Little Moon Chinese

Chinese New Year worksheets

Write the greetings, words and zodiac animals of Spring Festival, then use them on cards and red envelopes.

The words every child hears at New Year

Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival (春节, Chūnjié), is the biggest celebration of the Chinese year. It is a perfect time to practise writing, because children see these characters everywhere: on doors, on red envelopes, on cards and in the shops.

  • 新年快乐 xīnnián kuàilè: Happy New Year.
  • 恭喜发财 gōngxǐ fācái: wishing you wealth. Children say it to grown-ups when they hope for a red envelope.
  • 福 fú: good fortune. It is often hung upside down, because “upside down” (倒 dào) sounds like “arrived” (到 dào).
  • 春节 Chūnjié: Spring Festival.
  • 红包 hóngbāo: red envelope, and 压岁钱 yāsuìqián, the money inside it.
  • 年夜饭 niányèfàn: the reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, often with 饺子 (dumplings) and 鱼 (fish).
  • 对联, 灯笼 and 鞭炮: couplets, lanterns and firecrackers.

Turn the worksheet into a craft

Writing practice goes down better when there is something to make at the end. After your child has traced and written the characters on the sheet, try one of these:

  1. A 福 door sign. Practise 福 on the worksheet, then write it large with a marker on a square of red paper turned like a diamond. Hang it on the bedroom door.
  2. A greeting card. Fold a sheet of card in half and write 新年快乐 inside. Add the child’s name and send it to grandparents.
  3. Red envelopes. Write 恭喜发财 on the front of plain red envelopes and use them for the family’s gifts.
  4. A menu for the reunion dinner. Older children can write the names of the dishes: 饺子, 鱼, 年糕 (rice cake).

The zodiac animals

Every year belongs to one of twelve animals: 鼠 rat, 牛 ox, 虎 tiger, 兔 rabbit, 龙 dragon, 蛇 snake, 马 horse, 羊 goat, 猴 monkey, 鸡 rooster, 狗 dog and 猪 pig. Use the Zodiac button to print all twelve. Ask your child to find the animal for their own birth year and for each family member. The characters range from very simple (牛, 马, 羊) to quite hard (鼠, 猪), so the full set is better suited to children who have been writing for a while.

For more animals beyond the zodiac, see the animals worksheet.

Planning around the holiday

The festival falls on a different date each year, between late January and mid-February. Start about two weeks before: one or two words a day is enough to have cards and decorations ready in time. Weekend Chinese schools can print one set per class and let each child choose a craft.

Questions parents ask

Which words should a five-year-old learn?

Start with 福 and 春. They are single characters with a clear meaning and they appear on decorations everywhere. Add 新年快乐 when your child is comfortable with them.

Can I use traditional characters?

Yes. Type 新年快樂 or 恭喜發財 and the worksheet will use the traditional forms where stroke data is available.

How to print this worksheet

  1. Pick a set with the buttons above, or type your own characters into the box.
  2. Choose A4 or US Letter to match your printer paper.
  3. Press Print or save as PDF. In the print window choose your printer, or “Save as PDF” to keep a copy.

Your settings are saved in the page address, so you can bookmark it or send the link to another parent or teacher and they will see the same worksheet.

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