The best ideas on how to spend the New Year holidays 2021

We all want to spend the holidays in a special way. Have time to relax, switch from everyday worries to something pleasant and unusual, please your loved ones and give your children memories that will warm them for many years.

We have collected ideas that will help make your family vacation brighter. And at the same time, all ideas are useful for the development of children.

The plan is everything

To make your holidays fun and relaxed, you need to plan them correctly. This way you definitely won’t forget anything, and everything will go as well as possible.

The plan can be posted for public viewing. This not only promotes optimal organization, but also creates an atmosphere of anticipation. And if you find the energy and time to decorate it with drawings or use collage techniques, it will become one of the New Year’s decorations at home.

Important! No matter how much you want to make the most of your vacation, cramming it full of activities is a bad idea. We already have enough busy days.

Christmas tree

The main attribute of the New Year's holiday should be unrealistically beautiful. Therefore, they begin to decorate the Christmas tree in advance. Some families place the green beauty at the beginning of December, while others put it on the very eve of the holiday. This is everyone’s personal choice, just like whether to choose a real or artificial spruce.

However, there is one rule - try to decorate the tree together, making it a kind of family tradition. This way you will not only have a fun time, but also enjoy a family environment. On New Year's Eve, the atmosphere in the house between family members is usually unusually warm and pleasant. Don't miss this moment!

Family Theater

Choose a short story that your child likes and prepare a performance based on it. For the little ones, fairy tales by Vladimir Suteev or Sergei Kozlov (about the Hedgehog and the Little Bear) are suitable; for older children, you can take a real play or an excerpt from it. Together with your child, figure out how to designate the characters’ costumes, draw masks, learn words, and take care of conventional decorations. If you don't have enough actors, large soft toys can play some of the roles.

For staging Russian fairy tales with many characters (“Teremok”, “Turnip”, etc.), the puppet theater format is more suitable. We stretch a sheet between two chairs, find suitable toys at home, learn words - and off we go.

In addition to the puppet theater, there is a shadow theater. Or maybe you have a growing artist who will give a pop performance - with songs, a xylophone, a pipe or a drum solo? Or a circus performer ready to perform magic tricks and acrobatic tricks?

During the holidays, you can not only have time to rehearse everything, but also schedule a premiere. Invite your grandparents to visit - they will definitely be delighted and drown you in applause.

Photo session in the winter forest

A family outing into nature can be made more interesting and memorable if you turn it into a family photo shoot. Search the Internet in advance for ideas for beautiful frames and save them to your phone. Prepare New Year's caps, a ceramic mug into which you can pour hot tea from a thermos, and other attributes.

Kids will be happy to take their favorite toy into nature and photograph it themselves under the snow-covered pines, on a branch with pine cones, or on a stump, where the goblin sleeps until spring. Teenagers can take up landscape photography or collect material to edit a video at home about a family trip or the secrets of a winter forest. In any case, you are guaranteed fabulously beautiful shots.

Present

Children look forward to New Year's Eve not because they want to celebrate it, but because desired gifts await them. Remember that the child will be very upset if he cannot receive a present after midnight. This should be taken care of in advance.

A month or a little less before the holiday, try to talk with your child about what he dreams of. You may inadvertently find a suitable option in his answers. If nothing worked out or you missed the time, tell your child about a wonderful letter to Santa Claus, in which you can outline everything the child dreams of. It will definitely help you with choosing a gift.

If children aged 1-2 years do not really understand in honor of what holiday they are given another toy, then from three years old their perception works differently. Therefore, the older the children, the more diligently we prepare for the New Year’s celebration in terms of gifts.

We have compiled a list of sample gifts with which you can start thinking about a present for your child:

• skates or snowboard
• chocolate set;
• toy Santa Claus;
• carnival costume;
• technique;
• Christmas trip;
• quest and other options.

