Lunar New Year Zodiac Animals Worksheet: Free KS1 Colouring and Counting Printable

What is Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year marks the start of a new year in a calendar based on the moon, so the festival falls on a different day each year, somewhere between 21 January and 20 February. It is celebrated in China, where it is often called Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, and in many other places including Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, each with their own traditions. Families clean their homes, hang red decorations, share a big meal and give children red envelopes with money inside. Red is thought to bring good luck. For young children the key idea is simple: families come together to welcome a new year with food, decorations and visits.

The twelve zodiac animals

A favourite part of the festival for children is the zodiac, a cycle of twelve animals that each take a turn to represent a year. The full set, in order, is the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. A well-loved legend tells of a great race between the animals, which they finished in this order; the clever rat rode on the ox's back and jumped ahead at the end. The picture shows the first five animals, a manageable group to name, colour and count. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, which began on 17 February 2026, and the Year of the Goat (sometimes called the Sheep) begins on 6 February 2027. In Vietnam the zodiac has a cat instead of a rabbit, which is a nice example of one festival being marked in different ways.

How to use this worksheet

Begin by talking about the picture together and naming each animal before any colouring starts. Ask whether your child has seen any of these animals in a story or at a Lunar New Year event. The colouring gives children time to look closely at each animal. The counting questions build early number skills: the second asks for the tiger's place in the line (third), and the third asks how many of the twelve animals are missing (seven), which younger children can work out by counting on from 5 on their fingers. You might also find out which zodiac animal matches the year your child was born. Children born in January or early February belong to the previous year's animal, because the zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January.

Linking to the wider curriculum

This printable supports early learning about festivals and celebrations from around the world, a theme in Early Years work on people, culture and communities and in many locally agreed Religious Education syllabuses. It also links to early maths through counting and ordinal numbers (first, second, third), to speaking and listening as children describe the animals, and to art through their colour choices. If your child's class includes families who celebrate Lunar New Year, they may be happy to share how they mark it, which helps children see the festival as part of life in the UK today.

Frequently asked questions