There are a lot of great resources online to help you teach kids about Lunar New Year in a meaningful, interactive way. I encourage you to center Asian voices as you look for activities for your children and students. Below are three activities using some of my favorite resources that I’ve already mentioned in this email — Joanna Ho, Andrea Wang, and Chinese American Family.

 

Be sure to check out the Chinese American Family’s posts covering the basics of Lunar New Year. He covers topics like the history and folklore behind the holiday, tips for decorating, crafts (including this firecracker craft), and recipes (including this one for traditional pork dumplings).

I highly recommend adding this book to your library at home or in your classroom. (Don’t forget to also look for the companion books “Eyes That Speak to the Stars” and “Eyes That Weave the World’s Wonders.”) Watch this read aloud where Joanna Ho reads the book herself, then head over to the blog Mai Storybook for the “My Eyes” flower craft to help all children reflect on the self-love the book teaches.

 

Listen to Andrea Wang read “The Nian Monster” in this read aloud (this is a great option if you have the book, but if you don’t you can also check out this read aloud that shows the pictures a bit better.) Next, make a Nian Monster bookmark designed by illustrator Alina Chau. If you’re the type of person who likes to learn by watching, here’s a video that shows you how to make it. And if you want to learn more about Alina and get some behind-the-scenes looks at her work, check out this post on Andrea’s website!