Board game evening

Board games are interesting not only for children; many adults also enjoy playing them. Invite friends and family with children and ask everyone to bring their favorite game. Even with a deck of ordinary playing cards, you can have an exciting and educational evening (we are by no means talking about playing for money, of course). Expensive games, such as “Monopoly”, “Alies”, “Activity”, “Imaginarium”, etc. can be rented. With such leisure time, the feast will turn out to be much less burdensome for health: being carried away by games, adults will lean less on alcohol and all sorts of goodies that are not healthy for the figure. And the children won’t have to be sent to another room to watch the TV.

Creative master class

Almost certainly among your friends and relatives or among the friends of your children and their parents there is someone who knows the technique of decoupage, scrapbooking, weaves beaded figures, makes origami, etc. Why not get together as a friendly group and learn from each other? The main thing is to choose a simple craft and prepare in advance the necessary materials for all participants.

In a group of girls you can hold a master class on stylish accessories. Various scarves (to practice tying them in a dozen different ways), straps, beads, brooches and other jewelry in large quantities will come in handy here. Or maybe you can invite a grandmother who will give a group of children a master class on baking her signature pies?

Don’t forget that the host of the master class can be not only an adult, but also a schoolchild. What if your son knows how to draw robots perfectly and teaches it to everyone else?

When the New Year is very soon...

Usually at this time - two or three days before the New Year's date - New Year's children's matinees are held in kindergartens and schools. Therefore, the first task of parents is to help their child prepare for them.

1. Carnival costumes have already been mentioned.
2. And at such matinees, children usually perform some kind of concert number (sing a song, recite a poem, dance a dance, etc.). Moms and dads should help their children with this. What if they forget the words or the dance move?
3. Of course, it will be great if one of the parents goes to the matinee with their child. After its completion, of course, it is necessary to say words of praise to the child like: “Oh, how wonderful you looked in the snowflake costume and how well you sang the song!” Parental praise will undoubtedly inspire the child and instill a New Year's mood in his soul.
4. Of course, these days you should take care of a New Year's gift for your child. It’s great if Santa Claus gives the gift. But for this he needs to be invited in advance.

5. If for some reason it is impossible to invite Santa Claus, you can use an innocent parental trick. For example, say that a bunny or a bear brought a gift from the forest, and while the baby was sleeping, he put it under the tree. And even depict hare or bear tracks in the snow so that the baby unconditionally believes in a real New Year's miracle.
6. And, of course, it is very advisable to have a special unobtrusive educational conversation with the child these days. For example, about what good he did last year and what bad. And - that next year he should do even more good things, and try not to do bad things at all. And don’t forget to say that mom and dad love the child very, very much.

Children's round dances around the Christmas tree

Mom and dad decided to arrange a New Year's Eve party for their child at home? Great solution! Although somewhat troublesome. To make your home party a success, you should follow a few simple rules.

1. Of course, there will be guests in the house - other children. Who exactly it will be, and in what quantity, must be decided in advance, a few days before the holiday. Moreover, mom and dad should decide after consulting with the child. After all, this is a holiday for him and for his sake.
2. Having consulted about everything and decided everything, it is necessary (again in advance) to invite guests to the holiday. It is clear that the parents of young guests should know about the invitation. So it's better to do it this way. The child invites guests and peers, and in the meantime the parents discuss all sorts of organizational issues with their mothers and fathers.
3. You also need to worry about treating guests arriving for the holiday ahead of time. Of course, in this case, the child will not help much, so the main responsibility for all sorts of holiday goodies will lie with the parents.
4. We should not forget about gifts for each arriving guest. They also need to be prepared in advance.
5. And also an entertainment program. Having treated themselves, the children will begin to get bored, but what kind of holiday is it when they are bored? This is where a pre-thought-out New Year's program comes in handy. What it should be is a separate question, and it will not be discussed within the scope of this article. Let's just say that without such a program, a children's New Year's party at home is unlikely to succeed.
6. Who should lead it? Of course, one of the adults. Parents organizing the holiday also need to take care of this in advance.
7. Should mothers or fathers of visiting children be present at a home party? It would be better, of course, if they were not there. After all, this is a children's holiday, not an adult one, and in the presence of adults, children will be embarrassed. Of course, one of the adults must be nearby so that something unexpected and dangerous does not happen. But one or two people are enough for this. All other mothers and fathers must bring their children to the holiday and pick them up at the appointed time. This is where their participation in the celebration is limited.

