Chinese New Year Activities For Kids
11 Ways For Children to Celebrate Chinese New Year
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As the year of the horse gallops in, don't forget to ring in the Lunar New Year with your littlest of loved ones. The party actually lasts 15 days overseas, but taking time to educate your child on this family-focused festival goes a long way. From fun DIY projects to cute horsey accessories, here are some great ideas for celebrating the Chinese New Year with your children.
Homemade Fortune Cookies
Try your minichef's luck and creativity with homemade fortune cookies from Snap!
Zodiac Signs
Research each family member's Chinese zodiac sign. Kids will love acting as their zodiac animals for a day (or two, or three . . . ).
Dipped Chopsticks
Poppytalk's easy and pretty DIY dipped chopsticks make every meal festive. Paint 'em red for extra luck!
Horses Headbands
Budding animal-lovers will love horsing around in these headbands with horses ($11).
Horse Crafts
Dish out this easy paper plate horse project idea from Dolen Diaries.
Magikid Nian App
Captivate your child's interest in the Chinese New Year with the Magikid Nian app (free). It's loaded with educational stories, plays, songs, flash cards. And kids even get a shot at defeating a few monsters.
Lucky Envelopes
It's customary to pass along red envelopes filled with cash during the Lunar New Year celebrations, but One Dog Woof suggests making your own lucky envelopes and using chocolate, since most toddlers value cocoa over coin.
The Year of the Horse
Add The Year of the Horse ($14, originally $16) to your child's nighttime reading list. This double-duty tale teaches all about the Chinese New Year and even sneaks in a lesson on courage.
Firecracker Crafts
According to legend, firecrackers scare away Nian (the half-dragon, half-monster creature). Luckily for mama, Spoonful's cardboard-tube firecrackers are a blast to make but won't actually explode.
Horse Patterns
Seamstresses can download this Dixie the Horse Pattern ($5). The finished product, a handmade small toy horse, is ideal for small children (and would make a great baby shower gift extra). This sewing project is also easy enough for older kids to give it a go!
Slurp Up Noodles
Chinese legend says that the noodle stands for a long life, and therefore it's bad luck to cut one while eating. At dinner, challenge tots to slurp up their pasta without breaking a single piece. Hand them some chopsticks for a bit more of a challenge.
