For the New Year, in addition to the Christmas tree and gifts, the holiday program must include original fun competitions and games for children.
From the ideas we offer, it is easy to create a scenario for celebrating at home in the family, in kindergarten or a matinee in elementary school.
We have selected a variety of games for you:
- movable (with and without objects),
- team,
- dance and music,
- drawing.
I'm still that actor
Each participant in turn receives a card with a certain phrase, which will need to be depicted so that others can guess what exactly the participant showed. Thus, the participant shows, the rest guess, then change to a new participant until everyone tries themselves in the role of an actor. Example phrases that cards may contain: - poor student at the board; - a crying child who wants to eat; - angry dog; — Santa Claus brought gifts; - dance of little ducks; - the street is slippery, and so on.
Find differences
At first glance, these pictures seem the same, but if you look closely, you can find differences
Find 5 differences
find 10 differences
Secret for Santa Claus
The guys are divided into teams of about 10 people. Each team stands in a row, one after the other. The first participants receive a sheet - a letter, the information of which must be conveyed to Santa Claus, for example, on December 31 in the evening, hares and squirrels, deer and wolves, children and adults are waiting for you at the Christmas tree! At the command “start”, the first participants convey the information as they memorized to the second participant in the ear, trying to do it quickly and not loudly, so that the opponents do not hear, and so on in the chain. The team that is faster than the rest and, most importantly, correctly conveys the information to Santa Claus (that is, the last participant must say the original text of the letter) will win.
How to prepare for the holiday
The New Year's party will go well if you prepare for it correctly. Proper organization of the holiday is already half the success. It is important for parents to be able to delegate authority: there is no need to write the script themselves, run to the shops after work and hastily decorate the apartment two hours before guests arrive. Involve children in the organization, they will happily plunge into the fun chores of preparing for the New Year.
In order not to miss anything, make yourself a cheat sheet of the important stages of organizing a New Year's party. Here is a list of basic steps to take before the holiday:
- Scenario. How to entertain children for the New Year? Of course, prepare an interesting competition program for them. Games should be selected taking into account the age of the participants (it would be a good idea to have several competitions in which adult guests can also take part). It is also worth finding active, calm, “table”, funny competitions for the New Year for children and alternating them. After an energetic dance competition, the children will want to relax and have a snack - just at the table you can hold a comic quiz or a calm game.
- Home decoration . You definitely need to involve children in this stage - both kids and teenagers will be happy to play the role of interior designers.
- New Year's atmosphere. Prepare a New Year's playlist, let your morning begin with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, “Jingle Bells” by Frank Sinatra or children's New Year's songs. Coniferous essential oil and tangerines will help fill your home with a pleasant aroma. In the evenings, you can organize a family movie show - probably in a year you have already forgotten what happened to Kevin McCallister on New Year's Eve and how Vanya Pukhov saved his Alyonushka.
- Christmas tree. Decorating the New Year tree is a wonderful family tradition in which both adults and children participate. In a house where there are children, it is better to use safe toys made of plastic or cardboard - glass decorations can break and injure the baby.
- Present. Well, what's a New Year without gifts! Both adults and children are waiting for them (if guests come to you on New Year's Eve, take care of small surprises for them too). Presents for family members are best wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper and placed under the Christmas tree. You can also invite Santa Claus, who will give gifts for a poem or song.
Choose your gift carefully. It is unlikely that a child will be happy with winter boots or a sweater. To make sure you don’t miss a surprise, ask your children to write a letter to Santa Claus in advance.
- Menu. If adults are happy to eat Olivier and “shuba”, then children most likely will not be happy with such dishes. It’s worth considering a children’s holiday menu so that little guests don’t go hungry.
- Outfit. Even if you're celebrating the New Year at home, you don't need to sit down at the table in a robe or sweatpants. Casual clothes will destroy all the holiday magic. Buy holiday outfits or fancy dress costumes in advance.
New Year competitions for family and guests, dancing, launching fireworks together or a night walk to the city Christmas tree - such activities are necessary if you don’t want the New Year to turn into lazy overeating while watching “The Blue Light”. Don’t expect someone to perform a miracle for you - become your own magicians for your children and give them (and yourself) some real holiday fun.