On what day is it better to celebrate such a holiday? At least not on December 31st. On this day, as they say, there is no time for children. But December 29-30 is the most suitable date.

What to do with your child on December 31?

December 31 is a “grown-up” day, the day of final preparations for the coming New Year’s Eve.
By this time the children had already celebrated their holidays. That’s how it is, but they are still nearby, and therefore parents have to solve an almost impossible task: not to inadvertently destroy the feeling of a holiday in the child’s soul and at the same time make sure that the children do not get in the way and do not interfere with making the final preparations for the meeting New Year's Eve "in an adult way." The best way out of this situation is to let the children watch cartoons or films on a New Year's theme. Of course, they won’t do this all day long, and therefore they will still need to be distracted from time to time, but still, this will at least partially solve the problem.

Older children can be asked to help prepare for the New Year. For example, mom in the kitchen.

Of course, children should go to bed at the right time. If parents manage to calm their children down (and they, of course, will be overexcited on such a day), then they can sit down at the adult New Year’s table. But here too there are some nuances. A holiday is a holiday, but the kids sleep literally in the next rooms, very close...

If the baby is not yet a year old...

How to celebrate the New Year in this case?
It is clear that in this case it is unlikely that you will be able to visit. As well as preparing a particularly luxurious New Year's table. The baby takes all the strength from the mother, so what kind of pickles are there? Moreover, the mother is most likely breastfeeding the child, and therefore must follow a diet. Therefore, it is best to sit in the company of your closest people at a modest table. Moreover, without much noise, so that the baby does not wake up and get scared. The point, after all, is not about lavish treats. A child is much more valuable than any holiday.

If the baby is 1-2 years old...

Here, in principle, the same thing. You should not invite any strangers into the house - the child may be frightened by their presence and noise. We sat for an hour or two at the New Year's table in close company, wished each other love and happiness, and that was enough.

If the child is 3-4 years old...

In this case, the baby can already help his parents prepare for the holiday as much as he can: decorate the Christmas tree, decorate the house, place dishes on the table... He can also read a New Year's fairy tale, watch a cartoon together, or build a snowman in the yard. But, of course, at the right time the child must go to bed.

As for older children, it is up to the parents to decide. There is nothing reprehensible if such a child celebrates the New Year with adults. A holiday is, first and foremost, a family holiday! Of course, there shouldn’t be any outrages or adult liberties at the table, and children don’t need to sit for a long time anyway.

This video will tell you more about how to celebrate the New Year with your child.

Large selection of cabinets

The New Year is a great reason to declutter and start life with a clean slate. Remember the Italian tradition of throwing away old furniture? You don’t have to go to such radical measures, but simply get rid of unnecessary clothes and toys. The main thing is to frame the event not as a dull cleaning task, but as an adventure. It is very possible that parents will find old things and objects with a fascinating history on the mezzanine. They are interesting to touch, examine and try on. And then come up with a new use for them or give them to someone.

Probably, the child, watching his parents get rid of unnecessary things, will also agree to sort through the contents of his lockers and give away clothes and toys that he has already outgrown.

Bake pies or cookies together

Yes, yes, dads and boys should definitely take part in this too. For this family cooking activity, don't choose anything complicated. The best option is a simple and quick-to-prepare shortcrust pastry.

Everyone will enjoy kneading it with their hands, and even more so, cutting out figures with special molds or even ordinary glasses. And the intoxicating aromas that will begin to float in the air just a few minutes after you put the baking sheet in the oven will definitely create a festive mood.

