Children's Programs

Countdown to Noon

This will be my third time holding a Countdown to Noon party (you can see my previous post here), I typically host a dance party but the library I work at now does something a little different. This year we planned games, a craft, story and a juice toast! A gentleman donated a ton of brand new stuffed animals and every child got to take one home.

Flannel Board:

 My snowman flannel board made a comeback! You can check out my original post on it here. This was a great activity to have out while we waited for more children to show up.

Snowman Bowling:

 Snowman bowling is another game I have used previously in a Polar Express Pajama Party. I figured people would slowly trickle in and wanted to keep those who arrived first entertained. This, like the flannel board, was a great activity to have out and let children and their parents play with at their leisure.

Balloons:

 What is a party without balloons? I put on some music and placed balloons throughout the room. I encouraged the children to see how long they could keep the balloon in the air. It was great to see the parents interacting with their children and also the kids playing together. I had some parents at the end ask if they could take some balloons home! I was a little nervous that the balloons would be a dud since I blew them up myself and they were just laying around the room but if anything it encouraged the children to pick them up and play with them.

Clock Craft:

 The children colored the numbers, arrows and clock face and glued them on to a paper plate. Then we used a brass fastener to allow the hands to move. The clock hands weren’t the easiest to move when they were fastened to the plate, next time I will try using card stock to make the hands a little more durable. This was an easy craft but the kids really enjoyed it.

New Year’s Resolution:

 It wouldn’t be the New Year without making a New Year’s Resolution!

This year I really want to________
I really need to ______________
I want to be better at___________
I want to learn how to __________

It was great to see parents and children alike fill out their New Year’s resolution and talk about them together. Some of the resolutions were “I really need to be nicer to my brother” and “This year I really want to go to Disneyland.”

Story:

I’ve always had a difficult time finding a “New Year’s Eve” book to read. My coworker introduced me to “The Night Before New Year’s” by Natasha Wing and it was a great one to use.

Countdown and Toast:

When 12 noon hit we counted down from 10, yelled “Happy New Year,” blew some noise makers and toasted with a cup of juice! Then everyone was given a stuffed animal to take home.

How it Went: I was pleasantly surprised with the turn out. The Children’s Department has been extremely quiet since the children have been out on break and I wasn’t sure if we would get anyone. We had about 10 children from birth to 7. Everyone seemed to have fun and the children were thrilled that they could take a stuffed animal and a noisemaker home (I’m not sure all of the parents were so excited about that). I even had a girl give me a hug goodbye because she was so happy!

I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Years!

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