Cultural Celebrations Teaching Resources
Explore cultural celebrations and holidays around the world and promote cultural awareness in your primary classroom with printable worksheets, fun crafts and more teacher-created teaching resources!
The Teach Starter team of expert teachers has curated a curriculum-aligned collection of activities and interactive ideas to teach young students about the ways people in different cultures come together to celebrate. Save time on your lesson plans with resources carefully curated by expert teachers just for you!
Is this your first year teaching this section of the HASS curriculum, or are you just looking for some fresh ideas? Read on for some tips from our teacher team on expanding your students' appreciation of different cultures and exploring their celebratory traditions!
Holidays Around the World Activities for the Classroom
Exploring how people around the world celebrate isn't just an important part of meeting standards. Learning about these major holidays celebrated outside of Australia is also a way to help students build a greater appreciation for other people and other cultures!
So how do you do that? Here are some fun holiday around the world ideas from our teacher team on bringing these cultural celebrations into your lesson plans.
Create a Gallery Walk
Assign each student a specific holiday from another country such as Holi or Diwali from India or Japan's Hinamatsuri festival. Or provide a list, and allow them to pick their favourite!
Have students research the holiday and create posters that detail where and when the holiday is celebrated, as well as specific information about its history and specific traditions. Display the posters on the hallway wall, and allow your class to go on a gallery walk to take in the information about each holiday!
Hold a Holiday Lunch in the Classroom
Ask students to bring in a dish from a cultural holiday their family celebrates that can be shared with the class. Each student can present the dish to the class and tell their peers a little bit about the holiday.
Have Students Plan a Holiday-Based Trip for a Teacher
Break your class into small groups, and let them choose a cultural celebration from another country. Each group then has to plan a trip for you (or another teacher) to that country to celebrate that holiday. Include maths skills practise by having students create a trip budget, and encourage them to interview the teacher about their likes and dislikes to figure into their planning!
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Dragon Colouring Pages
Create colourful Chinese dragon art to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the classroom with a pack of printable dragon colouring pages.
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Celebrations Around the World - PowerPoint
A 28 slide editable PowerPoint Template to use when exploring the topic of celebrations.
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Celebrations Around the World - Worksheet Pack
An 18-page worksheet booklet to use when exploring the topic of celebrations.
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Year 4 Reading Comprehension - The Day of the Dead Reading Passage
Read and learn about the Mexican holiday, Dia De Los Muertos, with a reading passage and Year 4 reading prose comprehension test.
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Celebrations Around The World Inquiry Task
A four page inquiry task, assessing students' knowledge of cultural celebrations from around the world.
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Chinese Dragon Puppet – Craft Activity
Bring the Chinese dragon to life with this dragon puppet craft activity.
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Diwali Poster - Information
A poster with information about Diwali.
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Celebrations Crossword Puzzle – Worksheet
A crossword puzzle about holidays and celebrations.
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Celebrations Around The World - Fact Sheet Pack
A pack of 6 fact sheets detailing different celebrations around the world.
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East Asian Dragon Art Activity
Print a creative Chinese dragon art activity for kids to celebrate Lunar New Year in the classroom.
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3D Poppy Craft and Writing Activity
Create a unique Remembrance Day craft with a poppy template and write about the event with reflective writing prompts.
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Lunar New Year PowerPoint
Learn all about the Lunar New Year celebration with an instructional slide deck.
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Religious Celebrations and Observances – Posters
A set of posters explaining the significance and traditions of various religious observances.
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Bastille Day Fact Sheet
A fact sheet covering important facts and traditions of Bastille Day in France.
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Chinese New Year Informational Poster
Teach about Chinese New Year with this informational poster.
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Year of the Dragon – Paper Lantern Craft
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with this Chinese New Year paper lantern craft activity.
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A Story of the Zodiac Animals and Activity Task Cards
Read and learn about the Chinese zodiac animals with a zodiac animal reading passage and a set of 12 matching activity task cards.
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Celebrations Word Find – Worksheet
A word find with vocabulary themed around celebrations and holidays.
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Basant Kite Festival Fact Sheet
A fact sheet covering important facts and traditions of the Basant Kite Festival in Pakistan and India.
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Chinese New Year Fact Sheet
A fact sheet covering important facts and traditions of Chinese New Year.
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Diwali Word Wall Vocabulary
Use these twenty-seven Diwali-related vocabulary cards for a word wall display when learning about the Festival of Lights.
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Asian Zodiac Calendars Poster Pack
A set of posters showing the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese zodiac calendars.
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Brazilian Tinsel Tail Bird Ornament Craft
Introduce your students to Christmas in Brazil with a printable tinsel-tailed bird Christmas ornament template.
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Christmas Poinsettia Craft Template
Introduce your students to Mexico's Christmas traditions and decorations with a printable poinsettia craft template.
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Eid al-Adha Poster - Information
A poster with information about Eid al-Adha.
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Christmas in Egypt - Bauble Template
Use this beautiful template to design your own Christmas ornament inspired by Christmas in Egypt!
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Christmas Around the World For Kids Book - Christmas in Spain
Introduce your students to Christmas in Spain with a printable Christmas Around the World mini-book
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Christmas in Japan - Kindness Christmas Light Template
Use a Christmas light template to create a Kindness Christmas bulb craft while learning about Christmas in Japan.
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Christmas in the Philippines - Parol Christmas Craft Template
Learn traditions related to Christmas in the Philippines with a Filipino Parol Christmas craft printable.
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Printable Day of the Dead Book for Kids
Learn about Mexico's cultural celebrations with printable books about The Day of the Dead.
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Printable Day of the Dead Decorations - Papel Picado
Create your own Day of the Dead decorations with printable papel picado colouring sheets.
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Lunar New Year Mini-Workbook
Read, research and learn about the Lunar New Year with this activity book.
- Cultural Celebrations Templates
- Cultural Celebrations Posters
- Cultural Celebrations for Foundation Year
- Cultural Celebrations for Year 1
- Cultural Celebrations for Year 2
- Cultural Celebrations for Year 3
- Cultural Celebrations for Year 4
- Cultural Celebrations for Year 5
- Cultural Celebrations for Year 6