Homemade waffles will also be a hit, so if you have a waffle iron, you finally have a reason to get it out! While the baked goods are being prepared, set the festive table together, take the time to lay out a beautiful tablecloth, take out napkins and utensils that you rarely use. Believe me, such a joint vacation will last for a long time, if it will forever remain in the memory of the children.

What are we going to cook?

Think in advance about a holiday menu that will suit everyone. It is best if some of the food can be prepared on the eve of the celebration or ordered at a restaurant in the neighborhood. Rested and full of energy parents are much better than those collapsing from fatigue right at the festive table. What is important for children is not the amount of food and all sorts of expensive delicacies. Smoked meat and fish, sausage, caviar, heavy mayonnaise salads and cakes with butter cream are not very suitable for children's tables. Let your holiday food be a little unusual, beautiful, interesting and tasty. Of course, it is worth fulfilling special wishes. Don’t be embarrassed if your child sees homemade Margherita pizza as the New Year’s favorite dish. After all, the main thing is that food brings joy! It is not necessary to keep everything good sacred until the evening - a piece of cake cut off in the middle of the day at the child’s request will be magically delicious and will increase the anticipation of the holiday.

You shouldn’t take your children with you on the last day before the New Year to buy the remaining groceries. Everyone is in a hurry, nervous, fussing, so the child will quickly get tired, and the festive mood will be lost. The shops are always very crowded, there is crowds and queues everywhere, it is easy to catch an infection that will ruin the holiday not only for the sick person. The same applies to visiting older relatives, acquaintances and friends on the afternoon of December 31st. While adult uncles and aunts, grandfathers and grandmothers eat, drink and discuss their adult, absolutely uninteresting matters, the child is bored and languishing.

Fun starts in the fresh air

Modern children don't go out much, and often don't know how to play the usual yard games that their parents grew up with. The New Year holidays are a good time to bridge this gap. Children will be delighted if their parents show them how to play “I Know Five Names”, “Traffic Light”, “Colors”, etc.

Invite neighborhood children and your child's friends from kindergarten or school to gather in the yard with their parents. Conduct speed relay races: run a short distance in turn, jump or walk while holding a ball on your shoulder blade in front of you. Organize an accuracy competition: hit a bucket with a ball, throw snowballs at a target, or walk in single file.

If the weather permits, you can build a snowman and various animals from the snow - seals, squirrels, turtles and even crocodiles.

Active outdoor entertainment will help take your beloved children away from cartoons and computer games, at least for a short while. By the way, training gross motor skills directly affects the development of intelligence and learning skills.

Mysterious evening under the blanket

If you are already tired of running around and noisy gatherings, spend some time alone with your child. You can build a hut from chairs and blankets in the center of the room, put an LED candle in the center, and climb into this hut together or in the company of toys. Imagine that you are sitting by the fire and telling each other stories and fairy tales.

Ask your child what his favorite bear cub is afraid of and what he dreams about. Listen carefully and support, because, most likely, the child at this moment will talk about himself.

Leisure

Long winter holidays are an excellent opportunity to master ice slides in nearby parks, teach your child to skate or ski, or take first snowboarding lessons from an instructor.

You can go on a day trip to the thermal springs - swimming in hot mineral water and frosty air - something you can only experience in winter! There are several such sources not far from Yekaterinburg - in Turinsk, Tavda, Tyumen.

A walk with the whole family through the snowy forest on horseback or on a dog sled is fresh air and an unforgettable experience! In addition, many centers provide additional entertainment - trolls, giant football, and tea drinking in a tent with a real shaman.

Do not deny yourself and your children the joy of communicating with animals - in horse clubs and dog kennels there is an opportunity to take pictures, take part in the care, and listen to stories about the life of animals.

The end of the children's New Year's party

Any New Year's holiday ends when the gifts and prepared food run out. However, this is only a formed opinion of society.

You can officially end the holiday brightly. For example, fireworks, sparklers, a joint photo shoot. Try to choose a format that is age-appropriate for your children and will leave pleasant memories of the coming year.

A cool idea is to go on a trip, thereby ending the New Year holiday and having a pleasant start to the coming year.