At first glance, the New Year is a magical holiday in itself, especially for a child. There is the decoration of the Christmas tree, lanterns flickering in the dark, waiting for Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, and gifts that miraculously appear in the morning.
But if you repeat the same scenario every year - decorate the Christmas tree, eat some goodies, clink your glasses to the chimes, go to bed, wake up and unwrap gifts, the holiday will eventually lose its magic. And it becomes a boring routine for both adults and children.
But there are several easy-to-implement ideas that your child will love and will add a pinch of magic to the New Year.
Meeting point
New Year is traditionally celebrated with family and close friends. The most practical place for a holiday would be an apartment or your own home. It’s easy to create comfort at home and feel in a familiar, pleasant environment.
The main thing to consider here is the number of guests who will attend the celebration. For a small company, a standard apartment is suitable, but the advantages of a private house are obvious. There is enough space in your home for children's games, competitions, and dancing.
A great option for a New Year's holiday with children is a walk and fun on the street. The kids love playing in the snow, sledding, and enjoy admiring the city Christmas tree. Then it’s time to have a delicious dinner, exchange gifts and send the children to bed. You can save the gift for the morning to keep the intrigue.
A good option is New Year's Eve in a cafe or restaurant, here you can relax and take a break from the everyday hustle and bustle. But this option is not suitable for companies with small children; the child will soon want to sleep and begin to be capricious. In addition, you should choose a restaurant in advance; tables are booked long before the holiday. It’s worth thinking in advance about the establishment’s pricing policy and the dishes on the New Year’s table. The cost of New Year's dinner sometimes goes through the roof.
DIY New Year's toys
What's a New Year's holiday without decorations?
Introduce a new family tradition - making Christmas tree decorations with your own hands. The whole family should definitely be involved in this New Year's event.
DIY “Blue Horse” craft for the New Year
A soft toy “Blue Horse” (or another character you like) will be a wonderful surprise for friends and family. Before starting family creativity, distribute roles according to the principle of “who can handle what.”
For example, it could be like this:
- Dad cuts out a cardboard template;
- the child, with the help of the elders, traces the workpiece with chalk on white calico, the older child cuts out the pattern;
- the mother sews the parts, the children stuff the product with cotton wool (sintepon);
- everyone paints the craft together according to a pre-agreed pattern (to avoid misunderstandings).
If you don't have blue fabric, you can try dyeing what you have. Choose special paints for fabric or use regular gouache mixed with a drop of PVA glue for better fixation. It will be great if you add vanillin, coffee or other aromatic substance on hand to the paint. This will give your product a unique fragrance.
Glue black beads (buttons) in place of the eyes, and decorate the tail and mane with colored rhinestones. Don't forget to attach a loop of bright braid so that the product can be hung on the Christmas tree.
If desired, a flat fabric toy for the Christmas tree is made in a similar way. The pattern is made from felt or thick fabric; The parts are carefully sewn together on the front side. Finally, bright beads and rhinestone buttons are glued onto the model, as a child’s instincts dictate.
Craft “Snowman” from salt dough
Colorful snowmen made from salt dough look amazing.
The dough recipe is simple: a glass of salt, the same amount of flour, half a glass of water. Knead the dough, adding flour, until the dough stops sticking to your hands.
Your kids will be happy to make balloons. Assemble them into snowmen, attaching the parts to each other with water. Dry the products at room temperature or in the oven for 1.5 hours at 50°C. Color the finished figures together with the children and coat them with varnish to give them shine (you can use ordinary hairspray). The only thing left to do is decorate: make a cap and a scarf from bright corrugated paper or fabric and attach it to the snowmen.
DIY Christmas tree craft
The New Year tree is a symbol of celebration, and even a little one can design it. Do you know how to make a Christmas tree out of paper with your own hands? It's not difficult at all. Initially, roll the cardboard into a cone according to the height of the intended tree. Next, cut 1.5 x 1.5 cm squares from green crepe paper. Have your helpers twist the pieces into uneven needle-like tubes and glue them to the cone, starting from the top. Decorate the forest beauty with beads, rhinestones, bows, at the discretion of your merry fellows.