Savvy answer
The presenter asks questions that relate to New Year's characters and school subjects at the same time, and the children answer and the smarter and more interesting the answer, the better. For example: how is the Snowman related to geometry? (it consists of balls). How is Santa Claus related to geography? (he flies all over the world and delivers gifts to children at every point, so he must know geography to a solid 5). How is the Snow Maiden connected to the Russian language? (she signs birthday cards for children and must do it correctly). The more interesting the participant answers such questions, the greater his chances of becoming a winner.
Advent calendar for children, 9 recipes
If you make an advent calendar for children yourself, of course you should put something tasty in each bag, box or package. You can buy sweets and gifts for the Advent calendar in the store, for example, various candies, nuts, cookies, tangerines, or you can slowly (secretly from the kids) prepare them yourself. Here are some food ideas for an advent calendar for kids.
Candies made from nuts, dried fruits and dark chocolate
These handmade sweets can be made anywhere, you don’t need any special equipment. Store the candies in an airtight container for no longer than 10 days.
Candies made from nuts, dried fruits and dark chocolate for completing tasks for the Advent calendar for children, see the recipe here
Condensed milk sweets with nuts in caramel
Sweet condensed milk is one of the most perfect semi-finished products in the culinary world. You can eat it just like that. But it's better to cook something with it. For example, these candies with caramel nuts.
Condensed milk sweets with caramelized nuts for completing tasks for the event calendar for children, see the recipe here
Candies “Raspberries in Chocolate” from confectioner Ulyana Kuznetsova
Raspberries can be replaced with any other berries or fruits, taking into account the proportion of 1 part fruit puree and 1 part sugar. The brighter the fresh berry/fruit tastes, the brighter and clearer the marmalade will be. You should not take fresh pineapple and fresh kiwi for experiments, since the enzyme contained in these fruits destroys the stabilizing properties of pectin.
“Raspberries in Chocolate” candies for completing tasks for the advent calendar for children, see the recipe here
Quince marmalade
Quince marmalade is a favorite European delicacy. In Spain, hot marmalade was poured into large wooden carved molds, in Italy - into small ceramic ones. And in England, marmalade is cut into cubes and served with buns and slices of sharp cheese.
Quince marmalade for completing tasks for the advent calendar for children, see the recipe here
Raspberry marmalade, can be frozen
When you make marmalade, check the berry juice for “stability”. To do this, remove the saucer for 30 minutes. in the freezer. The boiled juice is ready for gelling if a drop of it does not spread on a cold plate. Store marmalade in cardboard boxes at room temperature.
Raspberry marmalade for completing tasks for the advent calendar for children, see the recipe here
Blackcurrant marshmallows on agar-agar
Airy, tender and deliciously delicious - all these words cannot fully express the emotions when you try the first piece of homemade blackcurrant marshmallows. It seems that making marshmallows is very difficult, but you only need to decide once, and then you won’t be able to stop yourself - experiments with different flavors will last a long time.
Blackcurrant marshmallows for completing tasks for the advent calendar for children, recipe here
Homemade plum marshmallows on gelatin
Homemade marshmallows, which are also unusual - plum, can become a favorite sweet for tea for the whole family. And if you package it beautifully, then such marshmallows turn into a welcome gift
Homemade plum marshmallows for completing tasks for the advent calendar for children, recipe here
Lemon Crescent Cookies with Glaze
The spectacular appearance and fairly simple execution of baked goods or desserts are especially relevant on the eve of the holidays, when time is short, and you really want to please and surprise your loved ones.
Lemon Crescent Cookies with glaze for completing tasks for the advent calendar for children, recipe here
What is he like, this Santa Claus?
Elimination game. All participants stand in a circle. And, starting with any one (which will be considered the first after), the guys say one word of praise for Santa Claus. So, what is he like, our Santa Claus? Kind, magical, cheerful, beautiful, wise, sincere, generous, strong, good, bearded, mysterious, unusual and so on. Let the children show their imagination and tell everyone how they see the good wizard. And whoever doesn’t name is out. And the few guys who stay in the game until the end will receive the title of winner and prizes.
