11 Ways For Children to Celebrate Chinese New Year

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As the year of the horse gallops in, don't forget to ring in the Lunar New Year with your littlest of loved ones. The party actually lasts 15 days overseas, but taking time to educate your child on this family-focused festival goes a long way. From fun DIY projects to cute horsey accessories, here are some great ideas for celebrating the Chinese New Year with your children.

Source: Poppytalk

Homemade Fortune Cookies

Homemade Fortune Cookies

Try your minichef's luck and creativity with homemade fortune cookies from Snap!

Source: Snap!

Zodiac Signs
Getty | PATRICK LIN

Zodiac Signs

Research each family member's Chinese zodiac sign. Kids will love acting as their zodiac animals for a day (or two, or three . . . ).

Dipped Chopsticks

Dipped Chopsticks

Poppytalk's easy and pretty DIY dipped chopsticks make every meal festive. Paint 'em red for extra luck!

Source: Poppytalk

Horses Headbands

Horses Headbands

Budding animal-lovers will love horsing around in these headbands with horses ($11).

Horse Crafts

Horse Crafts

Dish out this easy paper plate horse project idea from Dolen Diaries.

Magikid Nian App

Magikid Nian App

Captivate your child's interest in the Chinese New Year with the Magikid Nian app (free). It's loaded with educational stories, plays, songs, flash cards. And kids even get a shot at defeating a few monsters.

Lucky Envelopes

Lucky Envelopes

It's customary to pass along red envelopes filled with cash during the Lunar New Year celebrations, but One Dog Woof suggests making your own lucky envelopes and using chocolate, since most toddlers value cocoa over coin.

Source: One Dog Woof

The Year of the Horse

The Year of the Horse

Add The Year of the Horse ($14, originally $16) to your child's nighttime reading list. This double-duty tale teaches all about the Chinese New Year and even sneaks in a lesson on courage.

Firecracker Crafts

Firecracker Crafts

According to legend, firecrackers scare away Nian (the half-dragon, half-monster creature). Luckily for mama, Spoonful's cardboard-tube firecrackers are a blast to make but won't actually explode.

Horse Patterns

Horse Patterns

Seamstresses can download this Dixie the Horse Pattern ($5). The finished product, a handmade small toy horse, is ideal for small children (and would make a great baby shower gift extra). This sewing project is also easy enough for older kids to give it a go!

Slurp Up Noodles

Slurp Up Noodles

Chinese legend says that the noodle stands for a long life, and therefore it's bad luck to cut one while eating. At dinner, challenge tots to slurp up their pasta without breaking a single piece. Hand them some chopsticks for a bit more of a challenge.