Please note that a variety of Christmas trees can be made using a cardboard cone. Show your imagination and ingenuity to create your own unique beauty.
New Year's table
Sometimes it’s not easy to seat children at the table, and traditional Olivier is unlikely to please the little one. Take care of preparing your baby’s favorite dishes, show your imagination, children love everything bright and unusual. Even a banal salad, decorated in the shape of a turtle or ladybug, will interest the baby.
Fruit slices look good, palm trees can be made from bananas and tangerines, and hedgehogs can be made from grapes. You just need a little desire and ingenuity. You can make canapés from sliced fruits, and jelly desserts will fly away in no time.
If parents do not have free time for culinary delights, it is worth buying cookies in the shape of snowflakes, Christmas tree decorations, and candies of unusual shapes in the store.
To decorate the table, take a colored tablecloth, napkins with New Year's symbols, and fir branches, cones and sparkles will not hurt.
Just don’t neglect safety precautions, especially if a group of toddlers gathers at the New Year’s table.
New Year 2022 competitions for children
Mandarin. For this relay you will need wooden spoons and tangerines. You need to place saucers on the floor. At the very beginning of the journey, the participant takes a spoon with his mouth and carries a tangerine in it to his destination. The participant's hands must be tied. Whose team wins gets a prize.
COMPETITIONS:
- Cap. Children are divided into pairs. A cap is placed in front of each participant. He must put it on his partner using a stick. Just don't take sticks with sharp tips.
- Snowball. For the competition you will need confetti, plastic cups, tape and deep bowls. A plastic cup with popcorn or confetti is attached to each participant’s feet. He must walk a certain distance and not spill the contents of the cups.
- Snowballs. This is an active competition in which all children participate. To do this, you need to make snowballs from cotton wool or white paper in advance. You must dump them on the floor. Each participant is given a bucket; whoever collects the most cakes in a minute wins.
- Vikings. A moving competition for which you need to make a helmet and a sword from long elongated modeling balls. Each participant wears such a helmet on his head. The point of the fun is to knock this helmet off your partner’s head with a homemade ball sword.
Christmas tree in the spotlight
What New Year would be without a festive tree? Every little one knows that you need to dance around the tree, and in the morning you will find a gift under the tree. The main thing is that the tree is decorated and glowing with lights.
You can diversify the annual decoration of the New Year's symbol with a game for children. Leave the lower tier of the tree undecorated and make a separate competition out of decorating this festive tree. For example, you can invite guests to prepare homemade toys in advance and bring them to the party.
A great idea is to organize a master class for kids on making paper crafts and give the little ones the opportunity to place their toy on the Christmas tree.
Incorporating Christmas tree decoration into the scenario is quite simple. Santa Claus and Snow Maiden may, for example, not have time to decorate the Christmas tree and ask the kids for help, and the evil wizard wants to deliberately ruin the holiday, so he removed the toys from it.
Interior decoration
If you are organizing a children's New Year at a play center, you can skip this point. Almost all establishments of this type themselves decorate the premises with the best thematic decorative elements. However, in this case you need to book a suitable day and time in advance.
If the holiday is planned in the assembly hall of a kindergarten, think about how you can complement the interior, which is often quite boring. Make sure that the room has the required number of small chairs and tables for holding a master class and tasting treats.
The main rule: baby, it’s not the details that matter, but the overall impression. Children won’t even notice the sunflowers on the wallpaper, which would hurt the eyes of an adult on this day, if there is a huge Christmas tree in the hall, interesting decorations and a cheerful animator. However, for successful photos, it’s worth thinking carefully about how to create a full-fledged New Year’s interior and veil unnecessary elements.
Winter background. Use white and blue satin fabrics to cover interior attributes that do not fit into the New Year's theme. It would be nice to choose curtains in “winter” colors. Plan how you can darken your windows when the Christmas lights come on. If there is upholstered furniture in the room, cover it with snow-white blankets. Make banners depicting New Year's cartoon characters or simply fabulous winter landscapes.
