Celebrate the Year of the Snake (and every zodiac animal!) with these engaging activities. From scaring away Nian to welcoming good fortune, these printables make learning about the Lunar New Year easy and fun.
Decor & Tradition
- Printable Red Envelopes (Hongbao): Traditional templates kids can cut, fold, and glue to give to friends and family.
- Year of the Snake Door Signs: Colorful posters to mark 2026 as the Year of the Snake.
- Paper Lantern Templates: 3D foldable lanterns with intricate patterns that kids can color and hang.
- Zodiac Animal Bunting: A printable banner featuring all 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
Games & Puzzles
- Nian Monster Board Game: A “roll and move” game where players try to scare away Nian with red crackers.
- Lunar New Year Word Search: Find words like Prosperity, Dragon, Lunar, and Lantern.
- Zodiac Matching Game: A memory card game where kids match the animal to its name or year.
- Chinese New Year I-Spy: A busy page filled with oranges, fans, and dragons for kids to count and find.
- Firecracker Maze: Help the villagers find the firecrackers to protect the village!
Educational & Creative Activities
- Zodiac Wheel Craft: A printable wheel that spins to show which animal represents which birth year.
- Calligraphy Practice Sheets: Trace simple Chinese characters like “Fú” (Fortune) or “Chūn” (Spring).
- Dragon Puppet Cut-outs: Attach these to popsicle sticks for a mini-parade at home.
- Mandarin Orange Counting Cards: A fun way for younger kids to practice basic math using traditional symbols.
- Lunar Calendar Coloring Page: A visual guide showing how the moon phases dictate the festival dates.
- New Year Wish Tags: Little red tags where kids can write their goals and “hang” them on a paper tree