Even preschoolers seem to know that New Year’s Day is something special. In fact, these stories about New Year’s and the months of the year will be popular all through January. One easy craft are New Year’s Crackers, which are described in My First Christmas Activity Book by Angela Wilkes, DK, 1994. You wrap an empty toilet paper roll with colored tissue paper. Put confetti or a small prize into the hollow tube, and tie the ends of the tissue with gift wrap ribbon. Everyone pulls these open at the same time, exploding the confetti or finding their prizes. This craft is good for birthdays and lots of other festive holidays.
Carlstrom, Nancy. HOW DO YOU SAY IT TODAY, JESSE BEAR? Short rhyming verse describe the twelve months.
Martin, Bill. THE TURNING OF THE YEAR. Soft paintings illustrate each short verse that describe the twelve months of the year.
Modell, Frank. GOODBYE OLD YEAR, HELLO NEW YEAR. Marvin and Milton are too young to stay up until midnight, so they great the New Year at dawn , waking all the neighbors.
Rockwell, Anne. BEAR CHILD’S BOOK OF SPECIAL DAYS. A brief description of days and months.
Sendak, Maurice. CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE. This classic is available in a big book edition, with humorous rhymes for each month.
Updike, John. A CHILD’S CALENDAR. The noted author for adults offers a short poem for each month. The 1965 edition has illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert, and the 1999 has pictures by Trina Schart Hyman.