30 Chinese New Year Crafts for Kids, Lanterns, Dragons, Tigers & More to Celebrate!

The Chinese New Year happens on February 10, 2024 this year. It’s time to celebrate the new year with crafts of all kinds for kids!

The Chinese New Year is a fifteen-day long celebration that takes place each year based on the moon’s phases.

It often includes family visits, fireworks, parades, lanterns, dragons, a thorough cleaning of the house, and more.

Join the festivities of the Chinese New Year this year with these 30 Chinese New Year crafts for kids.

Xin nian kuai le! (Translation: Happy Chinese New Year!)

Chinese New Year Lantern Crafts for Kids

Lights, camera, lanterns! The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year.

It signifies letting go of the past and starting fresh. Now, I just want to sing, Do you want to build a lantern? And let it go!

Light your way with these Chinese New Year lantern crafts kids can make.

Paint a paper towel tube yellow to create this illuminated paper lantern as seen on Hawaii Travel with Kids.
Decorate a paper lantern shown on First Palette. Try buttons, beads, foam pieces, tape, glitter, or ribbon. The possibilities are endless!
Gather a glue stick, colored paper, markers, and scissors for this folded lantern paper found on Pink Stripey Socks. So simple!
Let the light shine through a lantern suncatcher as shown on Activities for Kids.
Reuse a baby food jar for a jar lantern seen on Artsy Momma. I love how the gold lettering shines on the red tissue paper.
Light a cup lantern like the one on Activities for Kids. A battery operated candle really makes it glow.

Dragons roar to life at the Chinese New Year.

They are seen as a symbol of power, strength, and luck in Chinese culture.

Get your kids breathing fire with these Chinese New Year dragon crafts.

Shoot flames with a homemade toilet paper roll dragon found on Learning and Exploring through Play. So cute!
Paint an egg carton dragon as seen on Happiness is Homemade. The long paper tongue brings it to life.
Assemble a cupcake liner dragon found on I Heart Crafty Things. Any color cupcake liners would work well for this craft.
Grab the paper for this construction paper dragon as shown on Supply Me. The body is made of handprints.
Stamp a handprint dragon like the one on Create Town. It almost looks like it is on fire!
Dance around the house with a decorative dragon as seen on Made with Happy. A free dragon template is available in exchange for an email address.

Rats, oxen, and tigers, oh my!

Each year is assigned an animal, based on a twelve year cycle rotation.

The year 2022 is considered the Year of the Tiger.

Enjoy these kid’s tiger crafts this Chinese New Year. They are adorable!

Create a streak of tube tigers as seen on Creative Family Fun. Yes, a group of tigers is called a streak!
Decorate a handprint tiger as shown on Simple Everyday Mom. A free template is available to use if desired.
Glue a craft stick tiger found on Crafty Morning. It’s shaped like a triangle.
Practice more shapes with a hearts tiger found on Crafty Morning. Hearts make up the body, head, and nose.
Put on a Chinese New Year puppet show with your kids using this paper bag tiger as seen on Fun Family Crafts. My, what pointy teeth you have!
Make a paper tiger as shown on Simple Home Blessings. It’s okay if the stripes aren’t straight. Perfect for little fingers! This one is also good for shape practice. It has rectangles for the body, legs, tail, and stripes. Circles for the head and eyes. And triangles for the ears.

Shake, rattle, and bang your way into the Chinese New Year with your kids using these noise maker crafts.

Some say the loud noises scare away a monster.

Bang on a homemade Chinese gong as seen on Kinder Art. Roasting pans are not only for roasting!
Create this African inspired hand drum craft for kids and decorate them for Chinese New Year together! All you need is cardboard, tape, a pencil, yarn and beads!
Decorate a drum found on Gift of Curiosity. Stickers and paint are great to transform simple paper plates into these noise makers.
Use a cardboard tube to create a Chinese rattle drum as shown on Blissful Domestication. Adult assembly required but kids can decorate and rattle it!
Shake some Chinese noise makers seen on Activities for Kids. They remind me of treasure chests.
Tape this cups noise maker found on Glued to my Crafts. Fill it with dried beans and shake away.
Dance with a paper plate noise maker as shown on Crafts by Amanda. It is recommended to fill thsi craft with dried beans, beads, or pasta.

Continue the Chinese New Year celebration with these additional crafts.

Which one will you try first?

Give a gift of money in a decorated red envelope as seen on First Palette. You can learn more about the meaning behind the red envelopes on Chalk Academy.
Stamp a coin tree found on First Palette. Crumpling the paper with the handprint really adds texture to this artwork.
Create a cherry blossom tree as seen on Hands On As We Grow. Another name for the Chinese New Year is Spring Festival. A perfect time for cherry blossoms!
Fold paper fortune cookies as shown on Messy Little Monster. Contrary to popular belief, fortune cookies are actually not Chinese. Since they are found in Chinese restaurants in the United States, I decided to include them.
Decorate a fan found on Little Passports. I love how these fold closed, too.
End the festivities with a display of fireworks as seen on Hands On As We Grow. Ooh! Aaah!