Lanterns, red envelopes, and dragons, oh my! One of my favorite units after winter break is teaching about Lunar New Year. Celebrating Lunar New Year in the elementary classroom is a great way to expose students to different cultures and traditions. There are many fun and educational activities that teachers can incorporate into their lesson plans to help students learn about and celebrate this special holiday. Some activities for Lunar New Year might include learning about the history and symbolism of Lunar New Year, creating festive decorations, and participating in cultural activities such as lion dancing.
What is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is based on the lunar calendar and falls between January 21st to February 20th. It begins with the new moon and spans 15 days. It is a time to honor ancestors, spend time with family, and welcome in good luck for the new year. During this time, families participate in “cleansing” rituals to bring good luck and come together to celebrate and feast. They wear red, eat festive foods, and give children red envelopes with money inside. During Lunar New Year, people celebrate with fireworks, dragon and lion dances, fan dances, and gift exchanges. Although Lunar New Year is commonly referred to as Chinese New Year, it is actually celebrated in at least 22 other countries. In fact, it is the most celebrated holiday aside from Christmas.
Read Aloud Books for Lunar New Year
One of the best ways to kick off a new unit is through picture books. Reading picture books about the Lunar New Year is a great way to engage students. You can start by creating a class KWL chart. Ask students what they already know and record their responses. Then, have them brainstorm questions about what they want to know. After reading books, have your class discuss what they learned and record it on the chart.
Videos About Lunar New Year
Another exciting way to get students excited about learning about the traditions of Lunar New Year is by showing short, informational videos. The following videos can be shown throughout your unit.
Lunar New Year for Kids by Scholastic– short informational video about Lunar New Year traditions
Fortune Tales | The Story of Lunar New Year by Panda Express- tells about the legend of the Chinese Zodiac animals
Take a Field Trip to a Kung Fu School | Chinese New Year | KidVision Pre-K– teaches about the lion dance and students can follow along to learn some of the steps to a lion dance routine. The video ends with a fun lion dance demonstration.
Activities for Lunar New Year
There are many fun activities for Lunar New Year that you can do with students. Below are two of my favorites!
Chinese New Year Graph
One way to engage your students after learning about Lunar New Year is to poll them. Start by asking, “Which celebration would you like to attend?” Have students choose between a fan dance, dragon dance, or lantern festival. They will love seeing what each of their friends' choices are as they create the class graph.
The best part is, once your class graph is complete, they can analyze and discuss the data! Afterwards, students can make their own graph and add a dragon topper! You can get all the materials to create your class graph here!
Lantern
Another fun activity is to have your students create their own lantern to decorate their home. The video below shows an example of how your students can design their own lantern in class.
As you can see, celebrating Lunar New Year in the elementary classroom can be a fun and educational way for students to learn about and appreciate different cultures. By incorporating activities such as learning about the holiday's history and symbolism, creating decorations, and participating in cultural activities, teachers can help students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the holiday. Celebrating Lunar New Year in the classroom can also be a great opportunity for students to come together and build a sense of community as they learn and share their experiences with one another. All in all, celebrating Lunar New Year in the classroom can be a meaningful and enjoyable experience for students and teachers alike.
How do you celebrate Lunar New Year with your students? Tell me what you do with your students in the comments.
You may also like:
11 Chinese New Activities for Kids by True Education Partners
Our Favorite Lunar New Year Books and Activities by We Are Teachers
February Math Activities: 3 Fabulous Ideas for the K-2 Classroom
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