Chinese New Year word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Chinese New Year word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Chinese New Year vocabulary puzzle set for my 2nd and 3rd graders during our winter holidays unit. The kids had heard of Lunar New Year but had no idea what words like lantern, dragon, or zodiac meant when we learned about different celebrations around the world. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, lantern, dragon, zodiac, red envelope, parade, firecracker, family, feast, celebration, spring, and tradition. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the Chinese New Year vocabulary finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess or indoor recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether a dragon or a lion is used in the parade. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple lantern, dragon, and red envelope drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 2nd through 4th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers draw their zodiac animal on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.