4 Chinese New Year Crafts for Kids

I’m so excited to share 4 Chinese New Year crafts for kids with you in this blog post today!

If you’ve been around here a while, you know that in our classroom we absolutely love celebrating as many holidays and special days from around the world as we can. Not only is it a fantastic way to help our students learn about different cultures, but it also gives us endless opportunities for hands-on activities, sensory experiences, and LOTS of fun.

Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) has quickly become one of our favorite celebrations. And honestly? I think the students love it just as much as I do, especially because we usually end the week with a little Chinese buffet!

Every year, I’m amazed at how brave my students get with trying new foods. In the beginning, it’s all about sniffing the different dishes, maybe giving something a little poke or a lick… and then by the end of the week, a few brave souls are happily tasting noodles, dumplings, and spring rolls. It’s such a great way to work on exploring new textures and tastes in a safe, positive way.

Of course, in true Teaching Autism style, we also love getting crafty. We pair every celebration with lots of crafts, sensory activities, and themed lessons – because our students learn best when they’re actively involved and having fun.

This year, I wanted to share 4 of our favorite Chinese New Year craft activities that we’ve done with our students. These crafts are easy to adapt, very sensory-friendly, and great for working on fine motor skills, sequencing, following directions, and creative expression.

Let’s dive in!

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Handprint Chinese Dragon

4 Chinese New Year Craft Activities for Kids — Chinese Dragon Handprint Craft

Handprint crafts are always a big win in my room. They’re messy (which my students love), they’re sensory-rich, and they give us lots of opportunities to talk about body awareness and left vs. right.

This Handprint Chinese Dragon was a hit!

How we made it:

First, we Googled a dragon coloring page and printed out some dragon heads and legs.
The students colored in the heads and legs using crayons and markers (great fine motor work!).
Next came the fun part – painting handprints! We used 4 different paint colors and had each student make several handprints on white paper.
(Pro tip: if you’re working with students who are sensory-sensitive to paint, try using paint sponges or stampers instead.)
After the paint dried, we cut out the handprints and used them to form the dragon’s body.
Finally, we glued the dragon head, body, and legs onto a piece of card.

The finished dragons were SO colorful and made a fabulous hallway display!

Skills targeted:

Fine motor (cutting, painting)
Sequencing (putting the dragon together)
Sensory exploration
Visual-spatial awareness

Chinese Dragon Mask

My students have really gotten into role play this year, so we’ve been looking for ways to make crafts that they can actually use in play afterwards. Enter the Chinese Dragon Mask!

How we made it:

We searched for a Chinese dragon coloring page and printed it out.
Students decorated the dragon face using bingo daubers – which are so fun and sensory-friendly! (You could also use dot markers, paint sticks, or collage materials.)
Staff helped punch out eye holes so the mask could be worn.
We cut strips of red and yellow tissue paper and stapled them to the bottom of the mask to look like flames or dragon whiskers.
Finally, we attached a popsicle stick or elastic band so the students could hold or wear their mask.

Then came the fun part – acting out dragon dances around the classroom! 🐉

Skills targeted:

Role play and social skills
Gross motor movement (dragon dancing)
Visual attention
Fine motor (decorating, tearing tissue paper)

Chinese Dragon Paper Plate

Paper plate crafts are a staple in our room – they’re cheap, easy to prep, and super adaptable for different abilities. This Chinese Dragon Paper Plate is a simple but striking craft that works on bilateral coordination and sequencing.

How we made it:

Staff pre-cut a section of the middle of the paper plate to create 3D eye holes.
Students painted the entire plate bright red (we used sponges for those who struggle with brushes).
We left the plates to dry overnight.
The next day, we added: White paint dots around the edge for extra detail, googly eyes, gold sequins and glitter for sparkle and dragon face details (pre-cut pieces if needed)

The 3D shape really makes the dragon pop, and students loved seeing their finished pieces on display.

Skills targeted:

Painting and brush control
Bilateral coordination
Sequencing steps
Fine motor (placing decorations)

Chinese Handprint Dragon

Okay, this one was a bit messy – but SO much fun! It’s perfect if you want a craft that doubles as a big sensory experience.

How we made it:

We set out trays of red, green, and white paint.
Each student pressed their hands into the red paint to make dragon body prints on a long piece of paper. (Staff helped guide placement into a dragon shape.)
We used fingers and paintbrushes to add green scales and white accents.
Finally, we added googly eyes and other decorations to complete the dragon.

To help with comprehension, we pre-made an example and kept it nearby so students could reference it as they worked.

Skills targeted:

Sensory processing
Hand-eye coordination
Visual imitation
Group project and teamwork

Tips for Adapting These Crafts

One of the best things about these Chinese New Year crafts is how easily they can be adapted to meet your students’ needs. Here are a few of my go-to tips:

Offer multiple ways to participate – coloring, painting, using stickers, collaging, assembling pre-cut pieces.
Provide visual step-by-step instructions (great for students who benefit from visual schedules).
Allow for choice and creativity – not every dragon needs to look the same!
Build in breaks for students who might be overwhelmed by sensory input.
Use adapted tools – jumbo brushes, sponges, bingo daubers, Velcro pieces.
Pair the crafts with sensory bins, music, and read-alouds to create a full theme-based experience.

More Ideas to Celebrate Chinese New Year in Special Ed

In addition to crafting, here are some other fun ways we celebrate:

Play traditional Chinese music and explore rhythm instruments
Read Lunar New Year stories (there are so many wonderful picture books!)
Make red envelopes and fill with pretend gold coins
Practice a simple dragon dance as a class
Host a Chinese buffet or sensory food tasting
Watch short videos about how families celebrate around the world

Chinese New Year is such a rich, colorful celebration – and it offers so many wonderful opportunities for multi-sensory learning in our special education classrooms. I hope these 4 craft ideas inspire you to try something new with your students this year! They’re fun, adaptable, and great for working on a wide range of skills – all while honoring an important cultural tradition.

If you have other favorite Chinese New Year activities, I’d love to hear about them! Share your ideas in the comments below – let’s inspire each other.

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Nikki