The Chinese New Year festival is the start of the New Year with the traditional lunar Calendar which is the start of a new moon, it changes every year and this year it starts on the 1st February. It officially ends after 14 days with a lantern festival and finishes on a full moon.

Its  It's celebrated by visits with family and friends, special meals, fireworks, gift giving, festivals, decorations and fun activities. 

This year is the year of the tiger which symbolizes strong, powerful, brave and independent people. They are born leaders and tend to be picky eaters and sensitive to food. 

Below are some ways for you to celebrate Chinese New Year in your early years setting/ preschool / KS1.  

Chinese New Year activity ideas for Kids 

Chinese New Year sensory play

What you will need:

·         Rice  

·         Liquid water coloured paint (amazon) 

·         Chinese plastic coins (amazon) 

·         Chinese themed items (12 Animal images, rubber ducks any animal, kid friendly chopstick, red envelope) (can be found on amazon) 

·         Large bowl  

·         Small bowl  

·         Spoon 

·         Stapler

·         Chinese celebration pictures

Method: 

• Put rice is bowl and add few drops of watercolour paint and mix well with spoon, leave to dry and use. 

• Put coins in a large bowl and cover with coloured rice and then add other items in and let children enjoy! 

Lucky Chinese red envelope 

What you will need:

·         template of envelope attached

·         Red paper

·         Gold paint/pen

·         Glue

Method:

1.       Print out our template onto red paper and cut out.

2.       Fold along the marked lines and glue the small flaps down, leaving the top open.

3.       Use gold paint or a pen to draw the Chinese character on the front of the envelope. You can see attached the Chinese alphabet template for you to follow.

Chinese New Year drums craft  

What you will need:

·         Paint ( red and gold)

·         Paintbrush

·         Tape

·         4 wooden skewers

·         30cm red string

·         2 small bells with hook

·         Chinese celebration pictures

Method:

1.       Paint back of plates in desired design and let dry.

2.       Tape all skewers together and tape down to front of plate in the middle in line.

3.       Cut string in half and tie to bells.

4.       Tape string to opposite side so they are parallel to each other.

5.       Staple the two plates together with the paint facing outside and cut out pictures and stick them onto the painted side.

6.       Finally rub stick back and forth in your hands and bells will bang each side causing a drum noise. 

Paper dragon puppet craft  

What you will need:

• 1 paper plate 
• A zip lock freezer bag
• Paint (gold and red)
• Strips of red card (use an A4 piece of card and cut in half and tape together).
• 2 Lollipops sticks
• 2 Googly eyes

Method:

1. Squirt red and gold paint onto a paper plate and put it inside a freezer bag. Use your fingers to spread paint across the paper plate and then take the plate out the bag and leave to dry.
2. Once dry fold your plate in half, draw a line splitting the plate into two.
3. The larger part will be the head, the smaller part the tail. Cut along the line you have drawn.
4. Fold your strip of red card backwards and forwards to create a zig zag. Add googly eyes and a mouth to your dragons head.
5. Glue the head to one end of your strip and the other end the tail, then glue lollipops sticks to the bottom of the paper strip and enjoy.
    

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