The Chinese New Year is based on the traditional Chinese calendar so the date moves each year. The Year of the Horse will begin on February 17, 2026. I’ve assembled a collection of Chinese New Year activities, resources, and ideas you can use for a fun homeschool unit study.
KWL – Complete a this free Chinese New Year KWL to get the learning started. You might be surprised what your children bring up in the process. If you’ve never used a KWL, see this post of mine to learn more about this valuable tool: Using A KWL In Your Homeschool Unit Study.
Chinese New Year Videos for Kids: For the visual learners in your home (and just for fun!)
Fun Fact Cards & Copywork: Learn interesting facts with the Chinese New Year Fun Fact Cards!
You can also learn the facts while doing handwriting practice with this Chinese New Year Copywork that includes three different options.
Explanation of Chinese Zodiac: You can see a detailed explanation of the 12 zodiac animals in this article, including the dates when each one will cycle through.
From the linked article, the animals are in order:
- rat (鼠—shǔ)
- ox (牛—niú)
- tiger (虎—hǔ)
- rabbit (兔—tù)
- dragon (龙—lóng)
- snake (蛇—shé)
- horse (马—mǎ)
- goat (羊—yang)
- monkey (猴—hóu)
- rooster (鸡—jī)
- dog (狗—gǒu)
- pig (猪—zhū)
Books: Here are some picture books to add to your family read aloud time.
- Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Chinese New Year: With Fireworks, Dragons, and Lanterns
- Chinese New Year Wishes: Chinese Spring and Lantern Festival Celebration
- Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book
- My First Chinese New Year
- Bringing In the New Year
- Chelsea’s Chinese New Year
- A New Year’s Reunion: A Chinese Story
Geography: Use the free map of Asia to identify and label China.
Spelling and Vocabulary Words: Here is a list of Chinese New Year words you can use for many purposes (spelling, vocabulary, word search, etc.).
- Chinese New Year
- zodiac
- Lunar New Year
- myth
- red envelopes
- lucky coins
- celebration
- traditions
- family
- ancestors
- happiness
- good luck
- dumplings
- festivals
- lion dance
- reunion
- spring rolls
- red packets
- fireworks
Word Search: Have fun with this free Chinese New Year Word Search.
Foods: Learn about the foods associated with the celebrations.
Decorations: If your family really wants to celebrate, here are some inexpensive decoration packs from Amazon.
Chinese New Year Writing Pages: Don’t miss these fun Chinese New Year Writing Pages. They are a great resource for all kinds of themed projects!
I hope your learning time is fun!
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