Commemorate Lunar New Year with these free science and engineering activities for enhancing hands-on STEM.
By Amy Cowen
on December 27, 2021 8:00 AM
What is Lunar New Year?
Just like any vacation or event that might be observed in the classroom, there are hands-on STEM activities you can adapt with Lunar New Year in mind. Weve assembled an unique list of 12 activities with ideas for methods to turn ordinary science experiments into amazing Lunar New Year-themed STEM activities.
Lunar New Year (also understood as Chinese New Year) is February 1, 2022. Lunar New Year begins with the new moon that occurs in late January or February.
Light Up Lunar New Year Celebrations with DIY Paper Lanterns!
Lanterns prevail signs for Lunar New Year, and a Lantern Festival marks the end of the holiday. The new Make an Awesome Paper Lantern STEM activity and video from Science Buddies guides trainees in utilizing the engineering style process to design and build paper lanterns.
Make a Paper Lantern STEM Activity
STEM Activities to Observe Lunar New Year in Science Class
1. Style a Lantern
With the Make an Awesome Paper Lantern activity, students use the engineering style procedure to style and build paper lanterns. With variations to allow the usage of a little battery-powered tea light or a DIY night light circuit developed on a breadboard, this lesson is designed to scale for various grade levels and interests.
2. A Blast of Lion Breath
Like dragons, lions are powerful signs in Chinese culture. In the Build A Vortex Cannon! activity, trainees make an easy vortex air cannon from a balloon and a plastic cup or recycled container. When the balloon is pulled and released, the device creates a little blast of air. Get innovative in decorating the device to make it look like a dragon or a Chinese lion (like the one shown below) that blasts puffs of air!
3. Build a Dragon Automaton
The Make Cardboard Automata activity utilizes a caterpillar robot to demonstrate how to develop and prepare robot from cardboard and craft materials. A dragon- or tiger-inspired robot would be an incredible Lunar New Year creation! This hands-on engineering activity is packed with opportunity for creativity and personalization and is a good challenge for older students.
4. Edible Rice Paper.
Rice paper can be utilized for many functions, including covering foods and treats. In the Homemade Rice Paper activity, students make edible rice paper and try out the recipe to see how different components and ratios relate to flexibility, strength, and taste. Keep in mind: This activity belongs to our 13 Tasty Food Science Experiments! collection.
How to Make Edible Rice Paper.
5. Flying Popsicle Sticks!
In the Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction activity, students harness possible energy as they link wooden sticks to develop a chain reaction. Make a video of your popsicle stick chain reaction, so you can see it once again. Keep in mind: This activity is part of our 12 Lessons and activities to Teach Potential and Kinetic Energy collection.
Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction -STEM activity.
6. Dragon Ball Launcher.
The Make a Cotton Ball Launcher activity guides students in putting together an easy launcher from embedded cardboard tubes, elastic band, and a pencil. When pulled back and launched, the device introduces a cotton ball. Get imaginative to decorate the launchers as dragons, lions, tigers, or other symbolic animals for Lunar New Year enjoyable. Bonus! Use orange (or colored) cotton balls for an amazing fire-breathing effect! Keep in mind: This activity becomes part of our 8 Free Science Activities with Toilet Paper Tubes collection.
7. Shadow Puppets.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with a set of shadow puppets! Utilize the Making Shadow Puppets activity to make shadow puppets from cardstock and use them with a flashlight to put on a shadow play. Students can learn about the physics of light and shadow at the exact same time!
8. Design Paper Rockets.
Get the excitement of launching things into the sky and check out the clinical technique at the very same time by creating and launching paper rockets! In the Learning the Scientific Method with Paper Rockets lesson, students make paper rockets and examine to see how various design features connect to how the rockets fly. (Note: An activity version of this experiment is also offered!).
9. Underwater Fireworks.
Lots of celebrations involve fireworks, and there are cultural traditions surrounding fireworks and Lunar New Year, too. With the Underwater Color Bursts activity, trainees can make gorgeous undersea fireworks (consisted of in a glass or container) and check out mixes, miscibility, density, and diffusion. Youll require cooking oil, water, and food coloring for this colorful experiment. (Note: For related lessons and activities, see 11 Lessons About the Chemistry of Mixtures.).
10. Rainbow Fire Fireworks.
The Discover the Flaming Colors of Fireworks activity and the Rainbow Fire Kit helps trainees discover out! In the activity, students dip skewers in various chemicals to see what colors are produced when the chemicals burn.
Rainbow Fire: Where do Fireworks get Their Colors?
11. Lunar New Year Kites.
Kites have long been associated with Asian events, and kites might have first been created and flown in China several years earlier. In the How Tails Help a Kite to Fly activity, trainees make easy sled kites and experiment to see what role the tails play. Be motivated! See how these students explored kite making in your home.
12. Balance the Lanterns Mobile.
Make a Lunar New Year mobile! Have students color, collage, paint, or draw themed aspects to contribute to a hanging mobile using the Balance the Forces Within a Mobile activity. Making whatever balance is a STEM difficulty! Have trainees make specific mobiles, operate in groups for bigger mobiles, or collaborate on a giant classroom mobile. Theyll be discovering about the physics associated to “balancing” with every piece they add. Be inspired! This student made an extremely high mobile that included dragons! Idea! Glue hard copies or drawings onto cardstock and cut around the shapes to provide components a vibrant border and make them more durable for hanging.
Pair Hands-on STEM with Childrens Books.
While tradition holds that books need to not be purchased or offered for Lunar New Year, the list below kidss books might provide a nice storytelling tie-in on days leading up to or after the holiday.
Use the Making Shadow Puppets activity to make shadow puppets from cardstock and utilize them with a flashlight to put on a shadow play. Collections like this help educators find themed activities in a particular subject location or discover activities and lessons that meet a curriculum need.
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Thematic Collections.
Keep in mind: This activity is part of our 8 Free Science Activities with Toilet Paper Tubes collection.
Collections like this assistance teachers find themed activities in a specific subject area or find activities and lessons that fulfill a curriculum need. We hope these collections make it practical for instructors to search associated lessons and activities.
In the Homemade Rice Paper activity, trainees make edible rice paper and experiment with the dish to see how different ingredients and ratios relate to flexibility, strength, and taste. Note: This activity is part of our 12 Lessons and activities to Teach Kinetic and potential Energy collection.