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 on the lunar calendar, which follows the cycles of the moon rather than the fixed dates of the Western calendar. As a result the festival falls on a different day each year, usually between late January and mid February. It is celebrated in China, where it is often called Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, and in many other countries including Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore, each with their own traditions. For young children the key idea is simple and powerful: families all over the world come together to welcome a new year with food, decorations, family visits and celebration.

The twelve zodiac animals

A favourite part of the festival for children is the Chinese zodiac, a cycle of twelve animals that each take a turn to represent a year. The full set is the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. According to a well-loved legend, the animals took part in a great race and finished in this order, which is why the rat comes first. This worksheet shows the first five animals of the cycle, giving children a manageable group to name, colour and count without being overwhelmed by all twelve at once.

How to use this worksheet

Begin by talking about the picture together and naming each animal before any colouring starts. Ask whether the children have seen any of these animals before, perhaps in a story or at a Lunar New Year event. The colouring task encourages careful pencil control and gives children time to look closely at each animal, while the counting task builds early number skills as they count the animals in the row. You might extend the activity by asking which animal the child likes best, or by finding out which zodiac animal matches the year they were born.

Linking to the wider curriculum

This printable supports early learning about festivals and celebrations from around the world, a theme that appears in many KS1 Religious Education syllabuses and in EYFS work on people, culture and communities. It also offers natural cross-curricular links: counting and one-to-one correspondence in early maths, speaking and listening as children describe the animals, and creativity through colour choices. Celebrating festivals from a range of cultures helps young children develop respect for the diverse communities around them.

Frequently asked questions