Top 9 Chinese New year Activities for Kids in 2023

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Now is a great time for teachers and parents to start teaching children about the Chinese New Year. There are lots of ways to do this, including telling stories and allowing the children or students to ask lots of questions and discuss.

However, there are also tons of great Chinese New Year activities that enable children to learn about this culturally rich celebration as well as develop their creativity, coordination, and crafting skills.

It’s that time of year again—time to usher in the New Year and all the festivities that come with it! If you’re like most parents, you’re probably looking forward to passing on some of the traditions to your kids. And what better way to do that than by incorporating some Chinese new year activities into their lives? Here are nine fun and interesting Chinese new year kids’ activities to help get you started. From counting down to the big day to learning about lucky numbers and more, there’s something for everyone! Happy New Year!

Make a dragon out of paper

Chinese new year is a time to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Here are some fun activities for kids to participate in during this festive season!

1. Make a dragon out of paper. This is a great activity for toddlers and preschoolers. All you need are some sheets of paper, scissors, and a pen or pencil. You can cut out the dragon’s body first, thenfoldupthewingsandtail. Add some glitter if you like!

2. Sing along to traditional Chinese new year songs with your family or friends. There are many popular tracks available online or on CD that children will love singing along to. Try searching for “Chinese New Year” on YouTube or iTunes to get started!

3. Visit local Chinatowns and other Asian communities around your neighborhood in search of special new years treats such as fortune cookies, popiah (a type of Malaysian crepe), and crispy chicken feet wrapped in lotus leaves.

4. Make a red envelope decoration using fruit juice boxes, cereal boxes, or any other empty plastic containers that your child might find enticing. Fill each envelope with different things like small candies, tokens for choosing games at home, stickers, etc.. Place these decorations all around the house or outside for everyone to enjoy during the New Year festivities!

Draw a festive picture with crayons

Chinese New Year is the most important festival in China. Families gather together to celebrate the new year and all of the good things that will come in 2018. There are fun activities for children to participate in during Chinese New Year, and this festive picture with crayons is a great way to get them involved!

To make your picture, start by drawing a bright red dragon on a white background. Next, draw concentric circles around the dragon, using different colors of crayons. The outermost circle should be yellow, then orange, green, blue, indigo, violet (purple), and finally red. Finally, add some stars above and below the dragon to finish off your picture!

This festive picture with crayons is a great way for children to learn about Chinese culture and celebrate the new year together. It’s also super fun for them to create their own pictures using colorful crayons!

Make a yin and yang symbol with rice

Rice is the most representative food in China and is a vital part of many ceremonies and celebrations. Yin and yang are two essential principles in Chinese philosophy, as well as the fundamental organizing force behind the natural world. To celebrate the New Year, kids can make their own yin and yang symbol out of rice!

Start by preparing some cooked white rice. Once it’s cool enough to handle, cut it into small squares or rectangles. Take care not to tear the cooked rice while cutting it; you want it to remain intact once it’s dried.

To create the yin-yang symbol, start by arranging the squares or rectangles in a cross shape, with one square on top of another. Make sure that both ends of each piece of rice face outwards; this will help form the iconic shape.

Once your rice has been arranged into the desired shape, use a few drops of water to seal each piece together. You can then let the symbols dry for a few hours or overnight, depending on how humid your room is.

Once they’re dry, your kids can hang their symbols up in sunny spots indoors or outdoors for all to see during the Chinese new year!

Write lucky charms on small cups or bottles

Chinese new year is a special time for families to come together and celebrate the Year of the Pig. Families often gather around to exchange lucky charms or talismans, called “gou” in Mandarin, which is believed to bring good luck in the coming year.

Here are some fun activities to do with your kids during the Chinese new year:

1. Write lucky charms on small cups or bottles and give them out to everyone at the family gathering.

2. Make a Chinese new year banner using colorful fabric and let the kids hang it up in their rooms.

3. Make a fortune cookie cake and decorate it with lucky charms baked inside.

4. Get the kids involved in making dumplings or moon cakes (see the recipe below). These traditional snacks are believed to bring good luck in the coming year.

