History, traditions and symbols of the new year for children. What a child should know about the New Year: a selection of interesting ideas for games, creative activities and traditions How to tell children about the New Year holiday

If there is a baby in the house, then the rhythm of life of everyone changes. And this applies not only to weekdays, but also to holidays. Now the holiday will be a little different.

And you should be prepared for this. Today we will tell you how to celebrate the New Year with kids under 3 years old so that both parents and the child are happy :)

Preparation for the holiday

For very young children, the meaning of the holiday is not yet very clear, but all children like bright and unusual things: they will be pleased to look at the decorated Christmas tree and the lights of garlands, touch colorful toys, listen to New Year's songs.

If the child is already a little over a year old, then you can prepare him for the holiday: start talking about what the New Year is in advance. Go to the town square and look at the big Christmas tree and decorations. Show the baby Santa Claus in the pictures in the book and explain what kind of character it is. Read books and poems about the New Year.

The puzzle book “What Santa Claus brings us” will help tell the baby about the New Year.

Kids feel the mood of their parents, so if you manage to create an upbeat holiday mood for yourself, then it will be passed on to the baby.

For kids, the regime is very important, so even on New Year's Eve, do not deviate from the routine: take a walk with the baby and put to bed on time. This will allow you to meet the chimes.

Skip complex meals or preparations. If you are busy all day with extraneous matters, the baby will be nervous and capricious. And this is of no use to you.

First New Year for kids up to 1.5 years old

If you have a very small baby up to 3 months, perhaps you are not at all up to the holiday. Yes, you really want the holiday to go smoothly and without problems, and the baby will allow you to sit quietly at the festive table and make a wish under the chimes. But don't be upset if suddenly something goes wrong: the baby woke up at X hour or didn't fall asleep on time. Take it for granted: think about the fact that this is the first New Year when your baby is next to you.

With babies up to a year it is best to celebrate the New Year at home, surrounded by relatives and parents, because for them the most important thing is the familiar environment and peaceful sleep. To please the baby: let him touch the tinsel, spruce twigs and unbreakable safe Christmas toys.

If the baby a little over a year, then he is already interested in watching how you decorate the house and participating in the process himself. Listen to songs and read poetry together, show your child how to cut out snowflakes and stick them on the windows, how to make a paper garland. Invite a family with children of the same age to visit, listen to New Year's songs and dance.

Illustration from the game "Countdown".

Do you need a tree?

Of course, parents really want to put up a Christmas tree. If the child is not crawling yet, then this can be done without problems.

If the baby has already crawled or gone, then it is best to put the Christmas tree in an inaccessible place (put it higher, or fence it with objects) and from time to time bring the baby up so that he touches the green miracle and satisfies his interest. Discard breakable toys and hide all the wires of the garlands.

New Year for children from 1.5 to 3 years

Kids of this age can already become active assistants in preparation for the holiday. A holiday with a child of 2-3 years old is already quite meaningful. He understands who Santa Claus is and is waiting for a gift.

1. Advent calendar. For children who will soon be three years old, you can also offer an advent calendar with gifts for every day.

2. Letter to Santa Claus. At this age, you can also write the first letter to Grandfather Frost together and send it to Veliky Ustyug. Explain to the child that the magical Grandfather lives far in the north, and on New Year's Eve he comes to the children to fulfill their cherished desires. Put the letter together in the freezer or behind the window frame, and the next day demonstrate that it is gone.

3. Crafts and Christmas tree decoration. A few days before the new year, make some simple Christmas toys and decorations with your baby: paper, thread and foil are suitable for this. Get your little one to decorate the Christmas tree with mom and dad. In the future, this can become your family tradition.

Craft ideas can be found in the book "Entertainment: Winter".

4. Cookies. Bake Christmas tree or gingerbread cookies together.

From the book "Entertainment: Winter"

5. Festive atmosphere. In the bustle of the New Year, do not forget to read New Year's books, cut out snowflakes, sculpt snowmen and Christmas trees from plasticine.

6. Gift. A kid a little over two years old will be delighted with a gift from Santa Claus, hidden under the Christmas tree. Children at this age do not yet need any large valuables; it will be much more pleasant for them to receive several small toys than one large one.

First tree and Santa Claus

Kids under 3 years old cannot yet appreciate the real Santa Claus in a suit, but they may well be afraid of a man with a long beard. Therefore, if you decide to take the baby to the first Christmas tree, then choose puppet shows, where Santa Claus appears only in the form of a doll.

Illustration from the game "Countdown".

Before going to the Christmas tree, tell the baby that you are going to a holiday where there will be many children and entertainment, and at the end he will receive a gift.

Do not dress children in overly bulky, warm, uncomfortable costumes. The best option is a smart shirt or dress. The child should be comfortable first of all.