Christmas tree. This is the main accent of the festive hall. The Christmas tree (or pine) should be fluffy and of impressive size! If it is not possible to install a real tree, use an artificial one. Children will not at all appreciate a fragrant meter-long Christmas tree with very sparse branching. But a huge, lush and green one, even if it’s not real, will give a real surge of positive emotions. Plan a place of honor for the New Year's beauty in the center of the hall, because around her children will dance in circles, dance and play outdoor games.
Snowman. Order a whole family of snowmen from a balloon agency and place them somewhere against the wall. Such a decoration is relevant (what would New Year be without snowmen), will not take a lot of money, and will look very impressive. In addition, children will probably want to take pictures with them.
Deer. If space and financial capabilities allow, rent a New Year's reindeer sleigh. These can be frame figures tightly wrapped with electric lights. The look of this decoration is enchanting! Just don't forget about safety precautions. Tell the children that these are magical deer that bring joy and happiness to everyone in the whole universe, but these cute animals can lose their power if you touch them.
Balloons. Helium balloons will perfectly occupy air space. And if you tie them with silver ribbons of different sizes, you get the effect of magical rain. Use only classic mother-of-pearl balls and balls in the form of snowflakes and other New Year's symbols. Don't mix different styles, it can look quite awkward.
Fairy lights. The more Christmas lights, the better. You know that miracles happen at night. So, provide such illumination so that when the windows are darkened and the central light is turned off, all the kids will feel the incredible power of a wonderful New Year.
New Year decoration. An abundance of rain and tinsel will make the interior rich and rich in winter. Just don’t use a wide color palette, limit yourself to two or three colors so that it doesn’t dazzle your eyes. Cut out a large number of snowflakes from thin white paper and place them everywhere, even on the floor.
The holiday is in full swing, New Year's entertainment
It is worth considering in advance how the New Year's party will take place, whether there will be a host or whether you will have to cope on your own. Animators will make it much easier for parents to celebrate the New Year.
Professional actors will prepare scripts, easily interest and look after the kids. Animators do not necessarily have to be dressed in New Year's costumes. Children will enjoy spending time in the company of cartoon and fairy-tale characters.
The choice of games and entertainment depends on the age of the participants. An interactive journey is suitable for children from 1 to 5 years old. At this age, children's play activity is very high; the children will be happy to imagine themselves as heroes of a fairy tale and will help look for Santa Claus.
Children from 5 to 8 years old will be interested in showing their leadership qualities, participating in contests and competitions, and feeling like their favorite super hero.
Children over 8 years old can participate in intellectual games and complete a New Year's quest. Completing the quest will not leave either children or adults indifferent. The competition will give the children an opportunity to show their ingenuity and erudition.
For this age group, dancing, dance competitions, and battles will be great entertainment.
Approximate New Year's scenario, leading in the role of Baba Yaga
“Hello children, I came to you from a neighboring fairy tale, my beloved Koschey disappeared, I came to you to look for him. The dragon took him and asked me several riddles that I must guess. But I can’t do it without your help.” You can choose riddles for children of a certain age.
After receiving answers, Baba Yaga gives out gifts, some little things. It could be candy or fruit.
«Whoever draws my portrait best will receive a treasure chest».
This is a box of chocolate coins. For this competition, children are given a piece of paper and a thick brush. At the same time, the children are blindfolded. Whoever does it better will receive the treasure. After this you can have a dance.
Show program
There are holiday agencies that will help you celebrate the New Year on a grand scale, take care of all the hassle, and organize an unforgettable show program:
- magicians. They will entertain and delight children of all ages and give them a sense of wonder. It’s great if the magician’s program includes active communication and interaction with children;
- soap bubbles show. Even one-year-old babies look fascinated at the bursting balloons. Older children can participate, blow up their own soap balloons and even get inside a giant bubble;
- New Year's fireworks. Children will be happy to watch such a spectacular, bright show.
If you decide to launch fireworks yourself, follow safety rules and read the instructions carefully. Under no circumstances should children be allowed to launch them; children should be kept at a safe distance from pyrotechnics.
Developing a script
A regular New Year's feast is an absolutely unacceptable option if you have children with you. The New Year's Eve scenario should be developed taking into account the age of the youngest family members, so that everyone has fun.
