5 Easy Lunar New Year Crafts for Early Years Classrooms
Posted by EYR Team on 15th Dec 2025
read moreCelebrate the Lunar New Year with creativity, colour and cultural learning!
The Lunar (or Chinese) New Year is a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to new traditions, stories and sensory experiences from around the world. From cherry blossom printing to acting out the Great Race, these hands-on crafts and activities are designed to spark curiosity and support early learning through play.
Each idea below uses simple resources you may already have in your setting — perfect for exploring art, storytelling, numeracy, and cultural awareness while having fun together.
Cherry Blossom Printing
Welcome the Lunar New Year with a beautiful cherry blossom art activity. In Chinese culture, cherry blossoms symbolise renewal and good fortune - making them the perfect way to start the celebrations. This creative printing activity encourages children to explore colour mixing, fine motor skills, and nature inspired art.
You will need:
- Tuff Tray
- Tuff Tray Paper Pad
- Paints
- Recycled Water Bottles
How to:
- Start your cherry blossom masterpiece by drawing the trunk and branches on your paper pad
- Next fill your bowls or palettes with different colours of paint
- Finally, use your upcycled bottles to dip into the paint and print onto the branches of the tree
Make Paper Fortune Cookies
Add a touch of fun and positivity to your Lunar New Year celebratons with these DIY paper fortune cookies! Traditionally given to share good luck and happy messages, these simple crafts are a playful way for children to practice cutting, folding and writing, while learning about Chinese customs.
You will need:
How to:
- Begin by printing or drawing the circle templates from your Paper Fortune Cookie Download onto coloured paper.
- Cut out each circle carefully — this is great fine motor practice for little hands!
- Fold two edges together and add a dab of glue to hold them together
- Cut out our examples or try writing your own affirmations on a little slip of paper and add to the centre of the folded circle
- Finally, bend the two ends of the cookie together until they meet and form the fortune cookie shape!
Re-enact the Great Race
Bring the famous Chinese zodiac story to life! The Great Race tells how the 12 animals were chosen for the Chinese zodiac — and children will love acting out the tale with puppets and props. This imaginative activity supports storytelling, sequencing, and cultural understanding in a fun, interactive way.
You will need:
How to:
- Read The Great Race story together and discuss the different zodiac animals and their special traits.
- Create your small world tuff tray by adding a grass mat and some blue material as the water.
- Arrange the zodiac puppets at the starting line and place number pebbles in order to show the race positions
- Encourage children to retell the story, moving the animals across the "river" and onto the land as they finish the race!
Explore Multi-Cultural Foods
Food is an important part of every celebration, and Lunar New Year is no exception! Set up a picnic tuff tray and invite children to explore the multicultural play foods, cooking traditions and different utensils. This activity is a great way to introduce discussions about tradition, tastes and different cultures around the world.
You will need:
How to:
- Set up your tuff tray with our picnic tuff tray mat and arrange the play foods on the different plates and in the centre
- Talk about how people all around the world celebrate special occasions with food — including the dishes often enjoyed during Lunar New Year.
- Encourage children to explore the pretend foods through play — sorting, naming, and “serving” them to friends.
Create Chinese Character Lolly Stick Puzzles
Combine creativity with learning by making your own Chinese character puzzles! This hands-on activity promotes early writing skills, cultural awareness, and problem-solving — all while celebrating the beauty of Chinese calligraphy.
You will need:
- Jumbo Lolly Sticks
- Paint
- Felt Pens
- Downloadable Chinese Numbers & Characters
How to:
- Start by painting your lolly sticks red and let the paint dry
- Use our free downloadable number or character sheets to replicate the symbols onto the lined up lolly sticks
- Present your children with the downloaded sheets and task them with matching the lolly sticks together to complete the Chinese character!
Celebrating the Lunar New Year in your early years setting is a fantastic way to help children appreciate diversity, learn about global celebrations, and express their creativity. Whether they’re painting beautiful blossoms, exploring new foods, or making their own zodiac story come to life, each activity encourages curiosity and connection.
Don't forget to explore our full range of Chinese New Year resources and classroom supplies as well as our other blogs to keep the celebrations going!
We would love to see how you celebrate the Lunar New Year! Share your activities with us on social media by tagging us or using the hashtag #ExploreWithEYR