Make origami animals

Origami is a Japanese art form based on paper folding. It is often called “the art of paper folding.” Origami animals are one of the most popular origami models, and there are many different ways to make them. Here are some tips for making origami animals:

1. Start with a basic shape like a triangle, square, or circle.

2. Make sure the folds in your paper are tight and smooth.

3. Use different colors and patterns to make your origami animal more interesting.

4. Try out different techniques, like cutting and stapling pieces of paper together to create new shapes.

Decorate chopsticks with fingernail polish

If you’re looking for a fun way to decorate your chopsticks for the Chinese new year, try painting them with fingernail polish! This is a great way to show your patriotism and add some festive flair to your table setting. You can also use different colors to create a more stylish effect.

Have a Chinese New Year feast

If you’re looking for a fun-filled Chinese New Year celebration for your kids, there are plenty of activities to choose from! Here are five ideas to get you started:

1. Have a Chinese New Year feast – This is an easy and fun way to celebrate the new year! Serve up some delicious dishes like pork buns or spring rolls and let the kids help get everything ready. You can also try out some traditional new year rituals like lighting fireworks or eating lotus seeds.

2. Make a fortune cookie dragon – This is the perfect activity for little ones who love making things go ‘boom’! All you need is a sheet of paper and some markers. Draw a dragon on the paper and then assign different shapes to the cookies (like stars or hearts). When everyone has their cookie dragon figured out, have them hide them away until New Year’s Eve. Then, on New Year’s Eve, bring out your dragons and have some fun guessing which one belongs to which person!

3. Countdown to midnight – This is a classic Chinese New Year tradition that lets children experience all of the suspense and excitement leading up to midnight. There are lots of creative ways to do this, like having them write down their predictions for the new year or setting up a treasure hunt around the house.

4. Make colorful origami cranes – Origami is one of the oldest forms of paper folding in Japan and it has become popular all over the world. It’s a perfect activity to do with kids on New Year’s Day because it doesn’t require any tools or precise folding skills. All you need is some paper and some imagination!

5. Make a rice cake fortune cookie – This is a fun and easy way to teach your kids about Chinese New Year customs. You just need some rice cakes, markers, and fortune cookies. Print out some fortune cookie templates online or find printable PDFs that you can download. Then, have the kids cut out each fortune cookie and write their predictions for the new year inside. Hang them up on the tree or around the house as decoration when New Year’s Eve arrives!

Play traditional Chinese games like mahjong and go-karts

Traditional Chinese games like mahjong and go-karts are a fun way to spend the new year with your kids. Mah Jong is a tile-matching puzzle game played with 108 tiles. Go-karts are race cars that you pedal to win. They’re both great ways to spend some quality time together and have some laughs.

Learn about the Chinese zodiac

The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle of animals that people in China believe will affect their lives. The first animal of the year is the rat and it is believed to be the most unlucky of all the animals. The next animal is the ox and which is seen as strong and willing to work. The third animal is the tiger and it is considered to be intelligent, powerful, and courageous. The fourth animal is the rabbit and it is seen as creative and playful. The fifth animal is the dragon and it’s seen as wise and powerful.

The sixth animal is the snake and it’s considered to be sly, cunning, and dangerous. The seventh animal is the horse and people see it as loyal, honest, and helpful. The eighth animal is the goat; people see it as simpleminded but gentle. The ninth animal is the monkey and people see it as clever but mischievous. The tenth animal is the rooster which symbolizes new beginnings. Finally, there’s the dog which represents protection and loyalty.

Conclusion

As the Chinese New Year comes around, many families get together to celebrate. While there are many traditional activities to do as a family, here are nine fun and educational Chinese New Year kids activities that will keep your little ones entertained while you try to make some major goals for the year ahead!
Don’t forget to check out Fun to Learn Learning center in Hong Kong for kids with major development in English.

About the Author
Soumyajit Chatterjee
Soumyajit Chatterjee is a Contributing Editor with Fun to Learn English. He works with various educational institutes in Hong Kong to help them with improving modern English education and making learning with Phonics more fun and enjoyable for children.
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