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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Lunar New Year Mini-Workbook
Read, research and learn about the Lunar New Year with this activity book.
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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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Year of the Rabbit - String Puppet
Create a Lunar New Year String Puppet for Year of the Rabbit.
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Christmas Around the World Mini Book - Germany
Introduce your students to Germany's Christmas traditions and decorations with a printable Christmas Around the World Mini Book.
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Australian Christmas Bush Craft Template
Decorate with one of Australia’s Christmas traditions and decorations with a printable Christmas bush craft template.
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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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Christmas Around the World Mini Book - Sweden
Introduce your students to Christmas in Sweden with a printable mini book and graphic organiser.
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Christmas Around the World Mini Book - Mexico
Introduce your students to Mexico's Christmas traditions and decorations with a printable Christmas Around the World Mini Book.
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Christmas Gnome Craft Template – Sweden
Introduce your students to one of Sweden’s most popular Christmas figures with a printable 'tomte' or gnome craft template.
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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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Celebrations and Holidays – Middle Primary Workbook
A 15 page end of year holiday and celebrations activity booklet.
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Eid al-Adha Poster - Information
A poster with information about Eid al-Adha.
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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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Christmas in France - Yule Log Craft Activity
Introduce your students to the Yule Log Craft, a common tradition for Christmas in France.
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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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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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Christmas in Switzerland - Samichlaus Paper Plate Craft
Learn about Christmas in Switzerland and introduce your students to Samichlaus with a printable paper plate Christmas craft template.
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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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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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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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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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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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St. Patrick's Day Word Search - Differentiated
A St. Patrick’s Day-themed word search.
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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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Chinese Zodiac Animals Poster Set
Display these posters to teach your students about the Chinese Zodiac.
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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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Lunar New Year Word Wall Vocabulary
Fifty-eight Lunar New Year related vocabulary cards for a word wall.
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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.