Pancake Day 2026 and Lunar New Year Celebrations at Fun Box
- Orsolya Majoros
- Feb 22
- 2 min read
Celebrating Pancake Day 2026 and cultural traditions through play
This week at nursery, we were delighted to celebrate two special occasions — Pancake Day 2026 and Lunar New Year. Both celebrations gave us wonderful opportunities to explore culture, tradition, food, creativity, and sensory learning in meaningful and age-appropriate ways 🌍✨.
Pancake Day 2026 – Shrove Tuesday
Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is a long-standing tradition in the UK. Historically, it marked the day before Lent began, when families would use up rich ingredients such as eggs, milk, and sugar by making pancakes. Today, it is widely celebrated by enjoying pancakes together — and sometimes even holding pancake races 🥞🏃♂️.
To celebrate Pancake Day 2026, the children brought the tradition to life through playful exploration. In our pancake-themed sensory tray, they flipped paper pancakes in pans, scooped flour, and engaged in imaginative role play. This activity supported hand–eye coordination, fine motor development, and creativity.
We also enjoyed tasting real pancakes, exploring different toppings and talking about flavours, textures, and preferences 🍓🍯. These shared experiences supported Personal, Social and Emotional Development, as children practised turn-taking, conversation, and trying new foods in a supportive environment.
Lunar New Year
We also celebrated Lunar New Year, a festival that marks the beginning of the new year according to the lunar calendar and is widely celebrated in China and other Asian countries. Each year is linked to one of twelve zodiac animals, and families traditionally gather, decorate in red for good fortune, share meals, and exchange red envelopes as symbols of luck and prosperity 🧧.
The children explored this celebration in creative and thoughtful ways. They made beautiful Chinese fans using red card, folding techniques, and decorative stickers, strengthening fine motor skills and following instructions. We read stories about Lunar New Year, helping the children understand the meaning behind the traditions.
The children were also excited about exploring Chinese red money envelopes, learning that they are traditionally given as gifts to wish others good fortune and happiness in the year ahead. This supported the EYFS area of Understanding the World, encouraging awareness of different cultures and celebrations.
In our sensory tray, the children explored cooked and dry rice noodles, carefully using chopsticks and other cutlery to lift and move them 🍜. This supported coordination, hand strength, and concentration. They also created a colourful Chinese New Year dragon using paper plates, coloured paper, and glue sticks 🐉.
To end our celebration, the children listened to Chinese New Year music and painted a dragon while tuning into the rhythm and atmosphere. This calm, focused activity encouraged mindfulness, creativity, and emotional regulation 🎶🎨.
Our Baby Room Celebrations
Our littlest learners enjoyed their own sensory experiences. They explored shaving foam putty made from cornflour and shaving foam, investigating texture and movement through touch 🤍.
They also sang nursery rhymes using finger puppets, supporting early communication, rhythm, and social interaction 🎵.
Throughout the week, celebrating Pancake Day 2026 alongside Lunar New Year allowed the children to explore tradition, creativity, and cultural awareness in ways that felt joyful and meaningful. It was a week full of curiosity, cooperation, and celebration for children of all ages 🌟.
This is lovely