Happy new Year! It's during this time, that we get an opportunity to reflect on the past year, and make new goals and changes for the future. New years, is a great time for children to learn many things involving self reflection, organization, goal-making, and understanding the passage of time. As we look towards the new year, we have so many great chances to learn and grow. To help celebrate, we've created a list of multiple New Year themed activities to help children get excited and learn all about the New year!
-infant
Sensory celebration shaker- With this activity, your infant can explore and enjoy their own new years sensory shakers. For this activity, you will need clear plastic cups, tape, glitter, beads, confetti, glue, and pipe cleaners. Combine all of your supplies in one of the plastic cups. make multiple cups filled with various supplies mixed with either water, glue, or both. Tape the other cup to the cup filled with the supplies. Carefully glue the pipe cleaners around the cup. Your infant can have fun exploring each shaker, and seeing what colors, mixtures and noises they make.
-toddler
Firework painting- Toddlers can create their very own fun firework paintings in this activity. All you will need, is multiple cardboard tube rolls, paint and construction paper. Carefully cut each cardboard tube at the bottom, making strips that are still attached in a flower design. Have the children then dip their tubes in various colored paint, and instruct them to press and twirl the painted bottoms onto their construction paper. This should give them the firework designs! Your toddler can have fun pressing each tube into the paint and making their own firework painting creation. This activity not only helps in creative expression, but it also helps build hand-eye coordination as well as develop small motor skills.
-preschool
Confetti and sequin star collage- This is a great scissor and glue activity that lets children make their own star collage using sequins and confetti. Starting off, you will need multi colored construction paper, sequins, scissors, and glue. Start by using a sheet of black construction paper for your main base. Let the children fold a couple of sheets of construction paper in halves, then safely cut them into strips and bits; shaped like confetti. Ask the children about what colors they want to use for their stars. Next, guide them into gluing different designs on their black paper. Carefully lay out each piece of confetti paper, with sequins in the middle, until they have their star designs. Your children can strengthen their small motor skills as they cut, pinch and glue all the paper and sequins into their own creative design.
Firework in a jar experiment- In this festive science experiment, children will observe oil and water reactions, while creating their own fireworks in a jar! All you will need is a medium sized jar with a lid, warm water, food coloring, and cooking oil. Start by filling your jar about 3/4 full of the warm water. Next, on small plat or in your lid, pour 3 tablespoons of oil. With the same plate, let the children drop multiple drops of food coloring, in various colors. Next, pour the oil and food coloring mixture into the water. Ask the children questions about which colors they're using, and how many drops they have made. Have the children observe how the food coloring, water and oil react to each other. This experiment can help further develop your children's color and number recognition skills, as well as help them understand oil and water reactions as they make their own fireworks!
-school age
Countdown clock art- With this arts and craft activity, children can practice learning time, as they countdown for the new year. You will need, construction paper, a paper plate, a round head fastener, markers, stickers and other various craft items. Start by asking your children how they want to create their clocks. They can make the clock on a large sheet of card stock or construction paper, or they can make it using a paper plate. Once they have chose how they will design their clock, next have them decorate. Start by asking them if they can name all the numbers that are on the clock, and their order. Help them write out each of the numbers in a circle. In the middle of the circle, using a round head fastener, attach two cut out arrow "hands". Let the children then finish decorating their clocks any way they want. We suggest supplying them with glitter, sequins, confetti and other new year themed supplies. Practice telling time with their clocks. Ask them if they can point out what time the new year begins, and how to count down the last minute.
New Year goals poppers- In this activity, children will reflect and write their new years goals, and fill them in their own party poppers. You will need, balloons, confetti, construction paper, markers, scissors, and cardboard tubes. Let the children decide how they want to decorate their poppers. They can use the construction paper to draw their designs. Once they have finished, next have them cut strips of different colored paper, and write some of their new years goals. Help them in making a list of goals, and encourage them to think about the things they like, things they might want to learn, and so on. Have the children glue the top of the balloon opening to the bottom of the cardboard tube. Glue their decorated paper around the tube, covering the glued portion of the balloon. Fill the inside of the tube and balloon with the rolled up goals, confetti, and glitter. Once you have your countdown and celebrations, your children can then pop their own poppers with all of their goals!