Free Chinese New Year I Spy Printable
A Chinese New Year I Spy page has always been an easy win in our house, especially when I wanted something calm but still tied to the holiday.
Kids naturally settle into spotting the zodiac animals, and the mix of counting and coloring gives them a simple way to learn a few traditions without a full lesson.
This printable works well for quick morning work, early finishers, or a low-key activity for celebrating the Lunar New Year at home or in the classroom.
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What’s Included
You’ll find three versions of the activity so you can use it in whatever way fits your day:
- Full-Color Page: A bright I Spy sheet with 15 Lunar New Year symbols, including the tiger, rat, lantern, lucky coins, and other zodiac animals.
- Black-and-White Page: The same layout in outline form, perfect for kids who like to color first and count after.
- Answer Key: A simple solution page that also works as an extra coloring sheet.
Each option keeps the activity low-prep and easy to adapt for different ages or skill levels.
How to Use
These I Spy pages slot easily into different parts of the day. Most kids settle into it quickly, which makes it a good choice when you want something calm but still connected to the holiday.
- At home: A simple afternoon activity or a quick way to introduce the zodiac animals without a long lesson.
- In classrooms: Works well as morning work or part of a short cultural lesson on the Lunar New Year.
- At gatherings: Something for younger kids to do while adults prep food or set up the celebration.
Just print the version you want and let the kids start counting. It’s steady, low-prep, and always gets used.
Educational Benefits of I Spy Activities
I Spy pages look simple, but they naturally build a few useful skills. The zodiac animals make this one especially fun because kids tend to slow down and look more closely.
- Attention to detail: Searching for small symbols like the rat or lucky coins helps kids practice careful visual scanning.
- Counting practice: Tallying each item gives them low-pressure math repetition.
- Vocabulary support: Seeing the lanterns, dragon heads, and other icons on the page helps reinforce basic Lunar New Year terms.
It’s a gentle way to mix culture, counting, and observation in one quick activity.
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More Chinese New Year Printables
If your kids enjoy the I Spy page, these other activities work well alongside it and give you a couple of easy options for filling out a short Lunar New Year lesson:
- Chinese New Year zodiac coloring activity – A simple way for kids to learn the twelve animals and talk about which sign they are.
- Chinese New Year word scramble – A quick puzzle with holiday words like “dragon” and “lantern,” great for early finishers.
- Lunar New Year memory game – A matching activity with familiar symbols that pairs nicely with the vocabulary from the I Spy sheet.
Using two or three of these together makes the holiday feel a bit more connected without adding prep to your day.
Favorite Books About the Lunar New Year for Kids
I like pairing this I Spy page with a quick read-aloud, especially when I want the zodiac story or the holiday symbols to make more sense to younger kids. These are a few that worked well for us:
Bringing in the New Year – This one gives a simple walkthrough of the traditions – cleaning, decorating, family meals – and it’s an easy way to give kids context before they start spotting the symbols on the page.
Ruby’s Chinese New Year – Freddie always liked the part where Ruby meets each zodiac animal on her way to her grandmother. It lines up nicely with the animals on the worksheet, so kids usually make the connection right away.
The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac – A good choice if you want a quick version of the zodiac legend. After reading it, the I Spy animals feel more purposeful because kids know why each one appears.
Using a story first helps the I Spy feel more grounded, and it gives kids something to talk about as they look for each symbol.
Get Your Free I Spy Chinese New Year Printables Here!
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Last Updated on 23 October 2025 by Clare Brown
