This Chinese New Year dragon poster gives preschool classrooms a bright watercolor dragon, red lanterns and four big holiday words to brighten any wall or bulletin board.
Dragons, lanterns, and a brand new year
Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, is a big celebration of a fresh start, and preschoolers love its bright colors and dragon dances. They learn that families celebrate with special food, red decorations, lanterns and red envelopes, and that red stands for good luck. Kids also meet the idea that each year has an animal, like the year of the dragon or the rabbit. Along the way they practice colors, counting, fine motor skills and the big idea that families all over the world celebrate in different ways.
Little learners remember holidays they can see, hear and move to. These moves bring the celebration into your room.
Hang a dragon poster at circle time and ask kids what they notice: the colors, the scales, the long body. Talk about why dragons dance in parades. A big, bright picture gives every child something to point to and talk about.
Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withChinese New Year Dragon PosterWorksheetsOpen it →Play music with drums and cymbals and let kids march in a line like a dragon dance. The leader holds a paper dragon head and everyone follows. Moving to the beat builds listening skills and a memory that sticks.
Why it works: words set to a repeating melody are easier to recall than the same words spoken (Wallace, 1994).
Fold red paper in half, cut slits for little hands to help with, and staple it into a lantern. Kids can decorate with gold stickers. Hands-on crafts work fine motor muscles and give kids something to show their family.
Why it works: going from real objects to pictures to symbols is a core recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary math guide.
Keep it simple: it is a celebration of a brand new year, with family, special food, red decorations and dragon dances. Show pictures and let kids see and touch lanterns and red envelopes.
It follows the lunar calendar, so the date changes each year. It usually falls between late January and mid-February.
Red stands for good luck and happiness. Families hang red decorations and give red envelopes with money inside as a wish for a lucky year.
Paper lanterns, a classroom dragon dance, counting coins in red envelopes and acting out the zodiac animals are all big hits. Each one builds a skill, like counting or fine motor practice, while kids celebrate.
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