Outdoor games-competitions
Snowy Egrets
Children stand by the Christmas tree and walk to slow New Year's music, as important as herons. After the melody stops, everyone freezes on one leg.
The one who stays in this position the longest wins.
We are artists
Those who wish take out pre-prepared cards with comic tasks. They need to depict in motion:
- Santa Claus, who is carrying a Christmas tree,
- Snow Maiden dancing by the Christmas tree,
- a fox looking for mice under the snow,
- man skating
- person skiing
- a child singing a song to Santa Claus,
- a sparrow who is very cold,
- a cat walking through deep snow, etc.
Game option. Children show movements, and everyone must guess what they are showing.
Magic staff
Father Frost and the Snow Maiden (or snowman) hold Father Frost's staff horizontally. The players' task is to pass under it without touching anything. The difficulty is that the staff gradually lowers.
You can make a “train” out of the players, which moves to the music. After each “flight” the bar becomes lower.
The winner is the one who can walk as low as possible without touching the staff.
Snowstorm
Props: a light felt boot or mitten, or a plastic bucket, or a broom.
Children stand in a circle. One child holds a mitten (felt boot/broom/bucket). The circle should be quite large, because Santa Claus (Snow Maiden/snowman/Baba Yaga...) will run around the outer circle.
The children are told that a snowstorm has arrived. He is so strong that he carried away Father Frost’s felt boots (Snow Maiden’s mitten/Baba Yaga’s broom/snowman’s bucket).
To the music, the children pass the object to each other in a circle, and the fairy-tale hero tries to catch up with it. If he catches up, then the child who has the object in his hands drops out of the game or must complete some task. For example, shout: “New Year is coming soon!”
Snowstorm (variant of "Buran")
Props: New Year's item - toy, pine cone, mitten, snowball.
Children pass each other a New Year's toy in a circle to the music. The melody stops and the item cannot be transmitted further.
Whoever happens to have a toy either leaves the circle or performs an easy task: jump, spin, sit down...
Melting ice floes
Several chairs are placed in a circle, one less than the number of players. These are “ice floes”.
Music is playing and everyone is walking in a circle. Stop music - children sit on chairs. Those who do not get a place leave.
Then the “ice floes” gradually “melt”, and each time there is one less chair.
The one who stays on the last “ice floe” wins.
Game option. The chairs are placed not in a circle, but in 2 rows - opposite each other. When the music stops, the players run to the opposite row of ice floes. And every time there are fewer and fewer of them. The participant who sits on the last chair becomes the winner.
Hide in the house
Children stand in pairs, holding hands - these are “houses”. The rest of the children run around to the music. There are more of them per person than “houses”. As soon as the music ends, everyone runs to hide “in the warmth.”
Whoever doesn’t get the “house” is eliminated.
“Dress warmly” – a game for two participants
Props:
- 2 chairs,
- 2 sets of clothes - jacket, hat, scarf, mittens, felt boots (or boots).
The players stand near the chairs and begin to move to the music around the chairs on which the clothes are lying. After the music stops, you need to put everything on yourself as quickly as possible.
The first one to dress correctly wins.
Complication: the jacket and hat can be turned inside out.
Collect snowballs
Props:
- artificial snowballs,
- baskets according to the number of players.
Baskets are placed along the edges of the room, and snowballs are poured into the center. On command you need to collect them. The one with the most snowballs in the basket wins.
Complication: snowballs can be collected blindfolded.
“Funny Snowdrifts” - an outdoor game
Santa Claus says that he made a lot of snowdrifts in the forest: both large and small. The children must show what he tells them what the snowdrifts are like: big ones - hands up, small ones - hands down.
Santa Claus speaks and acts together with the children. The difficulty is that sometimes he confuses them: he says one thing and does another.
“Snowman Charging” - a game for attention
The snowman names simple movements and performs them together with the children: hands up, hands down, brought up, stood up, hands to the sides, hands forward...
Children must carefully follow what the Snowman SAYS, because sometimes he confuses them: he does not do what he says.
