“Happy New Year!” Learning Day

You may not have noticed from my lengthy template and millions of goals for next year, but, uh…I’m kind of a planner.

I even have a planner template coming soon, but that’s another story. (Seriously, this is why I have a blog, to hand out free stuff I spend my time on…no use letting everyone reinvent the wheel.)

Gosh I’m off topic again, sorry.

Aaaanyway.

Since I’m a big goal-setter, I like sitting down and talking to my kids about their goals too. Only, they’re like four and three. So is it even worth talking about with them?

I think so!

Talking about setting goals, learning to create steps to accomplish things, celebrating even small successes, I think they are all GREAT things to talk to kids about! Even small ones!

Like this year, we got to talk about how Professor freaking rocks at potty training now. I wouldn’t even call it training anymore. He’s so totally got this. And it was on his goal list last year, so he gets to check it off as a win! Awesome!!

And yes, as a two year old, he had a New Year’s Resolution. It may or may not have been a Mom & Him goal. (cough, cough)

ANYWAY. Today we are doing a little bit of at home preschool because Red hates being on break from school and loves learning and who am I to deny him worksheets and reading and happiness? So here’s our curriculum for the day:

Coloring the New Year

I made a coloring page! The great thing is, they are really easy to make, and kids love even the simple ones. (Click HERE to download it.)

Nothing says “Happy New Year!” like knowing what year it’s gonna be. It’s numbers, it’s time, it’s coloring. They color and we talk about everything.

Honestly, most of kid learning is just talking to them and letting them absorb. Have I mentioned that I’m terrified of all the things they’ll absorb that I’ll have forgotten I said? It’s terrifying! And at the same time, I am so jealous of their spongey brains.

Setting Goals

You have to start with the coloring page because kids, but the setting goals part is my favorite.

We use this awesome worksheet from Uncommon Designs.

I used a tiny clip as an example so you can get the gist, but go to their website for the whole worksheet.

Love, love, love. It’s so simple. I would have totally overcomplicated this making it myself because that’s what I’m good at. I’ve used this a few years now and it’s so easy for kids to understand (even toddlers). Provides a great jumping off point for a discussion.

Making Noise Makers

I could link you to a million different versions of instructions. Noise makers are fairly simple: enclose something that will make shaky/rattly noises in something that won’t let things fall out! Bonus points if the holder of shaky things makes noise too! I.e. tin can, plastic cup, etc…

…wow, I’m good with the technical terms…

We’ll probably use a cup, some foil, and beans. Maybe I’ll just challenge them to make on from what we have! Give them all the options! I do have a box of paper cups, toilet paper rolls, coffee filters, and other such junky stuff for this exact purpose.

Get creative. Let your kids get creative.

And if you have time and the wherewithal for extra noise, do some rhythm practice. Sound things out and shake to the syllables. Twen-ty-eight-teen. Shake-shake-shake-shake.

And then make sure they put away the noise makers until New Year’s or you’ll go crazy.

Firework Painting

Again, a ton of ways to do this.

We actually won’t get to this today, but we’ve done it before and loved it. There are two ways we’ve done it, and both are fun:

Make fireworks out of glue on black construction paper, cover the glue in salt, and watercolor over the salt. Kids get to watch the colors spread and blend together and they love it! A tiny bit messy, but totally worth it in my opinion, and not the kind of mess that won’t come out of clothes. (Phew!)
Cut the end of a toilet paper roll so it’s frayed, dip in paint, and splat onto black construction paper. The frayed ends should spread out to make roundish, star-ish shapes–the perfect fireworks! Use washable paint to avoid the paint stains, and throw some glitter on the wet paint for some extra fun!

Anyway! Pretty simple day of activities but just keeping those coloring/writing/crafting/shaking/painting skills going. All very useful skills, obviously. And all the while, we just TALK TALK TALK about what the New Year is, what it means, and all the great things we’re going to do in the next one.

Hope you all have a Happy New Year!!