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Chinese New Year resources

Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year in the Chinese calendar.

Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs with celebrations typically lasting for up to 16 days. 2025 is the year of the Snake; 2024 was the Year of the Dragon; 2023 was the Year of the Rabbit.

Celebrate with us by completing the Chinese zodiac code breaker, or go creative with some Chinese calligraphy or making your own erhu, we have a range of activities to get pupils thinking about different cultures and traditions from around the world.  

Download the free resources below! And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation or send them via email to IETEducation@theiet.org to be featured in our online gallery.

Creating Chinese calligraphy

Learn about the different types of 'script', what is meant by a Xaun, and how to write numbers using Chinese Regular script.

Go to Creating Chinese calligraphy

Chinese New Year code breaker activity

Complete maths calculations to break codes based on the zodiac animals of the Chinese New Year.

Go to Chinese zodiac code breaker

Making an Erhu

Manufacture and test a Chinese musical instrument called an Erhu with hand tools.

Go to Making an Erhu

Chinese zodiac animals

Design simple mechanisms (cams and linkages) to make parts for a cardboard Chinese zodiac animal.

Go to Chinese zodiac animals

If you enjoyed these Chinese New Year resources, why not try our Easter activities too? 

Easter resources

Have fun while firing chocolate from a catapult, building eggy racers or saving an egg being dropped from height, all in the name of science!

These resources can be used to engage young people this Easter with all activities available to do both at home or at school. 

Go to Easter resources for secondary

Undercover Engineers podcast

Join us as we unleash the latest innovations in science and tech to showcase engineers that are saving our planet and helping communities across the globe.

Go to Undercover engineers podcast

Education bulletin

Keep up to date with all the secondary news, competitions and resources by signing up for your monthly education bulletin. 

Go to Education Bulletin