Celebrate Lunar New Year in the Classroom with Pictures Books and Activities

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Celebrating Lunar New Year? Dive into the celebration with these picture books and classroom activities. I've selected engaging resources to make learning about this special holiday a blast for your students. From informational text to dragon tales to heartwarming family stories, these books cover it all. Make learning about Lunar New Year both educational and fun for your students!

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Picture Books for Lunar New Year

Picture books act as windows and create a perfect opportunity for elementary students to immerse themselves in the rich traditions of Lunar New Year, fostering appreciation for other cultures.

 

Lunar New Year Mini Books

I created 9-10 page mini books for primary students to learn about the Lunar New Year! It includes basic facts, an explanation of the traditions, a word search, and a “what I’ve learned” page.

Find the Chinese New Year Mini Book in my TPT Store or BP Shop.

Find the Korean New Year (Seollal) Mini Book in my TPT Store or BP Shop.

Find the Vietnamese New Year Mini Book in my TPT Store or BP Shop.

 

Bingo Game

Learning about Lunar New Year traditions can be a fun experience for kids and one way to make it even more enjoyable is by playing games! This bingo game features symbols associated with Chinese traditions. It can help children learn about the customs and traditions of the new year in a fun and engaging way. Available in my TPT Store and BP Shop.

Chinese New Year Video

The TVO Kids series, It’s My Party, has an episode on Chinese New Year! Ashley celebrates Chinese New Year and is preparing for a day of lion dances, feasting, and fireworks with her guest Shazaib.

 

As you incorporate these Lunar New Year resources, I hope your students enjoy the stories and activities. Remember, let's celebrate not only Chinese New Year but also Vietnamese Tet, Korean Seollal, and other Lunar New Year celebrations from around Asia. Here's to creating memorable learning experiences together!

 

Fun Ramadan Activities for the Classroom

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Ramadan is an important month for the world's Muslim community. It is a time of reflection, prayer, and fasting for those who observe it. This year, why not help students acknowledge this holiday by implementing some fun activities in the classroom? Whether your students are all Muslim, just a few, or not at all, these activities will bring the spirit of Ramadan into the classroom and help everyone learn more about this important celebration.

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Picture Books for Ramadan

These picture books are a fun way to introduce the concepts of Ramadan to your students in an engaging way.

Rashad’s Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
Author: Lisa Bullard
Illustrator: Holli Conger

I like this Cloverleaf Books series! Rashad shares how he and his family celebrate Ramadan. A text box on each page contains additional facts about the celebration and traditions. It includes a craft idea and glossary.

Lailah’s Lunchbox
Author: Reem Faruqi
Illustrator: Lea Lyon

Lailah is a young girl whose family has moved from Abu Dhabi to the southern US. It’s her first year fasting for Ramadan and she is nervous about letting her classmates and teacher know as they may not understand. They think she has forgotten her lunch! She finds a confidante in the school librarian and finds the courage to tell others about her culture. At the end, the author, Reem Faruqi reveals that this is an autobiographical tale.

Hannah and the Ramadan Gift
Author: Qasim Rashid
Illustrator: Aaliya Jaleel

Eight-year-old Hannah is disappointed when her Dada Jaan tells her that she is too young to fast for Ramadan. He tells her that she can celebrate Ramadan by saving the world! She spends the day helping others and showing love and kindness.

The Gift of Ramadan
Author: Rabiah York Lumbard
Illustrator: Laura K. Horton

When her grandmother tells her that the heart of a person that fasts for Ramadan is pretty and sparkly, Sophia is determined to fast. Her first day is a struggle. So many temptations! When she succumbs and Grandma sees her eating a box of cookies, Sophia feels horrible. Her grandmother reminds her that there are many other ways to celebrate Ramadan.

 

Ramadan Mini Book

I created a 9-page mini book for primary students to learn about Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr! It includes basic facts, an explanation of the traditions, a word search, and a “what I’ve learned” page. Find it in my TPT Store or BP Shop.

