Kindergarten Lunar New Year Worksheets

Lunar New Year is a major holiday celebrated across many East and Southeast Asian cultures, marking the start of a new year on the lunar calendar with family gatherings, food, and traditions tied to a 12-year cycle of zodiac animals. In kindergarten, teachers introduce Lunar New Year as a cultural studies unit, most often through the story of the 12 zodiac animals, since young children respond well to a simple, animal-based narrative with a clear reason each animal is on the list. Rather than targeting a specific social studies standard, a Lunar New Year unit builds general cultural awareness and gives children practice with a short passage and comprehension questions, useful reading-and-responding practice regardless of the specific holiday content. Many classrooms pair the reading worksheets with a related art or cooking activity so the holiday feels lived rather than just read about.