“Forbidden Movement” – a variant of the game “Charging”
Children follow the Snow Maiden and repeat all movements except FORBIDDEN. Before starting, the Snow Maiden asks you to remember the forbidden gesture. For example, you cannot raise one hand up. Two are possible, but one is not. Children can get confused in such games and they are more suitable for small schoolchildren.
They begin to perform movements to the music, and as soon as the forbidden is shown, the children shout: “Forbidden! You can’t,” and they throw their hands down.
Game options.
The Snow Maiden (or Snowman) shows 2-3 movements, names their numbers and asks you to remember:
- “one” - raised their hands up,
- “two” - lowered down,
- “three” - bend your arms.
Or:
- “one” - sat down,
- “two” – stood up.
The Snow Maiden names the movements and repeats them with the children. But at some point, calling the number, it shows something completely different.
What makes these final four games funny is the confusion that arises.
Sweet tooth
Props: candy.
Children love sweets! That's why everyone loves this competition.
There are sweets on the table. As soon as the music starts, children begin to pick them up. Whoever manages to collect the most candies before the end of the melody wins.
Option 1.
You can put candies not only in your hands, but anywhere: in your pockets, in your bosom...
Option 2.
It will be even more fun if you collect balloons with short strings from the floor!
Don't laugh on a snowy night
Props: signs with images of animals.
Signs are handed out to the children. When Santa Claus says the word “day,” the children begin to move, depicting the animals that are depicted on each of the signs they received. As soon as “night” sounds, everyone freezes in different poses. Santa Claus comments on the poses of the animals. The task of Santa Claus is to make at least one person who drops out laugh.
“Prize for Five” - competition for endurance
Props:
- chair,
- small prize (candy, tangerine, ball...)
Several children participate (3-4 people are enough). Their task is to be the first to grab the prize when they hear the number FIVE. And Santa Claus can count like this: one, two, three, four, ten, seven, six, two, FIVE!
Whoever figures out when to grab the prize first will get it.
For inspiration, watch a video with cool ideas for outdoor games that will help entertain little guests.
Winter mysteries
She comes all in white, She covers all the trees and houses with snow, It’s called... (Winter)
We made a snowball, put a hat on it, attached a nose and in an instant it turned out... (Snowman)
As soon as there is a breath of winter, they are always with you. Two sisters will keep you warm, their names are... (Mittens)
It will cover the entire earth with a light white blanket. He will ice everything and decorate the Christmas tree. What's her name? (Winter)
She is whiter than all the others and much colder. After autumn comes dancing around the trees. Sometimes harsh, sometimes tender Snow reigns... (Winter)
I lived in the middle of the yard, where children play, but from the sun's rays I turned into a stream. (Snowman)
White flakes are flying, quietly falling, circling. Everything turned white. What covered the paths? (Snow)
It is fluffy and silvery, But don’t touch it with your hand: It will become a droplet of clean, As soon as you catch it in the palm of your hand. (Snow)
He is always busy with work, He cannot go in vain. He goes and paints white everything he sees on the way. (Snow)
Friends have waited for winter; They run along the river, sliding. The ice is cut like knives, performing turns. (Skates)
Two snub-nosed girlfriends did not leave each other behind. Both run through the snow, Both sing songs, Both ribbons in the snow are left as they run. (Skis)
I took two oak bars, two iron runners, and I stuffed slats onto the bars. Give me snow! Ready... (Sledge)
The boys went into dark closets, Each boy went into his own closet. (Glove)
Rebuses
Basic rules for solving puzzles:
- the picture in the rebus represents a specific word; commas mean how many letters need to be taken away at the beginning or end of a word;
- if there is a “=” sign between the letters, then it is necessary to replace one letter in the word with another;
- if one letter is located “under,” “above,” or “in” another letter, then these prepositions must be used in the searched word.
Answer: Winter
Answer: Christmas tree
Answer: Snow Maiden
Answer: Gift
Print New Year's resolutions
Here you can print educational New Year's tasks for children free of charge for personal use: labyrinths, copy-pasting, coloring pages. Tasks on logic, intelligence, development of graphomotor skills.
