2023 New Year’s Activities for Preschoolers
The weather is awful and you’re tired, but you want to celebrate New Year. Check out the New Year’s activities for preschoolers.
It’s New Year’s Eve. The last thing you want to do is let your children stay up until midnight.
What can you do that is fun and festive, but simple?
Check out this list of New Year’s Activities for Preschoolers.
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Five New Year’s Activities for Preschoolers
There are five simple New Year’s activities you can do with your preschooler today:
- Printable New Years Dot Sheets
- Easy Noise Makers
- Watch Pete the Cat’s New Year
- Celebrate Noon Year’s Eve
- Write New Year’s Resolutions
Printable New Years Activities for Preschoolers
Printable dot sheets are a fantastic New Year’s activity for preschoolers. They work with toddlers and older children, too!
New Year’s dot printables are perfect because they are:
- Simple
- Festive
- Build handwriting skills
This simple printable is just the thing you need at this time of year – and it’s updated for 2023.
It’s free for email subscribers. You’re welcome to unsubscribe at any time. However, you’ll enjoy the sales, tips, and freebies so much, you’ll probably want to stick around!
Dot Printables Build Handwriting Skills
How dot printables build handwriting skills varies on the supplies you use.
Dot Markers
Your children develop hand strength when they use dot markers to fill the circles.
It also helps with the hand-eye coordination children need to write their letters on lines or in small spaces
Dot Stickers
When children pull a dot sticker off a sheet, they have to isolate their thumb and first finger. Strengthening those fingers helps when your child has to hold a pencil.
Pom Poms and Paint
I like to give my children small pom poms and paint. They use the pom pom to paint the dots on the printables.
Like dot stickers, children have to use their thumb and first finger and this builds a good pencil grip.
Easy Noisemakers
This activity is great with preschoolers and older children. You just need to grab an empty toilet paper, wrapping paper, or paper towel roll to make an easy noisemaker!
You probably already have the rest of the supplies:
- muffin or cupcake liners (wrapping paper works too)
- dried beans or rice
- painters tape
- dot stickers (optional)
Steps:
- I helped my children cover one end of the toilet paper tube with a muffin liner. I held it in place while they taped.
- Add about a tablespoon of rice or beans.
- Repeat with a muffin liner and tape on the other end.
- Decorate with dot stickers!
These easy noisemakers will be a great way to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your children. And the best part is they aren’t too loud or annoying!
Celebrate Noon Year’s Eve
We stumbled across a great idea in the Highlights High Five magazine: Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Noon with children.
Call it Noon Year’s and now it’s an official holiday. Your children get the benefit of the celebration and you get to keep the regular bedtime so you can enjoy the evening in relative peace and quiet!
Of course, you need some easy decor so make a simple Noon Year’s Eve banner.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Write in bubble letters or type the letters in an outline font as I did.
- Set out some art supplies
- Tape it up as a fun banner.
I set my children up with pom poms and q-tips to paint. I love painting with q-tips because children have to use the tripod grasp like they will use when they hold a pencil.
Watch Pete the Cat & the Groovy New Year
We love the show Pete the Cat and the Groovy New Year. It teaches children about New Year’s Resolutions in an easy-to-understand way.
Pete is really confused about what a New Year’s Resolution is.
One of his friends wants to learn more bike tricks and another one wants to collect more acorns. Pete’s dad wants to finally fix the van, while his mom wants to complete a scrapbook.
Fortunately, Pete’s mom explains that a New Year’s Resolution is just a goal for the coming year. She also explains it’s meant to be fun – something we want to do or learn.
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Write New Year’s Resolutions with Children
You can teach your preschooler how to set a New Year’s Resolution. Grab the free printable in the post below.
Once you have the printable, here’s what to do:
- Print out the New Year’s Resolutions for Children printables – one for you and one for your child.
- Model for your child how to complete it on your printable.
- Look at the second page for suggestions for your child.
- Help your child state their goal in a positive way for things to do (not bad habits to break).
- Focus more on goals. So instead of stop leaving out my toys, maybe your child can pick 10 toys before screen time.
Conclusion
These are a few easy and fun New Year’s activities for preschoolers. Many of them work with older children as well.
So grab a free printable, plan your activities, a ring in the New Year.
