1-2-3 Come Do Some New Year "Craftivity" Resolutions With Me!

When one thinks about the New Year, it’s inevitable that a few resolutions come to mind. This was a new word for my Y5’s, so I presented it as a "promise" to themselves, of what they’d like to improve on. 

For a quick, easy and fun writing prompt, have your kiddos choose a partner, and take turns tracing each other's hand on the New Year's template.  Once done, they fill in the details: "I made these resolutions and I'm trying to keep them..."

This simple January writng prompt makes an interesting Daily 5 activity too.  Have students include the year (written on their fingers) and glue their school picture somewhere on the page.

Be sure and make a sample to show your class.  My Y5's always enjoyed learning about me.  I added a bit more pizzazz by gluing on flat-backed rhinestones to my "rings."

After students share, mount their work on a variety of colors of construction paper and sprinkle over a wintry-printed bulletin board. (I buy discounted Christmas wrapping paper with snowflakes for this purpose.)

Click on the link to view/download the High Five's For A Happy New Year "craftivity."

For another New Year craftivity, I used Tagxedo, one of my favorite educational word art sites. Set this up as an independent computer center for students to think up their own designs and words.

The packet has a list of 68-positive "resolution" words + an ABC booklet for students to "improve" themselves "alphabetically".

Completed projects make a very interesting January bulletin board.  Click on the link for this great verb reinforcement tool and vocabulary builder.  New Year's Word Art Craftivities.

Another awesome bulletin board for January, features a  New Year's writing prompt as well.  Here, resolutions are viewed as goals.

Since basketball, soccer and football are all sports where players score goals, I thought it would be fun to have students write what their goals are for the New Year on the ball of their choice. I've included a poster that you can put in the center of your bulletin board as a caption. 

Besides the balls, there are also 2 writing prompt pages for journal writing, which includes one with a hockey theme.   Click on the link to grab the New Year Goals Packet. 

For another creative writing bulletin board and some parts of speech practice,  I know your kiddo's will enjoy playing the Fractured New Year writing prompt game.  Students take turns rolling the dice to fill in a word from the adjective, noun or verb list, which then creates a hilarious story. 

When everyone has completed the game, have students read their stories aloud, and enjoy all of the giggles, mount on construction paper, scatter on a few stars (suspend some from the ceiling) and you're done.  Click on the link for Fractured New Year fun. 

Finally, I’ve also designed a New Year's graphic organizer with some interesting writing prompts for students to complete. It also includes a box for their resolutions.

Children can draw a picture of themselves or glue a photo in the center oval.

That's it for today.  I have quite a few finishing touches that I need to accomplish before I can finally rest and relax.

It's time to get some hustle bustle going, so once again I'm dashing.  Wishing you a productive and fun day.

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, it will be happier." -Alfred Lord Tennyson