It does not matter how old your baby is, a few weeks or years, next to him the holiday becomes even more beautiful. Do not forget about this, even if something went wrong on New Year's Eve.

Attention! The site administration site is not responsible for the content of methodological developments, as well as for the compliance of the development of the Federal State Educational Standard.

Celebrating the new year is a fabulous event not only for children, but also for adults. Therefore, in our school for children with disabilities, much attention is paid to the development of students in the direction of socialization in society.

- This is the most magical holiday for children. Not only children, but also adults are waiting for him. They say that if you make a wish on New Year's Eve, it will surely come true. All people on the planet believe in New Year's miracles. Therefore, the celebration of the New Year is mysterious and unforgettable for each of us. In our school for children with disabilities, much attention is paid to the development of students in the direction of socialization in society. Therefore, enriching children's knowledge about the folk traditions of celebrating the New Year is very relevant in working with children with disabilities. Involving parents in joint leisure activities, we thereby realize the main task in education - instilling the spirit of family traditions. Family traditions in every house and every family are different: some make dumplings, others do general cleaning in the house, others decorate their house, etc. It all came to us from antiquity and was passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, we honor and observe these traditions. In our class, we have a tradition of celebrating the New Year together with our parents. The preliminary work consists in issuing a New Year's newspaper, learning poems and songs, the work of the workshop of Santa Claus, conversations and stories about the New Year's holiday, an exhibition of children's works, and exchanging gifts. This is followed by the holding of the New Year's holiday itself, which ends with a family tea party.

Target: Instilling interest and need for the traditions of preparing and celebrating the New Year.

Tasks:

• To acquaint with the folk traditions of celebrating the New Year.
• Develop coherent speech, curiosity, observation.
• To form in students an emotionally joyful feeling from active participation in joint collective leisure;
• Cultivate an emotional response to ongoing New Year events.

Members: 3rd year students of the "Special Child" class in a correctional institution and their parents .

Expected result:

• Expansion of knowledge about the folk traditions of celebrating the New Year.
• Enrichment of the thematic vocabulary, activation of the processes of curiosity and observation.
• Instilling an adequate emotional response with active participation in joint collective leisure.

Scenario of the New Year's event

Roles:

• Leader - teacher
• Wizard and Santa Claus - parents

Children in carnival costumes enter the class to cheerful music, look at how the class is decorated, the lights are already on the Christmas tree.

Teacher:

In the classroom we see everything
That the tree is in New Year's beauty:
All silver, lush and slender
She came to visit us from the forest.
Christmas tree-beauty do the kids like it?

Students: Yes!

Teacher : Let's have fun near our Christmas tree.

(Invites the children to recite poems about the Christmas tree.)

1 student:

Hello, forest tree,
Silvery, thick
You grew up under the sun
And she came to us for the holiday

2 student:

Christmas tree, Christmas tree, Christmas tree
prickly needle,
You have snow on the branches,
You are slim and taller than everyone.

Round dance: "Christmas tree"

(After the song, students sit on chairs.)

Teacher:

New Year is coming
He brings guests with him
We will sit quietly
Let's take a look at the guest.

(Wizard exits.)

Wizard:

Hello my dear!
Small and big!
I am a magician, a good magician,
I didn't just come.
I'll tell you honestly, friends,
I can't live without miracles! (Miracle.)

Teacher:

We are all very happy that you came to our class.
After all, today is the best holiday we have!

Wizard: I wonder what the name of this holiday is?

Students: New Year!

(The teacher invites the children to sing a song.)

Song: New Year.

Wizard:

New Year?
Where does he come from?
And where does it go then?
I really want to know
What is New Year?

Teacher:

Well, now our guys
They will tell you about everything.

1 student:

What is New Year?
It's the other way around!

2 student:

Christmas trees grow in the room
Squirrels do not gnaw cones,
Hares next to the wolf
At the thorny tree.

3 student:

What is New Year?
This is a friendly dance!

Teacher: Guys! Can you clap your hands?

Students: Yes!

Teacher: And stomp your feet?

Students: Yes!

Teacher: How about waving your arms?

Students: Yes!

Teacher: And dance with your feet?

Students: Yes!

Teacher: Well, let's check it out now.

(Teacherinvites the children to dance.)

Dance near the Christmas tree.

(After the dance, the students sit on the chairs.)

Teacher:

Help us, wizard,
Call Santa Claus.

Wizard:

With pleasure, friends!
But I don't know him.
describe Santa Claus
Tell me about him.

Song - game: "Like Grandfather Frost."

Wizard: Well, now, my friends, I recognize my grandfather!

(Pulls out a bell.)

Here is the magic bell
Bell, my ring,
Call Santa Claus!

(Rings, no one is there.)

Wizard:

Well, now I know.
It's very hot in our hall,
I'm afraid that Santa Claus will melt.

