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 - Worksheet Pack
An 18-page worksheet booklet to use when exploring the topic of celebrations.
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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 Dragon Puppet – Craft Activity
Bring the Chinese dragon to life with this dragon puppet craft activity.
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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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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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Celebrations Around The World - Fact Sheet Pack
A pack of 6 fact sheets detailing different celebrations around the world.
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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 Fact Sheet
A fact sheet covering important facts and traditions of Chinese New Year.
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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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Lunar New Year Word Wall Vocabulary
Fifty-eight Lunar New Year related vocabulary cards for a word wall.
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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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Christmas in Egypt - Bauble Template
Use this beautiful template to design your own Christmas ornament inspired by Christmas in Egypt!
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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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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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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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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 Spain - 3D Printable Shoe Template
Assemble this Christmas shoe template to introduce your students to a fun Christmas tradition from Spain.
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Christmas in Egypt – Celebrations Around the World Mini Book
Introduce your students to Egyptian Christmas traditions with a printable Christmas in Egypt 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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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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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 New Year Hat Templates
Make a gorgeous Chinese New Year hat with these animals that represent each year.
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Christmas Around the World – Brazil Mini Book
Introduce your students to Brazil’s Christmas traditions and decorations with a printable Christmas Around the World Mini Book.
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Remembrance Day Poppy Writing Template
Reflect on Remembrance Day with this poppy template and reflective sentence starters.
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New Year's Goals Worksheet
A resource to have your students create goals for the new year.
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Celebrations Crossword Puzzle – Worksheet
A crossword puzzle about holidays and celebrations.
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Diwali Poster - Information
A poster with information about Diwali.
- 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