Why should we have rat crafts to celebrate ‘pests’ like rats, you ask? We have a World Rat Day that honours these intelligent, social creatures and acknowledges their importance to our eco-system.

Over here at Artsy Craftsy Mom, we just love learning about different cultures. Not only is it immensely interesting, but it also gives us lots of new reasons to celebrate! The Chinese New Year is one such fun cultural celebration every year, soon after the usual new year celebrations have worn off. The Chinese zodiac has a different animal associated with each year, and this only makes it all the more fun to celebrate. 2025 is the Year of the Snake – and 2020 was the Year of the Rat, and will next come in 2032. Rats are considered symbols of wealth and abundance in Chinese culture.

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The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals

Chinese zodiac years begin/end at Chinese New Year (in January/February). The Chinese zodiac, or sheng xiao, refers to the circle of 12 animals that measure the cycles of time. Each year in the repeating zodiac cycle of 12 years.

Legend has it that a god beckoned all animals to bid him farewell before his departure from Earth. Only 12 of them, namely the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig arrived, with each given a place of honor in a year based on the order of arrival.

Your kids will love these fun color, cut & assemble animal headbands for the Chinese New Year; they are a perfect complement to your seasonal activities! Buy it from our shop here – CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMAL HEADBAND SET

Rats are considered symbols of wealth and abundance in Chinese culture. So let’s join in and begin the celebrations this New Year with an abundance of rat crafts for kids!

10 Rat Crafts for Kids

1. Rat Paper Headband

This rat headband or crown is just too cute for words!! If you’re having a party for Chinese New Year, I’d definitely recommend printing out a bunch of these hats for everyone to wear. Use the form at the bottom of the post to grab your freebie.

2. Year of the Rat Pop Up Card

Nothing more joyful than a cheery rat welcoming you into the New Year! Red Ted Art features a pop up card that also works as a coloring page – perfect activity for younger kids!

3. Chinese New Year 3D Rat Craft

Why should crafts be two dimensional? Krokotak challenges this notion with a 3-dimensional rat craft, made by folding paper into a cone. Don’t forget to color in the rat’s outfit!

4. Year of the Rat Free Coloring Page

This coloring page from Teachers Pay Teachers is sure to be a hit with kids who enjoy coloring within the lines, and it would also make for cool wall art! Print multiple sheets for all the kids to get some unique art work!

5. Chinese New Year Rat Paper Cutting Craft

Ready to get those scissors out and give your fine motor muscles some exercise? Check out this cute paper cutting rat craft from Pink Stripey Socks – you could string a few together to make a fun garland.

6. Free Printable Paper Rats

These printable rats from Kids Craft Room are as easy as they come! Here, it’s the little details that add to the charm of these rats – the pom pom nose and of course, that curly tail!

7. Year of the Rat Origami Craft

Holidappy has a lot of Year of the Rat crafts that it’s hard to choose a few! This Origami rat is a fun project, and those red circles with the Chinese font are available for free download.

8. Pipe Cleaner Year of the Rat Craft

Here’s another Year of the craft from Holidappy, made by twisting a pipe cleaner into a rat. Don’t forget the red Chinese circle that tells you why the rat’s here!

9. Toilet Roll Rats

Crafts on Sea takes a couple of toilet rolls and shows us how to make rats from them! The fun part here is that it’s quite an open ended activity, and you can make the rat’s expression anything you like.

10. Chinese Zodiac Rat Mask

Want to become a rat yourself this New Year? No problem, Education.com has the perfect craft for you! Just download and print the free mask printable, follow the instructions and you’ll soon have a new rat-face!

I’m sure you can’t wait to get started on these rat crafts right away! You may also like to check out our crafts for older Chinese New Year – the Year of the Pig, the Year of the Sheep and the Year of the Monkey. This is a great opportunity to learn about Chinese culture, as well as the significance of these animals. All in all, be prepared for a fun time this New Year!