Chinese New Year Lion Puppet with Free Printable

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This Chinese lion puppet is so easy to make, and so fun to play with! It’s a fun craft to make with your kids, and a fantastic way to celebrate Chinese New Year in your home.

What is the Chinese lion dance?

Lion dances are an important part of Chinese celebrations, especially Chinese New Year. It is thought to scare away evil spirits and to bring good luck.

The lion (a costume operated by two people) dances to the beat of loud drums, gongs and cymbals. It makes its way down streets, and into businesses and restaurants.

As the lion parades through the streets, people feed it hóngbāo (red envelopes filled with money), which is supposed to bring them good luck.

What is the difference between the Chinese lion dance and Chinese dragon dance?

While the Chinese lion and dragon dances symbolize the same things, they are different in a few ways.

The lion is operated by two people from inside the costume. One dancer controls the head and the other controls the body. On the other hand, the dragon is is operated by up to 15 people and is controlled by long poles, making the dancers visible.

Another big difference is that the lion receives money (usually in hóng bāo or lai see), while the dragon does not.

This Chinese New Year craft is:

easy to make (includes coloring, cutting and pasting)
great for sparking creativity
perfect for imaginative play
a great introduction to Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year Books:

Chinese New Year 2024 Activity Book For Kids: Lunar New Year Adventures in the Year of the Dragon! E

Discover the wonders of the Chinese New Year with this fun and educational activity book for kids. Learn fascinating facts about the Dragon Zodiac, one of the 12 animals of the Chinese calendar. Express your creativity with colorful pages that let you draw and color the scenes of the New Year celebrations.

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Bringing In the New Year (Read to a Child!)

This exuberant story follows a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. Each member of the family lends a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. There will be fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the Lunar New Year.

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How do you make a Chinese lion puppet?

Supplies:

Step 1: Color lion’s head and body.

Step 2: Cut out the lion’s head, mouth and body.

Step 3: Glue the body to the paper bag, under the flap, as pictured below. Then, glue the lion’s mouth under the flap as well (overlapping the body). Finally, glue the lion’s head on the flap. Let the glue dry, then have fun playing with your Chinese lion puppet!