How to celebrate the New Year with very young children? If you have a child under 3 years old, you should not plan an entertainment program for him at a late time and organize an event that is too noisy. A sudden disruption of the usual daily routine will not benefit the baby; he will quickly get tired and become capricious. For the little ones, it is better to organize a New Year's program before 9 pm. Include:
- meeting Santa Claus (father or grandfather would be quite suitable for this role),
- giving gifts,
- dancing,
- baby's favorite games,
- watching cartoons.
You can continue the celebration in the format of an adult party after the baby goes to bed.
Kindergarten children are looking forward to New Year's Eve. For little dreamers it is filled with fabulous magic. Don't disappoint them!
How can you celebrate the coming New Year at home with children 4-7 years old in an unforgettably fun way?
- An excellent option for celebrating is a theatrical performance with the participation of Father Frost, the Snow Maiden and other fairy-tale characters.
- Be sure to include a small family concert in the evening program, during which their adult children will perform New Year’s poems, songs, dances, as well as competitions that children love very much.
- Let the children not go to bed on time this holiday evening. Once a year, you can allow your child to do this whenever he wishes.
For schoolchildren, who, as a rule, feel like quite adults at heart, ask them to develop a holiday scenario themselves. Rest assured, they can handle it. Teenagers always have plenty of creative ideas! Perhaps you will be invited to take part in a pirate party, a party of cartoon monsters, or a Venetian carnival. Everyone will have fun, including adult family members, because you always want to plunge into childhood at least for a while.
Choosing gifts
Older children decide on a gift long before the New Year and formalize their wish in a letter. For toddlers who do not yet know how to write, gifts are chosen by parents and relatives. Each child has different needs and tastes, and the desired toys also differ, but there are common preferences.
Children from one year old love large, bright, musical toys. Developmental mats with mirrors, buttons, and rolling horses are suitable for kids. You can give useful things, walkers, clothes, or just a teether.
Children from one to three years old will be delighted with bath toys, children's mills, and crayons that can be used to draw in water. A win-win option - cars for boys and dolls for girls; the child will always be happy to add to the collection. Educational toys and materials for creativity are also good.
Children over three years old will love pretend play toys. The girl will be delighted with the doll, which needs to be looked after like a child. The boys will be delighted to wear a pirate or knight costume and a parking lot with cars.
For children over six years old, give them board games, art kits, and a radio-controlled car.
A child at any age will be happy if he receives a sweet gift, candy and treats.
Riddles for children 10-12 years old at the table
This game is called "I Believe It or Not" . It is necessary to refute or confirm the judgment.
- If you put a flounder on a chessboard, it will become a square (yes);
- In Australia they use disposable school boards (no);
- In Africa they sell vitamin pencils for children who like to chew on stationery (yes);
- For the winter, penguins fly north (no, they cannot fly);
- A rat is an adult mouse (no, they are different rodents);
- Some frogs can fly (yes, in the forests of Asia and Africa);
- There is more growth in the morning than in the evening (yes);
- Bats receive radio signals (no);
- Duremar sold frogs (no, leeches);
- Eskimos eat dried capelin instead of bread (yes).
How to give a gift?
Buying a gift is half the battle; a lot depends on how the child receives it. It’s trivial to give it to older children, but little ones are waiting for magic and fairy tales; you shouldn’t deprive children of faith in miracles.
If you buy several small gifts and hide them throughout the house, your little one will rejoice at every find. You can make a treasure map and mark the gifts with crosses. Or write a hint on each gift to find the next surprise.
For children under 5 years old, another game is suitable - wrap gifts in shiny paper and tie them with ribbon or tinsel. The baby will follow the thread and gradually find gifts.
It is also worth taking care of traces of Santa Claus. Using flour and big shoes, make the footprints that grandpa left at night. Girls will be interested in receiving a gift from the Fairy. Ask your neighbor to ring the doorbell, and while your little one runs to open it, hide the gift under the tree. Explain to your child that a Fairy flew in through the open door and left a gift.
If possible, invite Santa Claus to your home. Just make sure that the grown-up child does not guess the neighbor or grandfather in the fairy-tale character, otherwise all the magic will be lost. It will be interesting to receive a postcard with wishes or a video with a personalized greeting from Santa Claus.
