Chinese New Year is celebrated in the spring instead of the winter, and participants usher in the new year with much reverence and tradition. One tradition that you can replicate with children is the making of a red envelope, which contains lucky money for the new year. Create the envelope by folding three corners of a red square of construction paper in to meet in the center. Tape the corners together so that a small pocket forms, and then fold down the top corner. This will become the top of the envelope. Draw the Chinese character for "Luck" on the front of the envelope. Children can place a few coins (either real or imaginary) inside the envelope, and after the New Year can open the envelope with their families.
In Japan, one of the most celebrated festivals is the Cherry Blossom Festival, or "Sakura Matsuri." To learn more about this holiday, children can make their own cherry blossom tree with construction paper and tissue paper. Cut a tree trunk and branches from brown construction paper and glue them to a sheet of bright blue construction paper. To create three-dimensional cherry blossoms, cut pink tissue paper into small (quarter-sized) squares and crinkle them up, then glue them to the branches.
Before the invention of paper, Asian cultures used bamboo scrolls to record important messages. Although this craft doesn't involve real bamboo, it does resemble a bamboo scroll. You'll need a piece of sturdy cardboard that is about 3.25 inches long and 2 inches tall. Glue craft sticks to the board lengthwise (the cardboard should sit in the center of the sticks and will not cover the entirety of the craft sticks on the top or bottom). The cardboard will be your writing surface. Adding string to the craft sticks will make the finished product look more like a scroll. Children can use a permanent marker to write Chinese or Japanese characters on the scroll.