(Teacherinvites the girls to dance, blow in the breeze.)

The dance of the snowflakes.

Wizard:

Bell, my ring,
Call Santa Claus!

(Santa Claus enters.)

Father Frost:

Hello children! Hello dears!
How elegant you are, how beautiful you are!
Happy New Year! Happy New Year!
Congratulations to all children!
Congratulations to all guests!

Father Frost:

Ay-yes, Christmas tree-soul!
How beautiful, how beautiful!
Santa Claus is calling you all
In the New Year's round dance!

Round dance: "Little Christmas tree"

1 student:

Oh frost, frost, frost
You froze our nose
Ears, ears, cheeks
Handles, arms, legs.

Game: Freeze

(After the game, the children sit down, Santa Claus sits down.)

Father Frost:

I'll get some rest
Let me sit under the tree.
And you guys, tell me poems.

Poems are read by students.

Father Frost:

Thank you, friends!
They amused me.
But it's time for me to pack up
On the road - the road to go.
It's a pity to leave you...

Wizard: Santa Claus, where are the gifts?

Father Frost:

Didn't I give them?
How did I forget about them?
Where is my bag?
Can not see…

Wizard:

What to do?
How embarrassing...
We can't live without gifts
Let's go look for them, friends!

Father Frost:

Where is my bag?
Here's the secret!
No right and no left.
And on the tree, no? - Not!
And under the tree, no? - There is!

(The wizard pulls out a bag.)

Father Frost:

Yes, the bag is mine!
It has a difficult knot.
Oh oh oh! Whoo-hoo!
I can't untie!

Wizard:

Come on, blow harder! (blowing with children)
Knot, untie it quickly! (unties)
ok we tried
We got all the gifts!

(Show or hand out.)

Father Frost:

Here is the New Year's Eve
It's time for us to finish
Lots of joy and happiness
I wish you kids!

Wizard:

To us for a holiday in a year
Santa Claus is coming again!

Valentina Seregina
"History of the New Year Holiday" How to tell children about the New Year holiday

What is this New Year holiday?

On New Year's Eve, multi-colored lights are lit on a beautiful forest tree, Christmas toys sparkle, and under the tree, Grandfather Frost himself leaves various, expected gifts. But if you ask Santa Claus why under New year he appears in every house and arranges such a wonderful holiday to all of us and our children, then he tells a story like this:

All countries on Earth once a year celebrate this fabulous holiday, and all children, without exception, love and look forward to it. Turns out, Newthe year does not come to different countries at the same time: somewhere in the summer or autumn, and somewhere in the winter, as we have in Russia.

New Year a holiday is a holiday solstice and originates from ancient times, when the sun was considered the main deity, giving life to plants, animals and humans.

When the shortest days of the year came and the sun barely rose above the horizon, people were afraid. That the sun will go away and never come back. Therefore, they began to light fires, torches, bonfires, twist burning tar barrels, imitating the movement of the sun across the sky, believing that they give the sun new forces, double his energy for returning to the people. This is how various ceremonies of the New Year's Eve appeared, born of beliefs and legends from different countries of the world.

Once upon a time in Russia New the year was celebrated twice - on the first of March according to the church calendar and on the first of September according to the secular. But one day, Tsar Peter I issued a decree of December 15, 1699, in which everyone was ordered to count holiday New Year from the first of January. Since that time, the first common winter holiday in Russia.

On New Year's Eve, they fired cannons, rode troikas, burned tar torches and barrels in the squares, and decorated houses and gates with spruce and juniper branches. “And as a sign of fun, congratulate each other on New Year» - ordered Peter I. Everyone liked this beautiful and cheerful holiday.

It's been a long time and he was adorned with original Slavic images: Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden, funny buffoon clowns, and a beautiful Christmas tree appeared in every house. Decorating the New Year tree is a joyful and troublesome ceremony for parents and children.

It is believed that Santa Claus lives in an ice hut and gives gifts to those who look at his light, and to obedient children, he quietly comes into the house at night. How? It's a secret! Most importantly, he leaves gifts under the tree, under the pillow, or hides them in a shoe. Grandfather Frost has a granddaughter, Snegurochka, a sweet, cheerful girl who helps him entertain children. In Russia, they believe that the way you celebrate New Year's Eve is the way you will spend it. Therefore, in New year it is customary to have fun and give gifts. Let New the year will bring peace and happiness to all.

New Year is the time everyone is looking forward to. Especially children. An elegant Christmas tree, a sea of ​​gifts, sparkling snow outside the window and, of course, New Year's traditions. All this fills the last month of winter with magic. But the New Year is not only a favorite holiday, but also a great way to expand the horizons and creative abilities of a child. You can tell children about New Year traditions in different countries, teach them how to make gifts and decorations with their own hands, tell them a lot of interesting things about winter and snow, or just draw and play from the heart.

