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Safety first: Always supervise little ones, and skip small parts for kids who still put things in their mouths. Please read our play safety notes before you start.
Key takeaways
- Lunar New Year 2027 begins on February 6, and the Lantern Festival follows on February 20.
- 2027 is the Year of the Goat. The Chinese word can mean goat, sheep or ram, so any of the three fits.
- Red stands for good luck, which is why red paper is the base for most of these crafts.
- Toddlers can do the paper plate, handprint and tissue paper crafts with precut pieces.
- Kids 6 and up can cut paper lanterns, window flowers and accordion dragons on their own.
In this post24 sections
- Lunar New Year with kids: what the crafts mean
- Year of the Goat crafts for kids
- 1. Paper plate goat
- 2. Accordion paper goat
- 3. Handprint goat
- 4. Toilet roll goat
- Chinese New Year lantern crafts for kids
- 5. Classic paper lantern
- 6. Paper plate lantern
- 7. Mini lantern garland
- 8. Tissue paper lantern suncatcher
- Dragon and lion dance crafts
- 9. Paper chain dragon
- 10. Paper plate lion dance mask
- 11. Accordion dragon puppet
- 12. Handprint dragon
- Good luck crafts: red envelopes, paper cuts and more
- 13. DIY red envelopes
- 14. Paper cut window flowers
- 15. Fingerprint plum blossoms
- 16. Paper firecracker garland
- 17. Paper fan
- Bonus: a simple Lunar New Year craft day plan
- FAQ
Lunar New Year with kids: what the crafts mean
Lunar New Year is celebrated by Chinese families and many others, including Vietnamese, Korean and other Asian communities, each with their own traditions. The crafts below come from Chinese New Year customs that kids are most likely to see at school or a parade.
| Symbol | What it means | Craft to try |
|---|---|---|
| Red color | Good luck and keeping bad luck away | Red envelopes, paper lanterns |
| Lanterns | Lighting the way into the new year; the Lantern Festival ends the celebration | Classic paper lantern, lantern garland |
| Dragon and lion dances | Strength and good fortune, performed in parades | Paper chain dragon, lion dance mask |
| Zodiac animal | 2027 is the Year of the Goat | Paper plate goat, handprint goat |
| Paper cuts and plum blossoms | Window decorations and the first flowers of late winter | Window flowers, fingerprint plum blossoms |
Year of the Goat crafts for kids
These four Year of the Goat crafts for kids go from toddler friendly to a fold-and-stand paper goat for older kids.
1Paper plate goat
Glue cotton balls all over a paper plate for curly wool, then add paper ears, a nose and curled brown paper horns. Toddlers love the sticking part.
Ages: 2 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper plate, cotton balls, glue stick, brown and pink paper, marker.
- Safety: cotton balls are soft but can be pulled apart and mouthed; stay at the table.
- Older kids: cut the horns and ears themselves and draw a pattern on the face.
Uncoated plates take paint well for goats, lanterns and lion masks.
2Accordion paper goat
Fold a strip of white cardstock back and forth like a fan for the body, then add legs, a head with a curled horn and a little paper beard. It stands up on its own.
Ages: 6 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: white cardstock, scissors, glue stick, red marker.
- Safety: kids scissors for cutting; adults help with thick cardstock.
- Older kids: add red patterns along the folds for a festive look.
Red stands for good luck at Lunar New Year, and cardstock holds its shape for lanterns and fans.
3Handprint goat
Paint the palm and fingers white and press with fingers pointing down. The fingers become legs and the thumb becomes the head. Add horns and a beard with a marker once dry.
Ages: 1 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: white washable paint, foam brush, dark paper or a red border, brown marker.
- Safety: wash hands straight away, since toddlers will lick painted palms.
- Older kids: make a whole herd and add a background of hills.
Red, gold and green cover most of these crafts. Look for the AP seal.
4Toilet roll goat
Cover a cardboard tube in white paper, glue on cotton balls, and add paper ears and pipe cleaner horns. It makes a small standing goat for a shelf.
Ages: 3 to 7.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: toilet paper tube, white paper, cotton balls, glue, brown pipe cleaner, paper.
- Safety: twist pipe cleaner ends over so they do not poke.
- Older kids: make the whole zodiac from tubes over the holiday.
Bendy horns, antennae and whiskers for many of these crafts.
Chinese New Year lantern crafts for kids
Lanterns are the easiest Chinese New Year crafts for kids to start with. They also tie in with the Lantern Festival, which closes the celebration on the 15th day, February 20, 2027.
