SPORTS AROUND THE YEAR

Let's get those kids moving and learning in 2025! Wouldn't a SPORTS DAY be a FANTASTIC FRIDAY idea?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GYOzLTBNwM

Sports Around the Year
January, let’s all skate – (Slide feet from side to side with big steps.)
Slipping, sliding, feeling great.
In February, grab your skis (Squat and swing arms from left to right.)
Down the mountain, fast and free.
In March we’ll do some hoops (Pretend to dribble a ball and then shoot.)
Basketball dribble, shoot, and loop.
In April let’s do track and field (Run in place and jump.)
Running, jumping down the field.

Chorus:
Biking, dancing, playing ball (Do jumping jacks, march, or
Winter, spring, summer, fall. a dance step.)
Staying fit and staying strong.
Playing sports all year long!

In May we’ll kick and punt the ball (Right foot kicks to the left
Playing soccer, one and all. and then left foot kicks to the right.)
In June baseball is so much fun (Pretend to swing a bat.)
Pitching, batting in the sun.
In July we’ll swim in the pool (Swim forwards, backwards, sidestroke.)
Backstroke, sidestroke, feeling cool.
In August we’ll all be gymnasts (Balance on right foot and lean forwards.)
Balancing, tumbling on the mats. (Balance on left foot and lean forwards.)

Chorus

September, now it’s football time: (Feet out and run in place.)
Down, set, hut on the scrimmage line.
October’s great for cheer leading, (Hands in air and jump up and down.)
Cheering on our favorite team.
November: let’s karate chop! (Pretend to chop right and then left.)
Kick and block – now don’t you stop!
December, swing your hockey stick- (Pretend to skate and swing a stick.)
Hit that puck, we never miss!


Sports Day
Liven up a boring winter day with “sports day.” Invite children to wear clothing from their favorite sport or team.

Pantomime
Let children take turns pantomiming different sports as their friends try to guess.

Sportsmanship
Discuss what it means to be a “good sport.” Role-play being a good loser and a good winner.

Equipment
Encourage children to bring equipment from sports they like to play. Write down the names of the equipment on the board and use for a writing activity.

Graph
Make a graph of their favorite sport or sports team.

College Days
Talk about where you went to college and why it is important to go to college. Let each child make a pennant of the college they would like to attend. Use the pennants to decorate your classroom.

WINTER BLUES BUSTERS

It’s hard to pump yourself up to go back to school after the holidays - and it’s difficult for children as well. Here are some little “happies” that might give you and your children something to look forward to in 2025!

Hot Chocolate Friday
I LOVE this idea! Ask each parent to send in a box of instant hot chocolate and an old coffee mug. End your week by letting each child stir up some hot chocolate. Read poems, say rhymes, read books, and fall in love with language as you sip your hot chocolate together!

Dress Up
We always looked forward to dress up days. Pajama parties, beach day (Yes, in January!), what I want to be when I grow up, my favorite book character, hat day, and silly sock day are just a few ideas. You can easily tie these in with units of study or literature. (Goodness, don’t forget about “instructional time”!)

Game Day
This was on a blog several weeks ago. Let children bring in games from home on Friday and play with their friends the last 30 minutes.

LIFT
A teacher in Atlanta explained that their whole grade level gets together for 30 minutes of LIFT every Friday. LIFT stands for “Learning Is Fun Time” and I think it’s a wonderful idea for 2025. It’d work well to put one class in charge each week and to relate songs, rhymes, stories, and games to standards and themes.

FANTASTIC FUN FRIDAY
Tell your children that they can EARN “fun” time on Friday. First, discuss what “fun” time might mean to them. Basically, it’s a time when they get to do whatever they want. When you catch the class on good behavior during the week they can earn a letter in the words “FANTASTIC FUN FRIDAY.” Write the letters as they earn them on the board. If they earn all the letters by Friday then their reward is to have fun the last 30 minutes. (You’ll be surprised that some of your students won’t know what to do at first. They’ll just walk around and walk around. Funny! Sooner or later they will figure it out!)

STEP INTO THE NEW YEAR

Funky Feet in 2025

Step into the new year with this idea. All you'll need is some funky duct tape. Each day write some information you want to reinforce on a sheet of heavy paper and tape it to the floor with the funky tape by the classroom door. Children repeat the information each time as they go in and out the door. For example:

Letters - children say the letter and something that starts with the sound
Math facts - children say the answer
Sight words - children read the word

*Hint! You could also make letters, numbers, or shapes on the floor with the duct tape.

 

Ring in the New Year
(Tune: “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”)
Let’s all do a little ringing, (Shake hands as if ringing bells.)
Let’s all do a little ringing,
Let’s all do a little ringing
It’s a Happy New Year!

Let’s all do a little clapping… (Clap hands.)
Let’s all do a little dancing… (Dance around.)
Let’s all do a little smiling… (Smile.)

When is your birthday?
When is your birthday?
When is your birthday?
Stand up and cheer.


(Say months of the year.)
January, February, March…(Children stand up on their birthday month.)

Let’s all be a little kinder… (Pat friends on the back.)
For a Happy New Year!

*Download this book at drjean.org.


Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 

Make a brochure by folding a piece of paper into thirds. Label the sections “Yesterday”…”Today…”Tomorrow…” Children draw what they were like when they were little (babies or toddlers), what they look like now, and what they will be like when they are grown-up.
*You could also let children make a time line of their lives. 

New Year's Resolutions Flip Book
What is a New Year's resolution? Why do people make resolutions?
Make a flip book by folding a sheet of paper in half lengthwise. Fold in half. Fold in half again. Open. Cut halfway to the center fold as shown. Write the numerals "2025" on the flips. Children open each one and write (or draw) a goal for the New Year.

Soaring in 2025 

Let children draw (or write) goals for the New Year on a blank sheet of paper. Fold the paper into an airplane. Children state their goal and then fly their plane across the room (or outside).