Gifts from Santa Claus
During competitions and games, give all participants small delicious gifts: chocolate eggs with a surprise, original lollipops, sweets in creative wrappers, tangerines decorated with a bright ribbon, chocolate dragees... Invite the kids not to unwrap such gifts, but to put them in a festive bag , and at the end of the “party” see who collected the most. Minor prizes also include stickers, small figurines of cartoon characters, cars and dolls.
As for the main gifts that Santa Claus will give to the children closer to the end of the celebration, they should all be the same. As an option: tickets to the circus, certificates for visiting a children's play center, soft toys in the form of a symbol of the coming year, pillows with funny images, cups, art kits, paints, pencils, construction sets.
Be sure to wrap the gifts in beautiful wrapping paper and tie with a wide ribbon. If you choose the ticket option, pack them in boxes or colorful envelopes.
Author: Victoria Sirotenko
Celebration costumes
Dress up your child in a New Year's costume; it is advisable for the baby to choose who he wants to become. Give free rein to your imagination and creativity. In kindergarten they don’t always allow you to choose a costume for a matinee; you have a chance to please your baby at home. The most extraordinary and extravagant costumes will do.
The costume of Lady Bug and Darth Vader, Batman and a cowboy, Malvina or a witch would also be appropriate here. It all depends on the child’s imagination and the wishes of the parents. A New Year's costume will improve your mood and fill the holiday with colors.
New Year's games, fairy tales, children's poems, songs, riddles for children
Nursery rhymes for a morning party in kindergarten
Bunny. The owner abandoned the bunny - The bunny was left in the rain. I couldn’t get off the bench, I was completely wet.
Bear.
They dropped the bear on the floor and tore off the bear's paw. I won’t leave him anyway - Because he’s good.
Truck.
No, it was in vain that we decided to take the cat for a ride in the car: the cat was not used to rides. He overturned the truck.
Airplane.
We’ll build the plane ourselves, Let’s fly over the forests. Let's fly over the forests, and then we'll return to mom.
Theme parties
Do you want an unforgettable New Year, are you tired of banal stories, are you ready to get creative? Then theme parties are for you. You don’t have to spend the holiday with a Christmas tree and Santa Claus, celebrate in a different style:
- Venice Carnival . A masquerade ball is the perfect way to celebrate the New Year. Both adults and children will enjoy this holiday. Parents will be able to put on masks and pretend to be someone else, play a role. A wide variety of costumes are suitable, the main condition is to cover your face with a mask, this will add mystery to the evening. Decorate the celebration hall with serpentine, garlands, and colored ribbons. There should be a lot of light, lampshades, sparkles and mirrors, create an atmosphere of solemnity. You can choose any dishes to suit your taste, just don’t forget to decorate them elegantly;
- Chinese New Year. Nobody loves New Year as much as the Chinese; they celebrate the holiday several times. First, the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire celebrate in the Gregorian style - on the night of January 1, then - in the Eastern style. Decorating a room for Chinese New Year is not difficult - red paper lanterns, bells, and fans will do. Hang up the pictures of hieroglyphs and take out the tea set. It is worth paying attention to the symbol of the coming year, the zodiac animal of a certain color. The preferred clothing options are silk dresses, wraparound robes, and kimonos. It won’t be difficult to choose a Chinese menu for a holiday - sushi, rolls, rice, the main rule is that everything should be portioned;
- Pirate New Year. Boys will like this idea; men will also appreciate the efforts. You can pamper the kids with seafood, fried meat, and a variety of cocktails with exotic names.
To decorate the hall, you can string sails from black oilcloth and paint Jolly Roger with white paint.
An old chest, various kinds of string, and telescopes will fit perfectly into the atmosphere. Posters with pirates from famous films will decorate the walls. As for clothing, vests, sweatshirts, bandanas, and skirts made of black tulle will fit well into the atmosphere. Toy pistols, binoculars, belts with a metal plaque, black marks will complement the image of a pirate.
New Year, first of all, is a family holiday, a reason to be with your loved ones and have fun. Do not spare time and attention for your family, children grow up very quickly, and the memory of bright moments remains forever.