5Classic paper lantern
Fold a sheet of red paper in half the long way, cut slits from the fold almost to the edge, then open it and roll it into a tube. Tape a yellow strip inside, and add a handle on top.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: red and yellow paper, kids scissors, tape or glue stick.
- Safety: younger kids can glue precut strips instead of cutting slits.
- Older kids: make a string of lanterns to hang across a window.
Red stands for good luck at Lunar New Year, and cardstock holds its shape for lanterns and fans.
6Paper plate lantern
Paint two paper plates red, let them dry and staple them together face to face. Add gold dot stickers and tape a yarn tassel to the bottom.
Ages: 2 to 5.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: 2 paper plates, red washable paint, gold dot stickers, yellow yarn, stapler (adult only).
- Safety: fold staple ends flat and keep loose yarn away from babies.
- Older kids: paint gold patterns instead of using stickers.
Uncoated plates take paint well for goats, lanterns and lion masks.
7Mini lantern garland
Wrap toilet paper tubes in red paper, add gold paper bands at the top and bottom, and tape on a short yarn tassel. Thread them on twine for a garland.
Ages: 4 to 8.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: toilet paper tubes, red and gold paper, glue stick, yarn, twine.
- Safety: an adult hangs the garland out of reach of toddlers.
- Older kids: punch holes and add a paper handle to each lantern.
Quick gold details on lanterns, envelopes and fans.
8Tissue paper lantern suncatcher
Cut a lantern shape out of black paper, back it with clear contact paper, and let your child fill it with red, orange and yellow tissue squares. Tape it to a window to glow.
Ages: 2 to 6.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: black paper, clear contact paper, tissue paper squares, tape.
- Safety: you cut the frame; the toddler only sticks tissue.
- Older kids: cut their own frame and add paper tassels.
Lets toddlers stick tissue paper with no glue.
Dragon and lion dance crafts
Dragon and lion dances are the parts of Lunar New Year parades that kids remember. These crafts let them make their own to dance around the living room.
9Paper chain dragon
Make a long paper chain from red and yellow strips. Add a cardstock dragon head with paper flames and curly whiskers at one end and a tail at the other.
Ages: 3 to 8.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: red and yellow paper strips, glue stick or tape, cardstock, markers.
- Safety: use glue sticks or tape with young kids.
- Older kids: count the links and make the dragon as long as the room.
Red stands for good luck at Lunar New Year, and cardstock holds its shape for lanterns and fans.
10Paper plate lion dance mask
Paint a paper plate red and gold, glue a fringe of yellow tissue paper around the edge, and add big pom pom details and a wide mouth. Tape a craft stick to the back to hold it up.
Ages: 3 to 8.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: paper plate, red and gold paint, yellow tissue paper, jumbo pom poms, glue, craft stick.
- Safety: use pom poms too big to fit in a toilet paper tube for toddlers, or skip them.
- Older kids: cut out a mouth and add paper fringe eyebrows.
Uncoated plates take paint well for goats, lanterns and lion masks.
11Accordion dragon puppet
Fold a long strip of red paper back and forth into an accordion. Glue a paper dragon head to one end and a tail to the other, then tape a craft stick to each end so kids can make it dance.
Ages: 4 to 9.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: red paper strip, cardstock, markers, glue, 2 craft sticks, gold paper.
- Safety: no sharp parts; supervise scissors.
- Older kids: draw scales and add gold paper flames.
Sturdy handles for dragon puppets and paper fans.
12Handprint dragon
Press green and red handprints in a long overlapping row for the dragon's body, then draw a head with whiskers and add paper flames once dry.
Ages: 1 to 6.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: green and red washable paint, foam brush, long paper, markers, orange paper.
- Safety: stay at the table while paint is out.
- Older kids: add a handprint from every family member for one long family dragon.
Red, gold and green cover most of these crafts. Look for the AP seal.
Good luck crafts: red envelopes, paper cuts and more
These crafts come from what families do at home for the new year: giving red envelopes, decorating windows and getting ready for the fireworks.
13DIY red envelopes
Fold red cardstock into small envelopes and decorate them with gold stickers and gold marker swirls. Elders traditionally give red envelopes with money inside; kids can tuck a drawing or a kind note in theirs.
Ages: 3 to 9.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: red cardstock, glue stick, gold stickers, gold marker.
- Safety: no special risks; watch stickers with toddlers.
