
Lunar Calendar Exploration
Introduce the concept of the lunar calendar using simple visuals. Compare it to the solar calendar children are familiar with.
Red Envelope Counting
Use play money and red envelopes to practice basic counting and sorting skills.
Lantern Patterns
Create patterns using different colored paper lanterns. Encourage children to continue or create their own patterns.
Sink or Float: Mandarin Oranges
Conduct a simple experiment to see if mandarin oranges sink or float in water. Discuss why this happens.
Building Pagodas
Use blocks or other building materials to create simple pagoda structures. Discuss basic architectural concepts.
Cooking and Food Activities
Introduce Chinese cuisine through simple, safe cooking activities:
No-Bake Fortune Cookies
Create simple fortune cookies using circle-shaped wafer cookies and melted white chocolate. Write fortunes together.
Mandarin Orange Peeling
Practice fine motor skills by peeling mandarin oranges. Discuss the importance of this fruit in Chinese New Year celebrations.
Dumpling Making
Use play dough to practice making dumpling shapes. For older preschoolers, consider making real dumplings with supervision.
Tea Tasting
Introduce different types of Chinese tea through a simple tasting activity. Use cooled tea for safety.
Rice Cake Decorating
Provide rice cakes and safe toppings for children to create their own New Year treats.
Language and Literacy Activities
Enhance language skills with Chinese New Year-themed activities:
Chinese New Year Vocabulary Cards
Create picture cards with Chinese New Year-related words in English and Chinese. Use them for memory games or discussions.
Story Sequencing
After reading a Chinese New Year story, provide pictures for children to put in the correct order.
Zodiac Animal Matching
Create a matching game with zodiac animal names and pictures. Include both English and Chinese names for added learning.
New Year Wishes Writing
Help children write simple New Year wishes. For younger children, this can be done through dictation or tracing.
Chinese Character Exploration
Introduce basic Chinese characters related to New Year celebrations. Discuss their meanings and how they are formed.
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