More Happy New Year Activities

1-2-3 Come Do Some More New Year Activities With Me

Tonight will usher in a New Year. Before I get busy preparing for that, I wanted to blog about some New Year activities, for those of you who'll be in the mood tomorrow to plan a few lessons.

First up, is a New Year Place Value craftivity. It's a "growing" packet, as each year it will be updated with more dates. As always, I try to combine math with literacy whenever I can.

Even though my kiddos are just doing 3-digit numbers, they have no problem wrapping their brains around this larger number, with an added place value section.

They trace, write, cut and glue the numbers under the appropriate "doors" that flip up, to reveal the year.

As a math extension, for the last “window” they practice subtraction, by subtracting the year that they were born, from the New Year, to get their age.

Older students can do the writing prompt: “Three things that are different from the New Year, than the year when I was born…” and glue this paper on the back of their flip up.

This can simply be basic information, or involve technology, by sending them to the Internet, and have them find 3 specifics and compare them. i.e., “The president when I was born was Bill Clinton. The president now is Barack Obama.”

If you think your students will need more room, or you want to do this as a separate writing block or Daily 5 activity, I’ve also included 5 writing prompt worksheet options.
For more writing and comparison practice, there are 2 Venn diagrams in the packet as well.

If your kiddos are learning to tell time to the hour, this New Year emergent reader, is an interesting way for them to practice.

Students go from lunch time (noon) to midnight, as they trace and write words and times, draw hands on the clocks to show that time, and complete a few writing prompts, adding some illustrations.

There's a full-page template, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page one, to conserve ink and paper.

Finally, no matter what grade I taught, and there were many(!) my students really enjoyed doing a Venn diagram.

I love them because they are a quick, easy and fun way to introduce and practice, comparison and contrast, plus the graphic aspect is perfect for my visual learners. Students can do them independently, or pick a partner and complete one together.

There are 17 different Venn diagrams in the Happy New Year Writing Prompt packet, plus I changed the header on the “head” pattern Venns, so you can use them any time of the year.

They are especially appropriate for Back To School, as a getting to know you icebreaker. Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board too.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a "High Fives New Year Writing Prompt" craftivity" “High fives for me! I made these New Year resolutions and am trying to keep them.” Encourage students to think of five.

Afterwards, children pick a partner and take turns tracing each others hand and wrist on a bit of flesh-tone construction paper, then trim.

Drawing fingernails, a watchband and rings adds extra pizzazz. Have children write the New Year below the “knuckles”. I’ve included a clock pattern students can cut and glue to their wristband, drawing hands to show midnight.

The girls LOVED adding flat-backed jewels to their rings. You can get self-stick ones, or use mini glue dots. Glitter nail polish was another option and highlight.

new year crafts, new year activities, new year bulletin boards, Venn diagram templates, new year writing prompts Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by.