Chinese New Year Coloring Pages
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with these festive Chinese New Year coloring pages! These printable pages are a wonderful way for kids (and adults!) to explore traditions, symbols, and zodiac animals connected to this important holiday.
Coloring together also creates a great opportunity to talk about Chinese culture, family traditions, and the meaning behind the symbols seen during New Year celebrations.
🐉 Fun Fact: The Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by a different animal.
According to tradition, each zodiac animal has specific personality traits. Many people believe that children born in a certain year may share characteristics with that year’s animal.
The 12 zodiac animals are:
- 🐀 Rat
- 🐂 Ox
- 🐅 Tiger
- 🐇 Rabbit
- 🐉 Dragon
- 🐍 Snake
- 🐎 Horse
- 🐐 Goat
- 🐒 Monkey
- 🐓 Rooster
- 🐕 Dog
- 🐖 Pig
Each zodiac year returns every 12 years – making it fun to look up your child’s zodiac sign and see how it matches their personality!
(Source: Creative Arts Guild – 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs)
Supplies
- White paper
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
Instructions
- Print your favorite coloring pages below.
- Set the kids up in a comfortable area with their favorite coloring supplies.
- Encourage them to color freely while discussing:
- What the zodiac animals represent
- Why red and gold are traditional New Year colors
- How families celebrate Lunar New Year
You might even look up each child’s zodiac sign and talk about their animal’s special traits!
Printables
Click on an image to open it in a new window and print at full size.
Teacher Friendly Educational Extension
These Chinese New Year coloring pages can easily be expanded into a cross-curriculum learning activity in the classroom or homeschool setting.
Social Studies Connection
Discuss where China is located on a world map. Talk about how Lunar New Year is celebrated not only in China but also in other countries such as Vietnam and Korea. Compare how your students celebrate the New Year with how families celebrate Lunar New Year.
Encourage students to explore traditions such as dragon dances, red envelopes, lantern festivals, and family reunion dinners.
Writing Activity
Have students write a short paragraph about the zodiac animal for their birth year. They can research the personality traits associated with their animal and explain whether they agree with those traits.
Younger students can complete a simple sentence starter such as:
“I was born in the Year of the ______. This animal is known for being ______.”
Older students can write a creative story featuring their zodiac animal as the main character.
Math Extension
The Chinese zodiac follows a 12 year cycle. Ask students to calculate:
• What year they were born
• What year their zodiac animal will come again
• How old they will be when their zodiac year returns
This is a fun way to practice addition and skip counting by 12.
Art and Culture Discussion
Discuss why red and gold are important colors in Lunar New Year celebrations. Ask students to think about what colors symbolize in their own culture.
Students can add traditional symbols such as lanterns, dragons, or firecrackers to their coloring pages for extra creativity.
Classroom Display Idea
Create a Zodiac Wall by displaying each student’s colored page along with a short written description of their zodiac animal. This makes a bright and meaningful bulletin board for January or February.
Supplies
