Celebrate Chinese New Year in style with this free printable Chinese New Year Activity Placemat for preschoolers! Packed with literacy games, coloring activities, and more, your preschooler will love learning with this activity placemat.
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is one of the most important dates on the Chinese calendar. When you think about Chinese New Year, images of lion dance, firecrackers, dragons, and red envelopes come to mind.
According to the folk tale, a long time ago, a monster in a village called Nian terrorized the villagers. To scare the monster away, the villagers would place red paper on their doors and light up firecrackers.
To this day, the custom of wearing red, writing calligraphy on red paper, and lighting firecrackers is practiced on Chinese New Year. Parents and older relatives also give younger children red envelopes with money for good luck in the new year. Common foods enjoyed on the eve of Chinese New Year include seafood such as fish and abalone, mandarin, and dumplings.
Chinese New Year is not only a one-day event; in fact, the first and second days of the Chinese New Year according to the Lunar calendar are the most important. Chinese New Year’s Eve is a day for some “spring cleaning”. For traditional families, the first day of the new year is spent with relatives of the paternal side of the family. The next day is usually spent visiting the maternal side.
In addition, the 15th day of the Lunar New Year marks the first full moon of the new year, in which the circle shape of the moon signifies reunion. On this day, another reunion dinner is usually held with family members. Lanterns are a big part of the celebration.
Lunar New Year Activity Placemat For Kids Free Printable
Activity placemats make a great off-screen activity for preschoolers, especially homeschoolers. It’s also an excellent opportunity to bond with your child or children while you learn a few things about the Chinese New Year!
These free printable activity placemats for kids are also great gifts or party favors for friends and family. You can also use these printables to keep your younger children busy and learning while visiting family members.
The free printable Lunar New Year activity includes plenty of preschool words that teach them about the Lunar New Year, such as lion dance, red envelopes, dumplings, and more.
In this Lunar New Year Activity Placemat for kids, there are plenty of fun games and activities for preschoolers including:
- Word Search Puzzle
- Coloring Activities
- Word Scramble Game
- Maze
- Trace The Line Activity
The answer keys for the word search, word scramble, and maze are also included within the 2-page PDF file.
How To Use The Free Printable Chinese New Year Activity Placemat
Grab your free copy of the free printable Chinese New Year activity placemat and free up some space on a table. You can use this activity placemat any time you like, or if you prefer, on Chinese New Year’s Day which is the first day of the lunar calendar.
All you need to do is print these fun Chinese New Year activity placemats, clear some space on a table, and give your kids some coloring materials such as colored pencils and crayons. While completing the placemat with your kids, you can read these fun Chinese New Year facts out loud!
Happy Lunar New Year! May the Chinese New Year bring you good luck and prosperity!
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