Organizing a good holiday is not difficult; you just need to prepare a little, think through the main points of the event, and then improvise. The child will definitely appreciate your efforts and will receive a lot of positive emotions.
Venice Carnival
Masquerade is a win-win scenario for any New Year's holiday. Venice is a sophisticated and romantic city that gives love to everyone who enters it. Let's go in too! After all, carnival is always about masks and a mystery, it is an opportunity to pretend to be someone else and become a “caliph” even for an hour.
Decor
A sea of confetti, garlands of colored ribbons, streamers, bouquets of flowers, possibly artificial ones, mirrors and masks. Lamps and floor lamps with fabric lampshades, crystal chandeliers, feathers and sparkles. The lighting is bright, there are many candles in candlesticks.
Dress code
What to wear to the Venice Carnival? The Masquerade happily welcomes all the characters, so the choice before you is huge. Princes and princesses, robbers and fortune tellers, pirates and gypsies, harlequins, astrologers, wizards, knights, courtiers and jesters - you and your children can be anyone. The only condition is a mask! A mask is an indispensable attribute of the carnival. There is plenty of room for your irrepressible imagination to run wild. You can buy a mask, or you can make it yourself. You can decorate a mask for a masquerade with fabric appliqués, feathers, fur, sparkles, sequins, beads, embroidery, braid and lace. Masks can be given as gifts and given away as prizes.
Treat
Venetian cuisine is distinguished by a variety of dishes made from rice, vegetables, fish and meat, richly seasoned with aromatic oriental spices. Make rice risotto with seafood, ham or green peas, bake fish, and for dessert cold milk cream with fruit.
Entertainment
Fortune teller
Dress up as a fortune teller and, looking at each palm, think of what good, bright and joyful things will happen to its owner this year. If your friends don't have children yet, write male and female names on pieces of paper and let them draw them out. The name will indicate the gender of the unborn child.
Chocolate heart
Venetians love to give each other sweets, especially chocolate. Give each other chocolate hearts, but you will have to make them yourself. And the only available tool is teeth. Give everyone a piece of chocolate and announce a competition for the smoothest and most beautiful heart, gnawed out in 1 minute. If you don't give your kids chocolate yet, you can use thin waffles or cookies for the competition.
Pantomime
Divide into two teams and play pantomime. Make wordless riddles for the opposing team and score points between bursts of laughter.
Magician's performance
Ask one of your guests to put on a magic show. You can also buy a magician's kit and prepare a performance for your children. I'm sure it will be a great surprise.
Little decorator
If you allow a young artist to create with his eyes open, you will get a new game that is useful for the child’s development.
at5.ru
Cut out blanks from felt. Let your little one decorate his own Christmas tree! Sew Velcro to the additional parts, then the homemade manual can be used many times.
www.pinterest.com
It's the same story with the snowman. Cut out the silhouette from felt and let your child attach the pieces themselves.
Rudolph the Reindeer
www.happinesshomemade.net
Everyone knows that Grandfather Frost has a faithful assistant - Rudolph the reindeer. Try on his horns and play a fun game. From a group of merry fellows, choose someone who will become a deer for a while - he must wear antlered props. The other players must take turns throwing soft colored rings. The "deer" can bend down to catch a flying ring. This entertainment is also suitable for team competition.
TIP: It is best to sew the horns on a frame so that they are rigid. This way, catching rings will be easier and more convenient. The rings should be soft and light so as not to injure the “deer”.
Hungry Snowman
ezhikezhik.ru
What to feed the Snowman? Of course with snowballs. The more accurately players aim, the faster the Snowman will get enough. It is best to cut the base from a sheet of plywood or fiberboard, but a quick and budget option is thick cardboard. Snowballs should be soft and not too heavy so as not to damage the furniture and glass in the house.
www.pinterest.com
For the little ones, the game can be interpreted a little differently. It is important not to hit the hole from a distance, but to throw the balls at the colors.
www.pinterest.com
You can decorate a Christmas tree using the same principle. This entertainment is useful for kids: it helps to consolidate their knowledge of colors.
