Chinese Zodiac for Kids: 12 Animals Activity Book (Year of the Goat 2027)

By the end you can

• Tell the Great Race story in a few Chinese words. The rat rides on the ox's back and jumps off to win, the cat falls asleep and misses the race, and the pig comes last.
  猫睡觉了。 · Māo shuìjiào le. · The cat fell asleep.
• Say the twelve animals in order with 第. Put 第 in front of a number to say first, second and third, two animals a page, all the way to the pig in twelfth place.
  老鼠第一，牛第二！ · Lǎoshǔ dì-yī, niú dì-èr! · Rat is first, Ox is second!
• Say what each animal does, and act it out. Say the animal, then what it does: the tiger runs, the rabbit hops, the monkey climbs a tree and the rooster crows.
  兔子跳 · tùzi tiào · the rabbit hops
• Say what you can do with 会. The dragon can fly: 龙会飞. 会 means "can" for something you know how to do, so your child can say what they can do too.
  我会游泳。 · Wǒ huì yóuyǒng. · I can swim.
• Name the Year of the Goat. Add 年 after an animal to name its year. 羊 means goat or sheep, and the Year of the Goat begins on 6 February 2027.
  二零二七年是羊年。 · Èr líng èr qī nián shì yáng nián. · 2027 is the Year of the Goat.
• Find your child's animal and the family's. Read the year chart from 2015 to 2027, then add 12, 24 or 36 to a grown-up's birth year until it lands on the chart.
  我属狗，妈妈属马。 · Wǒ shǔ gǒu, māma shǔ mǎ. · I'm a Dog and Mum is a Horse.
• Play with the animal cards and the race board. Hold up a card, ask what it is and say its place, then put all twelve cards on the race board in order.
  你属什么？ · Nǐ shǔ shénme? · What's your animal?

What’s inside

• The Great Race: Story: The Great Race Across the River
• Animals 1–2: The Rat and the Ox
• Animals 3–4: The Tiger and the Rabbit
• Animals 5–6: The Dragon and the Snake
• Animals 7–8: The Horse and the Goat
• Animals 9–10: The Monkey and the Rooster
• Animals 11–12: The Dog and the Pig
• Your Animal: Which Animal Are You?
• Animal cards: Zodiac Animal Cards 1 to 8
• Review: Race Day with Bao

How to use this book

One page a day, about ten minutes, for ages 4 to 8. Say the line, play the audio, act out the animal, then do one activity. Younger children point and repeat; older ones follow the pinyin.

1. Day 1: The Great Race. Read the story on page 3 together and act it out: one of you is the ox, and a toy rat rides on your back.
2. Days 2–7: Two animals a day. Pages 4 to 9. Say the animals' places with 第, then act out what they do: run, hop, fly, climb.
3. Day 8: Which animal are you?. Find your child's year on the chart on page 10, then work out the grown-ups' animals and say them with 我属.
4. Day 9: Animal cards. Cut out the cards on page 11. Hold one up, ask 这是什么？ and let your child say the animal and its place.
5. Day 10: Race Day. Cut out the last four cards on page 12 and put all twelve on the race board in order. The answers are on page 13.

Who it’s for

Children aged 4 to 8 learning about the Chinese zodiac, with a parent at home or a teacher in class, and a good fit for Chinese New Year 2027. Grown-ups don't need to speak Chinese.

Before you start: Nothing. Every line has pinyin and English, the Mei Lin says tips explain the words in plain English, and the free audio reads every Chinese line slowly with a pause to say it back. You'll need scissors for the cards.

Frequently asked questions

What age is it for?

Ages 4 to 8. Younger children point, repeat and act out the animals while you read; older ones can follow the pinyin, find their year on the chart and play the race game on their own.

Is 2027 the Year of the Goat or the Sheep?

Both names are right. 羊 (yáng) means goat or sheep, so some books say Year of the Sheep. This book says Goat. The year begins at Chinese New Year, on 6 February 2027.

My child was born in January. Which animal are they?

An animal year starts at Chinese New Year, not on 1 January, so a January or early February birthday can belong to the year before. Check the date of Chinese New Year in your child's birth year, then find the animal on the chart on page 10.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 13-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class or my children?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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