As the world gears up to celebrate the Lunar New Year in 2025, early years practitioners have a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to this rich cultural tradition. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is a significant festival celebrated by millions of people worldwide. This year, the festivities begin on 29 January 2025 and culminate with the Lantern Festival on 5 February.
This year marks the transition to the Year of the Wood Snake in the Chinese zodiac. Known for their wisdom, intuition, and resourcefulness, snakes offer an exciting theme for exploring animal traits, cultures, and traditions with children. In this article, we explore the origins of Lunar New Year and how you can bring this vibrant celebration to life in your early years setting.
What Is Lunar New Year?
Unlike the fixed date of 1 January for the Western New Year, Lunar New Year is based on the lunar calendar. Its date changes each year, dictated by the phases of the moon. The celebration lasts for 15 days, filled with family reunions, traditional meals, and colourful customs.
Lunar New Year is an ideal way to introduce children to different cultures, showcasing the beauty of diversity in our world. Celebrating with activities that are fun, engaging, and educational can make this ancient tradition both accessible and meaningful for our young learners.
Ideas For Engaging Activities
- Chinese cookery: a taste of culture
Food is central to Lunar New Year, making it a delicious way to introduce children to Chinese culture. Create a “mini banquet” featuring simple dishes such as egg fried rice, spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, and toffee bananas.
Involve the children in preparing these dishes where possible, letting them explore new tastes, textures, and cooking methods. Discuss the significance of the foods, like noodles symbolising longevity or dumplings representing wealth.
- Red envelopes and the meaning of luck
Red is the colour of good fortune in Chinese culture, and gifting red envelopes containing money is a cherished tradition. For your setting, you can make this practice age-appropriate:
- Craft red envelopes from paper or card
- Encourage children to decorate them with drawings of stars, moons, or the Wood Snake
- Use toy coins or small tokens instead of real money
Explain the significance of the colour red and numbers in Chinese culture, like the lucky number 8 and the unlucky number 4.
- Exploring the zodiac animals
The Chinese zodiac features 12 animals, each with unique traits. Use this as inspiration for a variety of activities:
- Movement and drama: Invite children to move like each animal. For example, slither like a snake, hop like a rabbit, or roar like a dragon
- Creative arts: Craft a mural or a mobile showcasing the zodiac animals. Children can draw, paint, or create animals from clay or recycled materials
- Science and geography: Explore where each animal comes from and place them on a world map
Link these activities to the Year of the Wood Snake by highlighting the animal’s characteristics, such as intelligence and adaptability.
- Lunar New Year storytime
Storytelling is a powerful way to introduce children to the history and traditions of Lunar New Year. Look for age-appropriate books or animated videos that tell tales of the zodiac animals or the origins of the festival. Some popular options include:
- The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac
- Ruby’s Chinese New Year by Vickie Lee
- Animated versions of Chinese folklore on platforms like YouTube
Discuss the stories afterwards, emphasising themes of kindness, cooperation, and perseverance.
- Dress-up and dragon dancing
Encourage children to dress as their favourite zodiac animal or wear red to symbolise good luck. You could also create a giant Chinese dragon using craft materials:
- Use a sheet or large piece of fabric for the dragon’s body
- Let children help design and paint the dragon’s head
- Organise a dragon dance, complete with music, to bring the creation to life
This activity is not only fun but also promotes teamwork and coordination.
- Crafting Chinese lanterns
Lanterns are iconic symbols of Lunar New Year, especially during the Lantern Festival. Try these easy craft ideas:
- Make 3D lanterns using coloured paper and scissors
- Create a giant lantern collage using children’s handprints and footprints
- Use glitter, stickers, and paint to decorate the lantern
Hang the lanterns around your setting to create a festive atmosphere.
- Exploring Chinese writing
Introduce children to Chinese characters by printing out simple words or phrases like “happiness” or “good fortune.” Let them practise mark-making by copying the symbols using paintbrushes, sticks in the sand, or even their fingers in flour or snow.
This activity supports fine motor skill development while fostering an appreciation for the beauty of written language.
Tips For Celebrating Lunar New Year
- Collaborate with families: Invite parents and caregivers to share their own Lunar New Year traditions, food, or decorations with the setting
- Use music: Play traditional Chinese music to set the mood or let children experiment with musical instruments like drums and cymbals
- Decorate your setting: Use red banners, paper fans, and zodiac animal cutouts to create a festive environment
- Align activities with the EYFS framework, covering areas like communication, creativity, and understanding the world
Why Celebrate Lunar New Year In Early Years?
Teaching children about cultural celebrations like Lunar New Year supports their understanding of diversity and inclusion. It helps them appreciate the richness of different traditions and prepares them for life in a multicultural society.
By engaging in these activities, children develop curiosity, empathy, and respect for others. They also gain a sense of global awareness, realising that the world is full of unique and wonderful customs.
Share Your Celebrations
We’d love to see how you bring Lunar New Year to life in your early years setting! Send photos, stories, or descriptions of your activities to marketing@parenta.com. Let’s make Lunar New Year 2025 a joyful and enriching experience for the children and families in our care. Happy Year of the Wood Snake!
