Give a Christmas tree a novel role. Remove the Christmas decorations and retain the tree's lights. Tell the children that New Year's Day represents not only a new calendar year, but also ideas for new dreams and goals. Provide colored construction paper, markers and glitter glue. Let the children draw and cut out a picture of a dream for the new year. Ask the children to share their dreams and decorate the tree.
Discuss New Year's resolutions with the children and provide age-appropriate examples of resolutions. An example of a child's resolution is, "I will finish my work before I go to an activity center." Ask the children to provide examples of resolutions. Permit the children to decorate and cut out a picture of a party hat. The children glue their hats to a large piece of construction paper and write their resolutions under the party hat. Sing "Out With the Old, In With the New" to the tune of "Skip to My Lou" with the children.
"Out With the Old, In With the New"
"Out with the old and in with the new,
Out with the old and in with the new,
Out with the old and in with the new,
New Year's Day is here.
Break bad habits and learn good ones,
Break bad habits and learn good ones,
Break bad habits and learn good ones,
New Year's Day is here."
Share a children's story about New Year's Day. Talk about how New Year's Day provides new opportunities to learn and to try new things. Represent the holiday as an imaginary gift box to be opened. Each child determines the contents of the box by the choices he makes during the new calendar year. Provide examples of new experiences, such as learning to ride a bike and trying a new vegetable. Ask the children to talk about what they will place in their imaginary gift box.
Brightly colored party hats encourage kindergartners to match upper- and lowercase letters. Print, cut out and laminate party hats and pom-poms. The hats feature uppercase letters and blank pom-poms on top. The pom-poms contain corresponding lowercase letters. Ask the children to select a pom-pom with the lowercase letter that matches the uppercase letter printed on the hat. Demonstrate how to clip the selected pom-pom to the top of the party hat with a clothespin.