Early Childhood Education: January 2009

A New Year is Upon Us

By Anne E. Neuberger

A new year is upon us, but this fact may be lost on preschoolers. After all, the natural season doesn’t change and winter may go on for a couple of more months. It is not the beginning of a school year. So other than seeing that there is a new number on the calendar, or that a new calendar is needed, it is not obvious to young children that there is any thing new about this time of year.

In fact, your class may be experiencing the winter doldrums. Here are some suggestions for helping children start anew:

Explain that it is a new year, and this new year should be started in a clean classroom. Preschoolers love to play at cleaning and it is a physical way to understand the symbolism of life anew. Give them cleaning supplies so they can wash dolls or toys, scrub tables and shelves, dust books, sweep the floor, etc. Depending on your time and situation, children can also help you take down any ‘old’ artwork or bulletin board displays and replace them with new ones.

If possible, bring in a bouquet of flowers after the cleaning is finished.

When everything is clean and fresh, have a talk about other ways to start a new year. Discuss what it means to have a clean and new heart. If necessary, help children understand you are not referring to their physical hearts, but mean experiencing new feelings and trying new actions. Suggest three ways they can ‘start clean and new’, such as telling someone you are sorry, saying a new prayer the child composes, making a new friend, helping someone who needs help, looking at a book never ‘read’ before, etc. 

Have a simple chart ready: divide a large piece of paper into three equal parts. In each part, draw a symbol for each of the ways your class will be ‘starting clean and new’, such as two stick people holding hands, for ‘making a new friend.’

Each time you meet for the next few days or during the month, look at the chart together and ask if anyone has done one of the ‘starting fresh and new’ activities.. Let them put a ‘new heart’ sticker on the chart for what they have done. 

This ‘new, clean heart’ activity will be a logical lead-in to loving each other for Valentine’s Day in February!  

You will need:

• Cleaning supplies:
•  Squirt bottles (with water only)
•  Sponges or damp cloths
•  Dusting cloths
•  Child –sized broom

Doll or toy cleaning supplies:

•  Small basin and water
•  Wash cloths
•  Towels
•  Dolls and toys that can get wet

Chart:

•  Large piece of paper
•  Marker
•  Ruler
•  Heart-shaped stickers

Optional:

•  Fresh flowers and a vase of water
•  If redoing bulletin boards, have what you want to put up ready for hanging.

 Anne E. Neuberger, www.anneneuberger.com