Bingo Game

Learning about Ramadan can be a fun experience for kids and one way to make it even more enjoyable is by playing games! This bingo game features symbols associated with the month. It can help children learn about the customs and traditions of Ramadan in a fun and engaging way. One key symbol of Ramadan is the crescent moon, which marks the beginning of the month. Available in my TPT Store and BP Shop.

Collaborative Poster

Need classroom decor? Get your students to work together to create a colorful poster for Ramadan. They will color, cut out, and assemble the pieces. Decor + collaboration skills? Win-win! There are 3 options included - 18 pieces, 24 pieces, and 36 pieces! It’s in my TPT Store and BP Shop.

 
 

Eid al-Fitr Festival

Eid al-Fitr is a three-day festival that celebrates the end of Ramadan. It means, “Festival of Breaking the Fast” because people stop fasting. It is a time for families and friends to gather, share meals, and exchange gifts.

Eid al-Fitr Video
The TVO Kids series, It’s My Party, has an episode on Eid al-Fitr! Noorah celebrates Ramadan and is preparing to attend an Eid al-Fitr event with her guest Soreya.

Amira’s Picture Day
Author: Reem Faruqi
Illustrator: Fahmida Azim

Amira has dilemma! School picture day is on Eid al-Fitr! Understandably, she doesn’t want to miss either. Can she make it work? This book will help the children that celebrate holidays that aren’t celebrated by the dominant culture to be seen. Hopefully, books like these will lead schools to avoid scheduling events on important religious holidays.

Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are important events for many students and their families. By allowing students to share stories and traditions related to their culture, teachers are also fostering important conversations. And if you don’t have students that celebrate, books by Islamic authors are a great way to gain perspective. The activities shared in this blog post are a great way to learn about Islamic culture and create a more inclusive classroom.

 

Engaging Ways to Celebrate Tamil Heritage in the Classroom

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Tamil heritage is part of our global culture and I’m sharing ways that you can celebrate and appreciate it. Discover engaging activities to teach your elementary students about Tamil culture. From stories to videos, recognize and celebrate the rich heritage of the Tamil people.

 
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Books

Here is a collection of books starring Tamil characters and/or written by Tamil authors. These will give you more insight into the culture.

Where Three Oceans Meet
Author: Rajani LaRocca
Illustrator: Archana Sreenivasan

Sejal and her mother head to India to visit her Pati (grandmother in Tamil). They take a road trip from Bangalore through the state of Tamil Nadu taking in the sights and sounds.  Finally, they reach the southern tip of India - Kanyakumari - where the three oceans meet.

I’ll Go and Come Back
Author: Rajani LaRocca
Illustrator: Sara Palacios

Jyoti visits her Pati in India and despite a language barrier, they can understand each other and bond. At the end of the trip, she doesn’t want to leave, but she remembers the Tamil parting phrase, not “goodbye”, but “I’ll go and come back.” And the following summer when her grandmother visits her in America, she parts with the same sentiment.

Palm Trees Under Snow
Author: Meera Bala
Illustrator: Galina Moleskine

In Sri Lanka, Maya grew up surrounded by palm trees, the ocean, and family. Sadly, her life is upturned by a war that is tearing Sri Lanka apart. In search of safety, Maya's parents decide to immigrate to another country. Without friends and family and unable to speak the language, will Maya ever feel a sense of belonging?

Tomatoes for Neela
Author: Padma Lakshmi
Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal

Neela loves cooking with her mother. Neela and her mother go to the market to buy tomatoes - the vegetable that she loves to cook. They make a sauce using her Pati’s recipe. It makes her feel close to her as she’s far away in India.

Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is a form of Indian classical dance. The oldest, in fact! The dance style originated in Tamil Nadu, India. Bharatanatyam is known for its form: hand gestures, facial expressions, plie-like squat, and, fixed upper torso.

Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes
Author: Mahak Jain
Illustrator: Anu Chouhan

Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes is a beautifully illustrated book. Paro comes from a dancing family. She learned Bharatanatyam from her mother and is quite good at it. In her new ballet class, Paro finds the new poses and skills to be tricky so she decides to quit Bharatanatyam to focus solely on ballet. But can she do both? Are the dance styles that different from one another?

