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

I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas break.  For those of you who might be in the mood to do a bit of lesson planning, for those first few days back from vacation, I thought I'd blog about some of the quick, easy and fun New Year activities that I just finished.

First up is a "Happy New Year" countdown slider.  It's a "glitter ball"  craftivity to practice counting backwards.  I've included countdown strips from 10-0, as well as 20-0.

Children trim, trace the numbers, and insert into the slits of their countdown ball. 
For that finishing touch, add a bit of silver glitter for extra pizzazz.

To practice, we start from a sitting position. My kiddos are holding their slider and counting backwards with me, as we pull the numbers through the "window" of their glitter balls.

As we approach zero, they get in a crouching position.  As we say "zero!" they jump in the air and yell "Happy New Year!" 

Jumping around gets the wiggles out, then counting backwards in a whisper voice calms them right back down. Afterwards, they love "tip-toeing on marshmallow feet" to their cubbies, to put their ball away for another time. 

Next up is a Happy New Year balloon writing prompt craft.  It's  a “Growing” packet, as there are no worries of it ever being outdated, for I’ve included patterns through 2020, which I'll up-date each year.

I’ve found that if I toss in a quick, easy and fun craftivity, with my students’ writing prompts, they are eager and excited to get down to the business of writing.

This writing prompt rings in the new, while reflecting on the old:
* ”My favorite thing that I learned, my favorite thing that I did, and my favorite place that I went . . .” is the front of the balloon, and reflects the past.

The back balloon, contemplates the present and future:
* ”Something that I’d like to learn, something I’d like to do, somewhere I’d like to go . . .”

You can give students an option of which one they want to do, or assign both, completing them during two different writing blocks, then glue them back-to-back. 

An added bonus is that completed projects make an awesome display.  Simply run off on a variety of colors of construction paper, add some Dollar Store curling ribbon and suspend from the ceiling. 

Finally, this sports-themed writing prompt, Having a Ball With Our Goals For The New Year, also makes an awesome January bulletin board or hallway display.

We discuss New Year's resolutions, then I use it as a segue into making some goals for school too.

Students write a list of goals on a sheet of scratch paper, edit, then write them on either a volleyball, football, baseball, basketball or soccer ball, which you've run off on appropriate colors of construction paper.

After students share several of their goals with the class, scatter them on a bulletin board.

I've included a colorful "We're Having A Ball With Our Goals For The New Year!" poster, which you can put in the center of your display. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of Happy New Year number puzzles, which will also help your kiddos practice counting backwards.

Well that's it for today. 

I'm busy working on all sorts of fun Snowman, Mitten and Snowflake activities, as I  look forward to all of the special winter celebrations. 

Wishing you a creative and cozy day. 

"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy." -William Blake

30 Days Hath September, April, Jume and November!

If you’re looking for something that will help your students learn the months of the year, you’re certain to enjoy From September to August: An Easy Reader Story Poem.

This 12-page booklet will help reinforce the Common Core State Standards: RF.K1a, RF.K1c, RF.K2a, RF.K3c, L.K2a, L.K2b

Helped by picture clues, children read the story which includes 58 sight words (Many from the Dolch word list.)

Students trace the month word and then write it. They also color, cut and glue the matching numbered pictures to the page.

In order to cover the above standards, have students circle the beginning capital letter as well as identify and circle the ending punctuation.

When everyone has completed their booklet, read it aloud as a whole group, so you can cover concepts of print, as well as review aspects of rhyme.

Whenever I'm reading a rhyming story, I ask students what other words rhyme with those words, to make sure they understand.

I’ve also included an additional writing-discussion prompt + a certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/download the booklet From September to August

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others will find helpful.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering it will be happier.” –Alfred Lord Tennyson

Happy New Year!

New Year Fractured Tales, are a delightful way to review parts of speech: nouns, verbs and adjectives.

Students roll dice to see which word they will use to fill in the blanks from the word bank list.

They can work independently or with a partner.

After children have filled in all of the blanks, students draw a before and after illustration.

Have students read their story to another person, or exchange it with their partner.

New Year Fractured Tales, makes a nice Daily 5 "Word Work" activity.

As another writing extension, challenge students to make up their own Fractured Tale using the same format.

Click on the link to view/download New Year's Fractured Tales.

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think may be helpful to others.

"We will open the book, it's pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." -Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Scroll down for another New Year's article and more New Year lesson ideas.