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Celebrations · The activity desk

Zodiac horse adventure

Color a horse and imagine a journey while learning about the Chinese zodiac.

Let's play →

A little plan for play

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What you need

The rabbit and horse coloring page or paper and child-appropriate crayons

Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.

Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.

Set up: Print the page, or draw a horse face with a long nose and two ears.

Adult's role: Explain that the horse is one of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. Help the child draw if wanted.

Let's make it happen

  1. Find the horse with a long nose and color it any way you like.
  2. Draw a path, field or other place for the horse to visit.
  3. Trace the path with a finger and tell a story about the journey.

Make it simpler: Point to the horse's ears and color one part together.

Clean up: Put crayons away and keep or recycle the page.

Families celebrate Chinese New Year in different ways. Follow the child's interest and let them point or color freely.

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