Chinese New Year—also called the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival—is one of the most colorful, joyful, and meaningful celebrations in the world. It is widely observed in China as well as in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United States, and anywhere with Chinese cultural heritage. For kids, the festival is a wonderful gateway to learning about traditions, symbols, geography, wildlife, and food in a playful and hands-on way.
The 2025 Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29th, marking the beginning of the Year of the Earth Snake. Celebrations continue until the Lantern Festival on February 12, 2025, creating more than two weeks of vibrant cultural activities. This makes it the perfect time to engage children with themed crafts, printables, books, and cultural learning.
Whether you’re a parent planning at-home activities, a teacher preparing a class unit, or a homeschooler looking for festive ideas, this guide offers 60 Chinese New Year crafts and activities for kids—updated especially for the 2025 festivities.
What is the Lunar New Year / Chinese New Year?
The Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the lunar calendar. It is celebrated with family gatherings, special meals, red decorations, fireworks, and rituals that welcome good fortune. Each year in the 12-year zodiac cycle is assigned an animal that symbolizes unique personality traits.
The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals:
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig
The zodiac story says that a divine being invited animals to a farewell gathering, and the first twelve that arrived became part of the cycle. Kids love this story, making it a great introduction to the symbolism behind each craft.
2025: The Year of the Earth Snake
The snake is the 6th animal in the zodiac. People born in Snake years are believed to be wise, intuitive, elegant, and strategic. The 2025 Snake year is associated with the Earth element, symbolizing transformation, balance, wisdom, and stability.
This theme inspires many crafts for children—snake puppets, paper coils, clay art, and zodiac decorations.
How to Wish Someone a Happy Lunar New Year
Here are common festive greetings kids can learn:
- “Gong Xi Fa Cai” – Wishing you prosperity
- “Xin Nian Kuai Le” – Happy New Year
- “Wan Shi Ru Yi” – May all your wishes come true
Kids can incorporate these greetings into handmade cards, banners, and decorations.
Traditional Lunar New Year Activities for Families
Before diving into crafts, children can learn about traditional celebrations such as:
- Cleaning the home to sweep away old energy
- Decorating with red lanterns and spring couplets
- Sharing reunion meals
- Watching dragon and lion dances
- Lighting fireworks
- Giving red envelopes with lucky money
These traditions help set the context for the crafts and activities below.
60 Chinese New Year Crafts & Activities for Kids (Updated 2025)
To make it easy to navigate, the crafts are grouped by theme.
Zodiac Animal Crafts (12 Crafts
Great for preschool to elementary-aged kids.
- Paper Snake Spiral Craft
- Origami Snake
- Clay Dragon Model
- Paper Plate Dragon Mask
- Tiger Stripes Painting
- Rabbit Paper Puppet
- Monkey Bookmark
- Pig Handprint Craft
- Ox Paper Hat
- Goat Cotton Ball Craft
- Rooster Feather Collage
- Dog Paper Bag Puppet
These help kids understand the meaning behind each zodiac animal.
Chinese Lantern Crafts (8 Crafts)
- Classic Red Paper Lantern
- Accordion-Style Lantern
- Gold-trimmed Lantern Mobile
- Firecracker Lantern Decoration
- Lantern Coloring Sheets
- Tissue Paper Lantern Shades
- Zodiac Lantern with Animal Faces
- Snake-themed Lantern for 2025
Lantern crafts are perfect for the final day of the festival—the Lantern Festival.
Paper & Origami Crafts (8 Crafts)
- Origami Fortune Envelope
- Paper Fan with Snake Pattern
- Chinese Folding Dragon
- Paper Peonies (symbol of richness)
- Origami Good Luck Star
- Red & Gold Firecracker Craft
- Snake Coil Origami
- Paper Gold Ingots
Simple, beautiful, and classroom-friendly.
Dragon & Lion Dance Crafts (6 Crafts)
- Dragon Puppet on Sticks
- Paper Cup Lion Dance Drum
- Long Dragon Made with Children’s Handprints
- Dragon Parade Headpiece
- Lion Dance Mask Craft
- Dragon Scales Collage
Kids love these because they involve movement and storytelling.
Culture & Learning Activities (10 Activities)
- Chinese Map Coloring Activity
- Great Wall of China STEM Building Challenge
- Chinese Numbers Coloring Pages
- Snake Zodiac Research Mini-Book
- Lunar New Year Storytime for Kids
- Exploring Chinese Food with Kids
- Making a Classroom “Wishing Tree”
- Learning Traditional Chinese Greetings
- Zodiac Personality Quiz for Kids
- Chinese Flag Craft
These help children connect craft with culture and learning.
Printable Activities (8 Printables)
- Chinese Zodiac Coloring Pages
- Snake Year 2025 Fact Sheet
- Lunar Calendar Worksheet
- Red Envelope Printable Template
- Dot-to-Dot Zodiac Animals
- Lantern Festival Maze
- Matching Zodiac Game
- Lunar New Year Vocabulary Cards
Printables work wonderfully for teachers and homeschoolers.
Sensory Activities (5 Projects)
- Lunar New Year Playdough Kit
- Rice Sensory Bin with Red & Gold Objects
- Dragon Slime (sparkly red slime)
- Sand Tray Writing with Chinese Characters
- Snake Pattern Stamping
These keep little ones engaged while strengthening fine motor skills.
Cooking & Food Activities (3 Simple Ideas)
- Making Dumpling Shapes with Play Dough
- Decorating Fortune Cookies
- Fruit Tray Arranged in Zodiac Shapes
Kid-friendly and safe alternatives to real cooking.
Why These Crafts Work for 2025
This updated 2025 list celebrates:
- The Year of the Snake, with themed activities
- The extended 15-day festival
- A balanced mix of cultural learning + hands-on creativity
- Activities adaptable for toddlers, preschoolers, elementary kids, and early teens
- Printables and crafts that are easy for classrooms, homeschooling, or family time
Conclusion
The Lunar New Year is a joyful celebration of culture, family, and renewal. These 60 Chinese New Year crafts and activities for kids offer a meaningful way to explore traditions, creativity, and the spirit of the festival. Whether kids are coloring zodiac animals, making lanterns, crafting dragons, or learning traditional greetings, each activity brings them closer to understanding one of the world’s most beautiful celebrations.
As we welcome the Year of the Earth Snake 2025, may these activities help children celebrate wisdom, growth, happiness, and good fortune—one craft at a time!