- Older kids: make one for every family member with a wish written inside.
Red stands for good luck at Lunar New Year, and cardstock holds its shape for lanterns and fans.
14Paper cut window flowers
Fold a square of red paper into a triangle a few times, snip shapes along the edges like a paper snowflake, and open it. Tape the flowers to a window like traditional paper cuts.
Ages: 6 to 12.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: red paper, kids scissors, tape.
- Safety: kids under 6 can do the unfolding while you cut.
- Older kids: try a plum blossom shape with five rounded petals.
Blunt tips for kids learning to cut paper flowers.
15Fingerprint plum blossoms
Paint a bare black branch on white paper, then let your child add pink and red fingerprints as blossoms. Plum blossoms flower in late winter, so they stand for hope and a fresh start.
Ages: 2 to 6.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: black, pink and red washable paint, white paper, wipes.
- Safety: wash hands right after.
- Older kids: paint the branch themselves with a thin brush.
Red, gold and green cover most of these crafts. Look for the AP seal.
16Paper firecracker garland
Wrap toilet paper tubes in red paper, add gold bands, and glue short yellow paper fuses on top. String them together and hang them by the door. Real firecrackers are set off to scare away bad luck, and this version is the quiet one.
Ages: 3 to 8.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: toilet paper tubes, red and gold paper, yellow paper strips, glue, string.
- Safety: an adult hangs the garland out of reach.
- Older kids: add a red paper knot at the top.
Red stands for good luck at Lunar New Year, and cardstock holds its shape for lanterns and fans.
17Paper fan
Fold red and gold paper into narrow accordion pleats, pinch one end and tape it around a craft stick. Open it out into a fan for the dragon dance.
Ages: 4 to 9.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: red or patterned paper, tape, craft sticks.
- Safety: no special risks.
- Older kids: decorate the paper with plum blossoms before folding.
Red stands for good luck at Lunar New Year, and cardstock holds its shape for lanterns and fans.
Bonus: a simple Lunar New Year craft day plan
If you want one afternoon of crafts, pick one from each group. A lantern, a goat, a dragon and a red envelope cover the main symbols in about an hour.
| Time | Toddlers (2 to 4) | Big kids (6 and up) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | Paper plate goat | Accordion paper goat |
| 15 minutes | Tissue paper lantern suncatcher | Classic paper lantern |
| 15 minutes | Handprint dragon | Accordion dragon puppet |
| 10 minutes | Decorate a red envelope | Paper cut window flowers |
Chinese New Year craft supply list
-
Red and gold cardstock
Typically $8 to $15
Red stands for good luck at Lunar New Year, and cardstock holds its shape for lanterns and fans.
Check price on Amazon for Red and gold cardstock -
Uncoated paper plates
Typically $5 to $10 per pack
Uncoated plates take paint well for goats, lanterns and lion masks.
Check price on Amazon for Uncoated paper plates -
Washable kids paint
Typically $10 to $20
Red, gold and green cover most of these crafts. Look for the AP seal.
Check price on Amazon for Washable kids paint -
Tissue paper squares
Typically $6 to $12
For suncatchers and lion mask fringe.
Check price on Amazon for Tissue paper squares -
Gold paint pens
Typically $8 to $15
Gold details on red paper look festive with little effort.
Check price on Amazon for Gold paint pens
Lunar New Year comes right before Valentine's Day, so you can keep the red paper out for our Valentines crafts for kids. For more winter craft days, see our winter crafts for kids and easy crafts with things you already have.
Our free 50 Screen-Free Activities pack has activity cards for ages 2 to 6, each with the age, prep time, mess level and supplies, for the quiet days between holidays.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027. The Lantern Festival, which ends the celebration, is on February 20, 2027.
What animal is 2027 in the Chinese zodiac?
2027 is the Year of the Goat. The Chinese character can mean goat, sheep or ram, so you will see all three in decorations and crafts.
What are easy Chinese New Year crafts for toddlers?
The paper plate goat, handprint dragon, tissue paper lantern suncatcher and paper plate lantern. Precut the pieces and let your toddler do the gluing and painting.
How do you make a Chinese paper lantern with kids?
Fold red paper in half the long way, cut slits from the fold almost to the edge, open it and roll it into a tube. Tape a yellow strip inside and add a paper handle.
Why is red used for Chinese New Year?
Red stands for good luck and is said to keep bad luck away. That is why red envelopes, red lanterns and red paper decorations are everywhere at Lunar New Year.
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