Happy New Year! I don’t know where the year has gone but we’re going to celebrate the new one! To help you celebrate with your class and ease back into the routine, here is a list of my favorite New Year’s activities to do in the classroom!
Fun New Year’s Activities to Do in Your Classroom
1. Learn About the History of New Years Celebrations
article here is the infographic on Pinterest.
This video clip from timessquarenyc.org gives a historical look at how celebrations have evolved in Times Square. Did you know the first New Year’s Eve bash was held in 1904 to commemorate the official opening of the new headquarters of The New York Times?Singing Auld Lang Syne And Other New Year’s Customs
This old Scottish song was first published
by the poet Robert Burns in 1796. Sung on
New Years Eve after the stoke of midnight, Auld Lang Syne is said to be the most popular song that nobody knows the words to!
The History of New Year’s Celebrations for Kids
Teach your students the history of New Year’s celebrations in three fun minilessons with real historical photos. Easily get back on track the first week after winter break with a 5-day lesson plan for students to learn the history, set new learning goals, and define and write resolutions. This high-engagement New Year’s resolution unit comes with both printable and digital resources on Google Slides.
Extend the learning into your literacy block with the leveled reading passages, comprehension questions, and print and digital quiz.
2. Learn New Year’s Traditions Around the World
3. Write New Year’s Resolutions
January is the perfect time to refresh and reteach routines and procedures as well as to write resolutions and set new learning goals! This New Year’s resolution writing craft includes graphic organizers for students to list their goals then turn them into resolutions. bulletin board display title lettering is also included to make an easy January hallway display!
3. Record Resolutions From A Character’s Point Of View
If Book Characters Made New Year’s Resolutions
Here’s another fun idea to add to your New Year’s activities. Have your students think like their favorite book character and make New Year’s resolutions with the ChatterPix app! It’s super easy to use your iPad to animate a picture with a little talking mouth! This higher order thinking activity by Jen Jones from Hello Literacy is both fun and timely for students to put themselves in a characters’ shoes while teaching point of view. This post includes a quick tutorial and a list of several books with strong characters to help you get started!
4. Make A Happiness Jar
These Happiness/Gratitude Jars from Mommypotamus are ideal for the classroom! Use a large plastic jar, you know the ones you find at Walmart filled with cheese puffs? That one, and keep a supply of note paper nearby. Students can write down moments that make them happy at home or at school and place them in the jar. Read a few each day, or at the end of the week before dismissal. You can also read them during brain breaks!
5. “Ring” in the New Year
Help your students ring in the new year by surprising them with these New Year’s ring pops on their desks! I always like to put a little something on each desk to welcome everybody back after an extended break. They’re a great lead in to any New Year’s activities you’ll be doing and it helps break the “Do I really have to be up this early after I’ve slept in for two weeks?” cycle!
Download the Free New Year’s Ring Pop printable.
These New Year’s activities are perfect for the classroom and will help get your students refocused after winter break!
Happy New Year friends!
Grab some New Year’s resolution ideas!
Need help making a smooth transition after winter break?
Click here for tips on getting back on track after a break and grab the FREEBIES while you’re there!
Get set for the 100th day of school! Click here for loads of ideas for 2nd and 3rd grade.
For more January teaching ideas check out these resources for teachers:
- Visit my collection of January Classroom Ideas on Pinterest.
- Shop Around the Kampfire teaching resources
- Be sure to follow us on Facebook for daily doses of teaching tips, lesson ideas, and free resources!
Are you a 2nd grade teacher? Join our Facebook group, Around the Second Grade Kampfire
Happy teaching!
I love the ring pop idea!! This is a great post on integrating fun activities for the New Year into the curriculum! Thank you for sharing. I put up a bunch of balloons on the ceiling held by butcher paper. We do a countdown for NOON o’clock and then have a dance party! My kids love it every year!
We celebrate Robert Burns every year here in Scotland. Our children in school learn his poems, sing, learn Scottish Dances, have haggis and shortbread (not the whisky of course!) You are correct in saying that many do not know Auld Lang Syne but I suggest you do a bit at a time and you will get there and will impress many!! (but, in Scotland we get a wee bit annoyed as many will pronounce Syne as Zyne…. so not a Z).
People come from around the world to be at the home of Hogmany. Edinburgh! They are packed into the streets below the Castle waiting for the Piper to start to play out the last seconds of the old year. It is counted down from 10 and then Mons Meg, the canon in the Castle, is fired as the New Year begins. Then fireworks display from the Castle. People celebrating at home sing Auld Lang Syne, most will shed a tear for sure as we hug and think of those not with us. With Covid this year, we opened our doors and shouted Happy New Year to all the neighbours, full joy and full of smiles at this time.
So, basically I’m saying, in a very long post, don’t be scared of Auld Lang Syne. Because as we teachers say, ‘practise makes perfect’.
And to all, a Guid New Year! Stay safe!
I LOVE the Happiness Jar! I think I am going to do that with my kiddos. We can read them on the last day of school. 🙂
You are AMAZING! Thank you for sharing your creativity with us. Love you BIG!
Thank you and you're welcome Maribel! I hope you've found something you can use that will save you some time. Happy New Year to you and yours!
The ring pop idea is adorable!!! Thank you for sharing all the great links and ideas 🙂