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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Celebrations Around The World - Fact Sheet Pack
A pack of 6 fact sheets detailing different celebrations around the world.
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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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Celebrations Word Find – Worksheet
A word find with vocabulary themed around celebrations and holidays.
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Year of the Rat - Paper Lantern Template
A craft activity to help celebrate Chinese New Year!
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Remembrance Activity - Brochure Template
Make a brochure about the history of Remembrance Day with printable remembrance activities from Teach Starter!
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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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Lunar New Year Mini-Workbook
Read, research and learn about the Lunar New Year with this activity book.
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Chinese Zodiac Animals Poster Set
Display these posters to teach your students about the Chinese Zodiac.
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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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My Little Remembrance Day Colouring Book
Engage your little learners and build vocabulary skills with a printable Remembrance Day Colouring Book.
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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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Year of the Dog String Puppet Craft Template
A Lunar New Year themed 'Year of the Dog' string puppet template.
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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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Lunar New Year PowerPoint
Learn all about the Lunar New Year celebration with an instructional slide deck.
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Chinese New Year Hat Templates
Make a gorgeous Chinese New Year hat with these animals that represent each year.
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Year of the Tiger - String Puppet Craft Template
A Lunar New Year-themed 'Year of the Tiger' string puppet template.
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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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Year of the Ox – Paper Lantern Template
A Year of the Ox craft activity to help celebrate Lunar New Year!
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Year of the Ox – String Puppet Craft Template
A Lunar New Year-themed ‘Year of the Ox’ string puppet template.
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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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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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Day of the Dead Decor - Papel Picado Template
Create your Day of the Dead decorations with a printable Papel Picado 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 Book for Kids
Learn about Mexico's cultural celebrations with printable books about The Day of the Dead.
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Year of the Rabbit - String Puppet
Create a Lunar New Year String Puppet for Year of the Rabbit.
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Chinese New Year — Mindfulness Colouring Sheet
Use this mindfuless colouring-in worksheet to celebrate the Chinese New Year in the classroom.
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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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Eid al-Adha Poster - Information
A poster with information about Eid al-Adha.
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Diwali Poster - Information
A poster with information about Diwali.
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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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Year of the Pig String Puppet Craft Template
A Lunar New Year themed 'Year of the Pig' string puppet template.
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Chinese New Year Informational Poster
Teach about Chinese New Year with this informational poster.
- 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