A New Year feels like a fresh start—even for the littlest members of the family! The best New Year’s activities for preschoolers are about playful learning that nurtures and coincides with their early childhood education and development. Research consistently shows that play is a powerful driver of growth in early childhood education, helping children build both brains and confidence. Let’s take a look at some engaging and developmentally appropriate activities to help you and your little one ring in the new year, together.
Looking for a preschool or daycare that takes everyday moments and turns them into meaningful learning opportunities? Come see us here at Chester Child Development Center to see how we meet our students where they are at and make purposeful learning of play!
1) “I Can” Goals
Preschoolers can set goals for the new year, as well! Developmentally appropriate goals such as “I can zip my coat” or “I will try a new food” might sound like small beans to an adult, and a mountain to a small child. Write out these “micro-goals” and let the child decorate the paper. Practice their goals together and watch them grow! Offer lots of encouragement and talk with them about their goals and accomplishments. These “serve and return” exchanges don’t just build relationships, but according to the Harvard Center on Child Development, they help shape early brain architecture and language skills, as well.
Here at Chester Child Development Center, we are here to help your child pinpoint and crush their early childhood education goals! Call us today to schedule a tour to meet our teachers and learn more about our daily rhythms and curriculum.
2) Balloon Pop Countdown
This is a fun alternative to waiting up for midnight! Fill 6–10 balloons with simple paper prompts like: “Count to 10 in a silly voice,” “Hop 5 times,” “Name 3 colors,” or “Find a circle.” Pop one balloon at “noon” (or whenever works for your family), then 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock and so on, to create a kid-friendly countdown! You can countdown to bedtime to keep them included in the festivities without keeping them up. This works on key skills in early childhood education–math, gross motor, or whatever you want to include. The CDC highlights that preschoolers learn through play, movement, and social experiences with peers and caring adults.
Blending learning and play is essential whether your child attends day care, preschool or childcare or if they stay home with a parent or caregiver! It’s no exception here at Chester Child Development Center where we make a point of integrating multiple varieties of play into our learning, daily. Come for a visit to see learning in action!
3) Confetti Science
STEM experiences promote curiosity, critical thinking, and early scientific reasoning, all of which are important building blocks in early childhood education (source). Try this New Years themed STEM experiment that is both incredibly simple and engaging:
Punch confetti from paper with a hole punch (or with scissors), tossing the bits in the air to see how they fall to the ground. Experiment with the fan on or with different sizes and types of paper to see the difference it makes! Finish it all off with a loud “Happy New Years!” and a quick toss of the confetti just for fun! Bonus, homemade confetti is easy to vacuum!
Our teachers love bringing simple science experiments into their classrooms here at Chester Child Development Center. Schedule a tour and check out our weekly lesson plans to see how each age group implements STEM experiments into their daily learning.
4) Make a Kindness Chain
Cut paper strips and brainstorm with your child or preschool classroom to write one kind action on each one such as, “Help a friend,” “Share a toy,” “Say thank you,” and “Invite someone to play.” Link them into a chain and work together to add a new one each day. As you go about your days, challenge the children involved to practice spreading kindness, using the examples written on the chain to spark ideas.
Here at Chester Child Development Center kindness is a top priority. We encourage kindness between all students, teachers, and parents. We would love to share some of that kindness with you and your family; Call us today and schedule a tour!
5) Memory Jar: “Best Moments” Storytelling
At home, within a preschool or daycare classroom, or even amongst friends at a playdate; have your preschooler draw one happy moment from the past day/week and drop it into a jar. Do this through the month of January (or whenever, really) and read them all together, reflecting on the good times and stories they represent. Allow children to practice their storytelling skills here, which are great for building vocabulary, sequencing, communication skills and connection. Research has shown that storytelling can also help set children up for later reading and writing, as well!
We would love to be a part of some of your best moments! Call us up here at Chester Child Development Center and let’s chat about how we can partner with your family to set your little one up for a great year and a solid early childhood education!
Ready for a Fresh Start?
The new year is a wonderful opportunity to remember that big growth often comes from the smallest moments—stacking blocks, sharing a laugh, trying again, or proudly saying, “I did it!” When given time to play and explore, preschoolers will build skills that last past holiday festivities and well into the New Year.
Here at Chester Child Development Center, we nurture our students’ curiosity and wonder with engaging activities that support connection as well as early childhood education. We would love to have you come visit our school, meet our teachers and see how we help our little learners grow–not just for the new year, but for all the years to come. Call us today and let’s make this year your child’s best, together!