New Year Celebration! 1st week of January

This is a short week, so there won't be a bunch of activities. We still need to have some fun, learn something, and celebrate the New Year!

MATH

Counting Down to the New Year (or anything else you like!)

This is a great opportunity to learn how to count backwards! Perhaps you could count down to lunch or snack time! Use a visual of some printable numbers or fridge magnets and help them count down to various activities throughout the day!


Confetti Sorting

Cut out circles in various sizes and colors and put them in a bag or bowl. Prepare a few bowls with one of the types of confetti stuck to the outside of each one. Or (for sorting by color) provide bowls matching the colors of the confetti.  For the first round, ask them to sort by color. After counting down to 1, toss them into the air and hoop and hollar with happiness! Make it really fun and exciting! Once the confetti has settled, have the children collect the confetti. Ask them to sort their pieces into the appropriate bowl. Once they have completed this, you can start over again and this time have them sort by size. This is a little tougher and will need more direction.




MUSIC/GROSS MOTOR

New Year's Parade!

Give the kids some children's instruments or the hand made kind. Some examples would be moraccas, jingle bells, tambourines, kazoos, etc. Have a parade around the room making as much noise (music) as they can! Play some festive music while you do this.

ART

Firework Pictures

Materials Needed:
Construction Paper
Glue (not stick, liquid)
Tempera Paint (powder)
Glitter
Shaker Can with Large Holes


Create firework-like formations on the paper with the glue. Allow the children to sprinkle the tempera paint with glitter onto the paper. Shake off the excess and allow to dry.


-OR-

Materials Needed:

Construction Paper

Tempera Paint
Glitter
Drinking Straws


Put the tempera paint in several bowls. Poke the straw into the paint, hold straw over the paper and blow through the straw. Repeat as many times as needed. Sprinkle glitter over the paper and allow excess to fall off. Hang to dry.



READING

P. Bear's New Years Party! By Paul Owen Lewis
Available on Amazon!  http://www.amazon.com/P-Bears-New-Years-Party/dp/1883672996

A really fun book which will teach counting and the hours on the clock!