Dive into the rich history of Chinese New Year with these 7 exciting and educational videos! Whether you want to explore the origins and cultural traditions of the holiday or simply want to celebrate with some festive tunes, be sure to share these picks with your little ones. Kick off the Lunar New Year right!
Songs and Music Videos
1. 元日 Lunar New Year's Day (Yuǎn Rì)
Language: Mandarin with Simplified Subtitles
Song Length: 3 mins.
2. 《王雪晶 | 好一个大新年》Wang XueJing | Great New Year
Language: Mandarin with Simplified Subtitles
Song Length: 4 mins.
3. 《吉岛少儿合唱团 | 过年歌》JiDao Children's Choir | New Year's Song
Language: Mandarin with Simplified Subtitles
Song Length: 2.5 mins.
3.《春回大地贺新年》Return to Spring New Year Celebration
Language: Mandarin with Simplified Subtitles
Song Length: 4.5 mins
Short Videos
1. 好吃又好玩的春节 - 宝宝学传统文化 | Spring Festival with Baobei Chinese
Language: Mandarin
Video Length: 15 mins.
Skill Level: Beginner
Spring Festival Fun with Xiao Bao A’yi. These engaging activities are perfect for preschoolers and early learners to get a playful, age-appropriate introduction to Chinese culture. A wonderful resource for families and classrooms alike — full of songs, stories, and delicious traditions!
2. All about Lunar New Year with Mama Laoshi
Language: Mandarin
Video Length: 22 mins.
Skill Level: Intermediate
We love the YouTube Mama Laoshi's authentic, informative videos. In this episode, Mama Laoshi and little Winter guide children through the beloved Story of Nian, while exploring the words, customs, and activities that make Lunar New Year the most important celebration for Chinese families worldwide. A wonderful way for kids to learn what people say, do, and enjoy during this joyful time of year.
3. 芝麻街贺新年 Sesame Street Special: How to Celebrate Chinese New Year
Language: Mandarin
Video Length: 4 mins.
Skill Level: Beginner – Intermediate
Kick off the new year with the lovable Sesame Street cast in this special segment presented in Mandarin! This video shows Elmo and the gang preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year with their friends while their guests explain the historical origins of the holiday. We love that they highlight important vocabulary with bright graphics and repeat the main concepts to Elmo and friends so that young learners can understand and follow along with ease!
4. 新年好! Happy New Year Sing-Along
Language: Mandarin
Video Length: 2 mins.
Skill Level: Beginner
The perfect choice for younger learners, this catchy, straightforward, and festive song does a fantastic job at demonstrating Lunar New Year customs and traditional ways of celebrating the holiday. This is a great tool to not only introduce traditional cultural elements to students but also to practice New Year-related vocabulary and phrases!
5. 春节的来历 Origin of the Spring Festival
Language: Mandarin with Simplified Subtitles
Video Length: 3 mins.
Skill Level: Beginner – Intermediate
Explore the fantastical origins of the Chinese New Year celebration with the story of Nian the New Year’s monster! This video does a great job explaining this sometimes-scary classic tale in an approachable and appropriate way while still being entertaining for young learners. Students will learn new vocabulary and phrases relating to the Lunar festival and better understand the cultural relevance of modern traditions with this educational pick.
Check out our other blog posts:
Year of the Horse Storytime PPT and Lantern Riddle Game
Best YouTube and NetFlix Movies to Watch in the Chinese New Year
Simple & Fun Ways to Celebrate Chinese New Year
Fun Chinese New Year Activities to Do at Home or in the Classroom
10 Best Chinese Children's Books to Celebrate Chinese New Year
