Welcoming a New Year
LESSON 11
Children learn about the celebration of a new year, engage in creative crafts symbolizing the occasion, and discover the concept of setting goals through a story.
Optional Books:
The book, “Around the Year,” by Elsa Beskow
The book, “The Stars Will Still Shine,” by Cynthia Rylant.
The book, “Maybe You Might,” by Imogen Foxell.
Natural Confetti Poppers:
Toilet Paper Roll
Balloons
Paint or paper to decorate outside.
Sustainable or reusable confetti (e.g., hole-punched leaves, paper, pom-poms, small felt balls)
Party Hats:
Paper
Hat pattern
Supplies of choice to decorate hat (tinfoil, paint, shiny material, crayons, markers)
String or stretchy band for chin strap.
During New Year's celebrations, many people choose to wear shiny or reflective clothes and patterns. This symbolizes looking back on the past year and welcoming the new one with resolutions inspired by their reflections.
Materials
Gather materials
Preparations
Introduce the concept of celebrating the Earth's journey around the Sun and the beginning of a new year.
Introduce the story "The Stars Will Still Shine" by Cynthia Rylant to enhance the understanding of New Year's celebrations.
Guide children in crafting natural confetti poppers, party hats, and noise makers to reinforce fine motor skills and creativity.
Read the story "Maybe You Might" by Ann Cunha to teach children about perseverance and setting goals.
Assist children in writing or drawing their own simple New Year's resolutions.
Objectives for Teachers
Children choose sustainable materials for the confetti popper, promoting awareness of eco-friendly options.
Children are encouraged to decorate their crafts with markers, paint, or other materials, promoting self-expression and creativity.
Children explore the significance of wearing shiny or reflective clothing during New Year's celebrations.
Children learn about setting goals and resolutions through a story, "Maybe You Might" by Ann Cunha, promoting comprehension and critical thinking skills.
Children write or draw a simple New Year's resolution.
Objectives for Children
Collect and Connect
Create actions and practice saying the poem together.
Welcome, New Year
Welcome the New Year,
Let the bells ring!
Lift up your voices,
Everyone sing!
The New Years beginning,
Start it off right.
Bid it good fortune,
And welcome tonight.
The old year is passing,
But there is none to mourn.
We are rejoicing,
The New Year is born!
Activity Flow
Start the lesson by chatting with your child about their recent birthday. Ask what they remember about it. Then, find out if they know why we celebrate birthdays. If you have "Around the Year" by Elsa Beskow, flip through the book together. Look at the pictures for each month and talk about the things happening in them. See if you can find each family member's birthday month in the story. If you don’t have this book, a calendar will work just as well.
Next, share about a special day that's a bit like a birthday but for the whole world. Imagine the Earth finishing one trip around the Sun, and when it's done, we celebrate the start of a brand-new year. It's a magical time when we say goodbye to the old year and welcome a fresh one full of exciting possibilities.
During New Year, people often set goals or resolutions, like making new friends, learning new things, or being kind. We might have a countdown to midnight, where everyone cheers and fireworks light up the sky. It's a time for happiness, reflection, and looking forward to all the adventures the new year will bring. Before starting the crafts, if you have the story "The Stars Will Still Shine," by Cynthia Rylant, now would be a great time to read it.
Choose what crafts you would like to create and begin making them.
Natural Confetti Poppers:
Choose sustainable or reusable materials for your confetti, such as hole-punched leaves, paper scraps, pom-poms, or small felt balls. Set aside a small pile of these materials to use for filling your popper.
Cut off the narrow, rounded end of the balloon. Ensure you have a stretchy, open-ended piece of the balloon remaining.
Stretch the open end of the balloon over one end of the toilet paper roll. Make sure it is snug and secure. This will be the bottom of your confetti popper.
Take your confetti and carefully fill the toilet paper roll through the open end covered by the balloon. Add as much confetti as you like, but leave some space at the top.
Carefully tie a knot or use tape to secure the open end of the balloon at the top of the toilet paper roll. Ensure it is tightly closed to keep the confetti inside.
Encourage creativity by allowing children to decorate their confetti poppers with markers, stickers, or other craft materials. This step adds a personal touch to their creations.
Hold the confetti popper firmly with one hand on the toilet paper roll and the other on the knotted/taped end of the balloon. Aim away from faces and fragile items, then pull back on the balloon end and release to watch the confetti burst out!
These natural confetti poppers are a fun and sustainable way for children to celebrate the new year! Cleanup is easy since the confetti is made from eco-friendly materials.
Party Hats:
Use a hat pattern to create a simple cone shape from paper. The size of the cone will depend on the head size of the wearer.
Roll the cut-out paper into a cone shape. Secure the edges with glue or tape to hold the cone in place.
Gather your chosen decoration supplies such as tinfoil, paint, shiny material, crayons, or markers. Let creativity flow as you adorn the hat with colors, and patterns of your choice.
If desired, attach a chin strap to the hat using a piece of elastic or string. Ensure it's comfortable and secure when worn.
Wear your handmade party hat on New Year’s Eve and celebrate in style!
During New Year's celebrations, many people choose to wear shiny or reflective clothes and patterns. This symbolizes looking back on the past year and welcoming the new one with resolutions inspired by their reflections.
4. After creating your new year’s crafts, ask your child if they know what a goal, or a resolution is. Allow them to answer, and then introduce today's story, “Maybe You Might,” by Ann Cunha. This book is about a little girl who lives in a very dry place. She wants to plant a seed she found, but they tell her that seeds don’t grow where she lives. That it will just die. But she decides to try anyway. Let’s read the story to see what it might teach us about setting goals and making resolutions.
5. After the story, discuss connections between the story and creating a goal or a resolution. Then take time to write or draw a simple new year’s resolution together.