Chinese New Year activities for KS2

Last updated: 08/01/2025
Chinese New Year KS2 Reading & Writing Activity Packet
Main Subject
Key stage
Category
Topical and seasonal
Resource type
Student activity
Worksheet

Bring the vibrant traditions, captivating stories, and cultural celebrations of Chinese New Year to life with this engaging and comprehensive activity packet for KS2.

What's included

  • Complete reading comprehension passages covering Chinese New Year traditions, Chinese zodiac animals, traditional dances and the Lantern Festival
  • Creative writing tasks, research activities and cross-cultural comparison exercises
  • Engaging discussion prompts and critical thinking questions suitable for Years 3-6

Access this resource as a free PDF download or unlock the editable version with a Premium subscription to customise and adapt for your class.

KS2 activities for Chinese New Year

This resource is divided into six key sections that build cultural understanding whilst developing essential literacy skills:

  1. Introduction to Chinese New Year: A clear, engaging passage that explores the festival's origins, legends, and key traditions, complete with targeted reading comprehension questions.
  2. Chinese Zodiac animals: Information about the zodiac animals' characteristics, combined with creative writing tasks and personality reflection activities.
  3. Celebrations around Asia: Compare and contrast how different Asian countries celebrate the Lunar New Year, featuring Venn diagram activities and imaginative writing tasks.
  4. Red envelopes (Hongbao): Reading comprehension and discussion activities about this significant gift-giving tradition, including cultural significance and modern practices.
  5. Traditional dances for Chinese New Year: Information about traditional dragon and lion dances accompanied by analytical reading tasks and creative movement activities.
  6. The Lantern Festival: Exploration of the festival that concludes the New Year celebrations followed by creative writing and design activities.

Each section includes differentiated reading comprehension questions, creative tasks and discussion prompts suitable for Years 3-6. Perfect for whole-class teaching, independent work or homework assignments, these activities can be easily differentiated to meet various learning needs. Use the resource during the build-up to Chinese New Year celebrations or as part of a broader topic on world cultures and celebrations.

Looking for more like this?

Get inspired with more ideas from our blog for teaching Chinese New Year in KS1 and KS2.

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