3 Ways to Ring in the New Year in Your Classroom

Happy New Year, friends! I love the fresh, new beginning of a new year in the classroom. Even though it’s not a new school year with students, they come back refreshed, excited, and ready to roll (for the most part at least!).

It’s the perfect time for you to take advantage of the clean plate with your students.  Decide what you want them to remember about the next few months that is beyond academics.

Compassion.

Kindness.

Fun.

Understanding.

Second chances.

Whatever it is, make it happen!

I always, always, always wanted my students to know that our classroom was a safe place filled with people who loved them! I wanted to share with you 3 fun activities to help build your classroom community as you help ring in the new year with your students.

1. Create a countdown paper chain.

Use this FREEBIE to make a chain of activities to do every hour in the classroom on your first day back as they count down to the end of their first day in school in 2023!

They can be anything from new brain breaks, reading with a flashlight, quick partner games, giving compliments to a new friend, or even spreading kindness by wishing a school helper a happy new year.

2. Pause and focus on personal goals.

Use this New Year Flip Up Book found HERE to have them write about how they want to grow during 2023.  Then they can then share them with friends in their classroom and encourage and celebrate meeting their goals altogether!

3. Create a time capsule.

Using a simple empty water or soda bottle, have them complete the sentence frames in this FREEBIE and place them in their bottle.

Next, add a note to the outside. Then either store them in the classroom for them reflect back on at the end of the school year OR pass them on to their teacher next year! They can open them in 2024 for a fun trip down memory lane!

Don’t forget to snag the FREEBIES linked above! I’d love to hear what special things you do to ring in the new year with your students!

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