The New Year is a perfect time to bring fresh energy and creativity into the classroom. It’s an opportunity to set new goals, reflect on achievements, and engage students with activities that inspire them for the months ahead. Here are some fun and educational ideas to help your classroom start the year on a positive note.
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1.New Year’s Resolutions Board
Encourage students to reflect on the past year and set achievable goals for the new one. Create a Resolutions Board where they can write their academic or personal goals. This activity promotes self-reflection and helps students feel a sense of purpose.
Balloon New Year Goals: This balloon activity has 4 opportunity to write your New Years Resolutions. 1. How I can be a good friend to others this year. 2. Goals to work on at school. 3. Some adjectives to describe myself this year. 4. Something that I will not so this year.
New Years Resolution Goal Writing: Starting a new year is the perfect way to write some goals for the new year. In the classroom it can be personal goals, academic goals or anything related to school.
2.Time Capsule Project
Have students create a classroom time capsule. They could include notes about their current favorite hobbies, books, or what they hope to achieve by the end of the year. Open the time capsule in December to see how much has changed!
New Years Time Capsule: Fill out the information and place time capsule. Students can open it in a year from now and see how much of their goals they completed.
3.Gratitude Jar
Start a Gratitude Jar for the classroom. Each day, a student can add a note about something they’re grateful for. This can help foster a positive and thankful environment throughout the year.
Before your students start writing things they are grateful for, read them this book about thankfulness and gratitude.
The Gratitude Jar Print out this Gratitude jar printable and place around a mason jar. Children can write on strips of paper what they are grateful for and open ones day for the remainder of the year.
4.Classroom Vision Boards
A vision board can be a creative way for students to illustrate their aspirations. Provide magazines, markers, and other supplies for them to design a board filled with images and words that reflect their goals and dreams. This is a great way to start kids young on understanding the power of their thoughts and visions for what they want their life to be.
Student Vision Board: You can make a classroom vision board for the whole class or each student can make on themselves, depending on the grade. They can leave in their desk or or hang int eh room so they can see if they’ve met their visions. They can put things like academic goals, friendship goals, sports goals, money goals and family goals.
Here is a video of how to make a vision board with kids.
5.Discussing Traditions
Use the New Year as a teachable moment to discuss how different cultures celebrate the holiday. You can incorporate geography, history, and storytelling as students share and learn about traditions from around the world.
By incorporating these engaging activities, you can create a welcoming and motivational classroom atmosphere. Starting the New Year with intention and creativity sets the tone for a fulfilling and successful academic period. Try these ideas and watch your classroom excitement soar!
Here are some more ideas for New Years
I'm 40 years old and a mom of 2 three year olds and a first grader. I am also a Special education teacher. My passion has always been to help people, which is why I started this blog.