The Lunar New Year is fast approaching! The Year of the Snake begins on January 29th, 2025. Are you looking for a fun way to celebrate or introduce kids to the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac? Check out this Chinese zodiac matching game that features the 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. This is a quick and easy memory game for kids (or adults) of all ages. Print off more than one set and have older kids race to see who can find all the matches first!
This matching game is a great passive activity to set out for kids to do during Chinese New Year gatherings or events. It could also work well in the classroom or at a memory cafe for older adults.
Materials needed:
- Free Chinese Zodiac Matching Game Printable
- Scissors
Instructions
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Print pages 1-4 double-sided on 8.5×11″ paper or cardstock. I recommend cardstock for durability. If you don’t want to print the pattern on the back of the cards then only print pages 1 and 3 single-sided. You should have two pages containing 12 cards each, or 24 cards total.
Cut out all 24 cards along the dotted lines.
Lay the cards facedown on a table (the animal side should not be visible). I like to lay the cards out in rows of six or four.
Flip up two cards so that the animal side is visible. If the animals match, keep the cards. If the animals don’t match, flip them back over. Keep flipping up cards two at a time until all matches are found.
Questions? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to come back and let me know if you’ve enjoyed this printable.
Ideas for Play
One Player: Find all of the matches.
Two Players: Take turns flipping two cards. If you get a match, keep the matching cards and go again until you do not find a match. The player with the most matches when all matches are found wins.
Race: Print off multiple sets of the game and give each player one set. Have players race to see who can find all of the matches in their set first.
Learn: Learn about the 12 Chinese zodiac signs and find out which one you are born under with this free calculator from chinesenewyear.net.
How to Download
Click the black download button to download this printable as a pdf file.
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Celebrate Lunar New Year
Here are some additional ideas for celebrating Lunar New Year to go along with the matching game.
More Free Lunar New Year Activities
Check out these free online activities that will help to round out your Lunar New Year celebration.
- Find your Chinese zodiac sign with this free calculator from chinesenewyear.net.
- Learn all about the Year of the Snake in a Zoom webinar with the National Museum of Asian Art. Sessions available for children in grades 1-3 and 4-6. You can also browse the Museum’s online collection of artifacts and artwork.
- Listen to classical Chinese music as you play this matching game. Here’s a playlist from WFMT Chicago and another from the Smithsonian Institution.
- Get crafty with these free printable activities from HP including paper lantern templates.
Gifts and Accessories
These fun gifts and accessories will help you ring in the New Year. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small profit when items are purchased through the link at no extra cost to you! Thanks so much for your support!
- 2025 Year of the Snake Chocolate Coins: https://amzn.to/49J3gZ1
- Year of the Snake Scratch-off Fortune Cards: https://amzn.to/49LQ9q3
- How to Catch a Dragon Book: https://amzn.to/3OYm90u
- Lunar New Year Educational Book for Kids: https://amzn.to/3ZKg1OG
- Snake Stuffie Toy: https://amzn.to/4flLs7q
- Red Envelopes: https://amzn.to/3ZVO7Ay
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