Bringing Chinese New Year into your early years classroom
Introducing young children to Chinese New Year offers is a great way to develop cultural awareness while meeting key EYFS learning objectives. Through hands-on activities and sensory experiences, children can explore this vibrant celebration in an age-appropriate way. Here are 10 engaging activities perfect for your early years setting:
1. Sensory red rice play. Dye rice red (the traditional lucky colour) and set up a sensory tray with scoops, containers and funnels. Add gold coins and other themed items for discovery play.
2. Dragon dance movement session. Create simple dragon puppets using paper plates and streamers, then encourage children to move like dragons to music, promoting physical development and imaginative play.
3. Lucky red envelope counting. Set up a counting activity using red envelopes (hong bao) and plastic coins to develop early numeracy skills through cultural context.
4. Chinese zodiac animal masks. Provide paper plate masks of zodiac animals for children to decorate, supporting creative development and fine motor skills.
5. Noodle sensory play. Offer cooked and cooled noodles in a sensory tray with child-safe chopsticks and bowls for fine motor development.
6. Lantern making. Create simple paper lanterns using red and gold paper, developing scissor skills and hand-eye coordination.
7. Chinese writing exploration. Introduce mark-making inspired by Chinese characters using paint brushes and water on black paper.
8. Food tasting experience. Organise a simple tasting session with child-friendly Chinese foods, encouraging discussion about different tastes and textures.
9. Chinese New Year number hunt. Hide numbers 1-12 (representing the months) around the classroom written in red. Children can search for them and put them in order.
10. Early writing practice. Use this Chinese New Year early writing practice worksheet for mark-making and early writing practice, helping develop pre-writing skills.