 
 

Kolam

Kolam is a tradition that began thousands of years ago. It is a drawing made on the floor using colored rice flour. It is used to decorate the home and to welcome the goddess Lakshmi. The simplest form is made by dots of rice in a grid. They are joined together to make shapes or designs, such as flowers and animals. Kolam is similar to rangoli.

Pongal Pot Kolam Video

Pongal Festival

Pongal is an ancient harvest festival celebrated in the Tamil community in South India, Sri Lanka, and around the world. It is also known as Thai Pongal. The celebration lasts for four days in mid-January.  It includes traditional rituals such as decorating homes, offering thanksgiving prayers to gods, cooking dishes like pongal, and paying respect to cattle.

Video Series
The TVO Kids series, It’s My Party, has an episode on Thai Pongal! Annalyia celebrates Thai Pongal and shares her culture with Delano.

Thai Pongal
Author: Majura Thayalan and Neera Thubeeshan

Written in both English and Tamil, this book teaches readers about Thai Pongal traditions. It was written in response to the dearth of books about this important Tamil festival!

Pongal Mini Book
I created a 9-page mini book for primary students to learn about the festival! It includes basic facts, an explanation of the traditions, important symbols, a word search, and a “what I’ve learned” page. Find it in my TPT Store or BP Shop.

 

I hope you’ll consider sharing Tamil Heritage with your students!

 

5 Great Resources for Learning about Celebrations in the Primary Classroom

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I love learning about other people’s cultures and traditions. This has translated into recognizing celebrations in the classroom. When we learn about the traditions and celebrations of others, we can make connections because we indeed have many things in common! It’s also important to foster understanding and be respectful of our differences. Give your students the opportunity to develop an understanding of why people have different practices and beliefs.

In this post, I will be sharing some of my favorite go-to resources for learning about traditions and celebrations.

Video Series

It’s My Party is a TVO Kids series where children explore the various elements of a celebration. Each 22-minute episode has 2 children that have never met - the party host and a guest. The host is the child celebrating the event and sharing their culture. The guest is somewhat unfamiliar with the event and is eager to learn and participate. I love that the series includes a variety of multicultural holidays and events such as Holi, Purim, Eid al-Fitr, and a Pow Wow. You can also find season 1 and season 2 on YouTube.

Articles and Book Series

CBC Kids - a collection of interesting and informative articles about many holidays and festivals. It also highlights a wide variety of celebrations such as Basant, Eid al-Adha, and Yom Kippur.

Epic has been a lifesaver, especially when it comes to teaching online! Epic is a digital reading platform for kids with thousands of books. There are TONS of books for a wide variety of holidays and celebrations. I’ve created a few collections - just click the links to check them out!

I would also recommend reading #ownvoices books for celebrations, whether fiction or non-fiction. In this context, the books would be created by writers and/or illustrators who share the heritage or culture presented in the books.

 
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Classroom Visitors

Inviting students’ family members to share their celebrations is a great way for families to engage in the classroom. You could also invite leaders of different faith traditions. Visitors can bring in personal artifacts, culturing clothing, and answer any questions that your students may have. Depending on your school policies, you could also prepare and/or eat traditional foods.

 
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Printable and Digital Activities

I have also turned this love of learning about history and culture into a resource collection: Holiday Mini Books!

Each mini book is 8-10 pages and includes:

  • basic facts about the celebration

  • the history and/or religious background

  • explanations of traditions and special foods

  • an activity (word search, maze, secret code, word jumble, etc.)

  • a prompt for children to list what they’ve learned

  • a corresponding Google Slide version

I have created a mini book for Chinese New Year, Christmas, Day of the Dead, Diwali, Easter, Halloween, Hanukkah, Holi, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, New Year’s Day, Passover, Purim, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Remembrance Day, Rosh Hashanah, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and Yom Kippur with more to come! See the collection in my TPT Store or BP Shop!

 
 
 
 

To summarize, here are my 5 fave resources for learning about classroom celebrations:

  1. It’s My Party from TVO Kids

  2. CBC Kids Articles

  3. Epic Books

  4. Classroom Visitors

  5. My Holiday Mini Books

How do you learn about celebrations?

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