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 In Pages
Create colourful Chinese dragon art to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the classroom with a pack of printable dragon colouring in pages.
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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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Matariki – Mindful Colouring Sheet
A mindful colouring-in worksheet to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year celebration in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
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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 Word Find – Worksheet
A word find with vocabulary themed around celebrations and holidays.
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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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Celebrations and Holidays – Middle Primary Workbook
A 15 page end of year holiday and celebrations activity booklet.
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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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Chinese New Year Fact Sheet
A fact sheet covering important facts and traditions of Chinese New Year.
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Christmas in France - Mini Book for Kids
Introduce your students to Christmas traditions in France with a printable Christmas Around the World Mini Book.
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Lunar New Year Mini-Workbook
Read, research and learn about the Lunar New Year with this activity book.
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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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Lunar New Year PowerPoint
Learn all about the Lunar New Year celebration with an instructional slide deck.
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Christmas in Italy - La Befana Christmas Craft
Introduce your students to the traditions and figures associated with Christmas in Italy by crafting a La Befana tree topper!
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Design a Harmony Day Logo Project
Design a Harmony Day logo with your students using our inquiry-based learning project.
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Lunar New Year Decorations - Snake Craft
Create simple Lunar New Year decorations to bring festive cheer and cultural celebration into your classroom!
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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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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 Japan - Holidays Around the World Mini Book
Introduce your students to Japanese Christmas traditions and decorations with a printable Christmas in Japan Mini Book.
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How to Draw a Soldier Directed Drawing
Draw and write to reflect on Remembrance Day with a How to Draw a Soldier directed drawing activity.
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The Day of the Dead Skeleton Craft Activity
Make a Dancing Calavera craft for Dia de Muertos using a printable skeleton craft template.
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Printable Day of the Dead Masks
Bring the traditions of Día de los Muertos into your classroom with our set of printable Day of the Dead Masks.
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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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The Day of the Dead Word Search
Introduce vocabulary surrounding the Mexican holiday known as “The Day of the Dead” with a printable word search.
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St. Patrick's Day Bingo
Discover the lingo of St. Patrick’s Day with this BINGO game set.
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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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Chinese Zodiac Animals Poster Set
Display these posters to teach your students about the Chinese Zodiac.
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Celebrations Crossword Puzzle – Worksheet
A crossword puzzle about holidays and celebrations.
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Year of the Rat – String Puppet Craft Template
A fun template for primary school students to make their own rat puppet.
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Diwali Poster - Information
A poster with information about Diwali.
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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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Celebrations Around The World - Fact Sheet Pack
A pack of 6 fact sheets detailing different celebrations around the world.