Happy New Year, my Co-Teacher! As we get ready to head back into the classroom, here are some fun New Year activities for students you can do with your upper elementary students.
1. Learn about the Different New Year Traditions
2. Share New Year Read Alouds
One of my personal favorite ways to tie in any holiday is by sharing picture books with students. It is engaging and an effective way to expose them to different topics. It’s also a great way to show them how different cultures celebrate New Years and what traditions are passed down.
3. Share New Year Traditions
4. Research Times Square Ball Drop Tradition
5. Countdown Party in Classroom
6. New Year Activities for Students: Resolutions and Plans
7. Themed Book Tasting Event
A book tasting experience exposes them to different genres helping them find books they might be interested in. This is a great way to get students motivated to begin their reading journey for the new year.
Materials:
- a selection of books
- forms for students to record in
- genre tags
- a few items to set the stage
Setting up your Book Bites:
- Set up a different genre at each station or group of desks. Placing a sign or tag.
- Place a pile of books related to the genre in the middle or in a basket (make sure to have a few more books than students so that everyone gets to choose and isn’t ‘stuck’ with a book).
- Give each student a recording sheet to write down the title of their book and a sentence or two about it.
- After a few minutes, have the students rotate to the next station. Continue moving them on until they have had a chance to visit each of the genres you have set up.
8. Story Map New Year Party Hat
A story map activity is a great follow up activity after students have chosen a book through the book tasting activity. It is also a great stand alone activity.
Materials Needed:
- books
- story map
Several Activity Options:
- Read a book together and work on the story map together as a class
- Assign a book to pairs of students and have them complete a story map together
- Allow students to choose a book of their own and complete their own story map
9. New Year Idioms
Students naturally love learning about idioms. They love to explore the figurative and literally meanings. Reviewing idioms is really important especially when you have students whose first language is not English.
Implementing:
- Introduce students to New Year themed idioms.
- Have them write the figurative meaning of the idiom.
- Have students write the idiom in a sentence.
- Lastly, have them draw a picture.
- Have the students turn their work into a string holiday lights or a booklet.
10. New Year Vocabulary
Introducing students to relevant and timely vocabulary words helps them master the words. Introduce students to words related to the New Year.
Implementing:
- Give students the meaning of these new words and discuss them.
- Then, show them how to search for synonyms and antonyms using a dictionary or online resources.
- Next, help them identify when to use the words by creating brainstorming webs.
- Finally, have them create sentences and illustrations related to the words.
- Once students are finished, have them share their sentences and illustrations with a partner.
- Assess their understanding with a quick quiz.
These words can be taught one per day or as a vocabulary boot camp on a single day.
New Year Activities for Students: Wrapping Up
With these New Year activities for students, you can foster excitement, build community, and encourage new learning goals for the year ahead.