Here are some great ideas for Christmas activities with kids.

Miracles in a pocket

To make the child believe in the approach of a miracle, read this book with him. This is a magical story that begins a month before X-day. The main character, the boy Valerka, receives letters from the magical boy Willy, who travels the world on a paper plane in search of Santa Claus. In the book, the kid is waiting for ideas of games and master classes for New Year's crafts, stories about New Year's traditions in different countries, recipes for festive dishes. goo.gl/VSFfbA

Idea from the book:

Fairy dust recipe from Holland

You will need:

• 1 teaspoon confetti and glitter
• 1 pinch of multi-colored beads
• unlimited chocolate, orange, cinnamon or freshly baked pie scents
• small jar with cork/lid

Place all ingredients in a jar, close tightly and shake well. Before going to bed, sprinkle fairy dust on the place near the shoe with the carrot. As the old saying goes, the dust will glisten in the moonlight and Sinterklaas will easily find his way to your house. In the morning, the carrot will disappear, and a sweet surprise will appear in its place.

Christmas and new year book

This beautiful book with fabulous illustrations contains the traditions of Christmas and New Year from different countries and peoples. There are 12 countries in total: for each - a story about traditions, a national holiday dish and a folk New Year's fairy tale. which you can read with your children, wrapped up more comfortably in a blanket. goo.gl/rbMNko

Traditions of celebrating the new year in Norway:

A large number of decorative lighting - lamps, lamps, garlands, highlights. Shops and cafes are decorated with evergreen branches, bright bulbous flowers, poinsettia and are open until late at night. Throughout December, Norway looks like a fabulous country.

In Norway, the main person of the Christmas and New Year holidays is Ylenissen, or the Yule Dwarf. Since the tenth century, when King Haakon the Good ordered to celebrate Christmas instead of Yule, Julenissen gradually adjusted to the new order. Since the 19th century, he has been regularly giving gifts to children, putting them in stockings or shoes; the dwarf Fyumpenissen Pyus, as well as other nissen (dwarfs and gnomes), animals, trolls and elves, have been his assistants. Nissen, according to Norway, live in old houses, barns and in overturned boats. They are given a treat - usually porridge or pudding. And when the food for the night is eaten, it makes the hosts very happy. In the old days, Julenissen rode a sleigh pulled by foxes, but now he moves more and more on reindeer. And yet - Julenissen is married. His wife's name is Nissemur. Julenissen's house is located in the seaside town of Drobak, located near Oslo.

Snow

A fascinating book that will help your children fall in love with winter and snow. It contains photographs of snowflakes taken under a microscope and magnified hundreds of times. As well as a poetic and informative story about snow. Your child will learn what shape snowflakes are, how they are formed, whether there are two identical snowflakes in the world. And he will also learn how to catch snowflakes so that they do not melt. A book that will help you understand: snow is a real miracle of nature. goo.gl/zafdJT

Excerpt from the book:

Each snowflake has six rays or six faces. This is due to the fact that at a low temperature, water molecules are combined in groups of six, forming regular hexagons. This is why snowflakes are always hexagonal (flat) or hexagonal (3D).

As the snowflake gets bigger and heavier, it begins to slowly fall. During this time, the snowflake continues to grow and finally takes on its final shape. Sometimes the rays on one side of the snowflake grow faster than on the other: all because there are sections of the cloud along the way that have different temperatures and humidity.

Wonderful time: winter

A book that will make winter magical. It's loaded with ideas for indoor and outdoor play, Christmas gift and decoration workshops, tips for getting ready for the New Year, and family traditions. A real magical piggy bank that will tell your children everything about winter and the New Year. goo.gl/jxXKAo

Homemade garlands:

Hang homemade decorations in the apartment. Making garlands does not take much time. You can sew or glue circles cut out of paper, geometric shapes, long stripes, New Year's silhouettes to a long thread: Christmas trees, stars, houses, squirrels, bunnies, and more. Children themselves can string multi-colored felt balls or homemade plastic beads for modeling on a thread. An interesting garland can be assembled from natural materials: cones, twigs, rose hips, dried orange slices.

Paper New Year

You can’t even imagine how many New Year’s miracles you can create from an ordinary sheet of paper. Home decorations, Christmas toys, an advent calendar, a beautiful Christmas tree, postcards, paper angels, a magical kaleidoscope - all this and much more can be made from paper. goo.gl/zyrsnW

Making a Christmas Heart

Such a beautiful paper heart will be very popular with children. It's simple and fun.

1. Fold the white and blue ovals along the black dotted lines. Then carefully cut the details of the heart along the red dotted lines. You will get palms with fingers (as in the picture).
2. Take the white finger on the right and carefully interlace it with the blue fingers. The blue stripe should first be above the white one (see picture).
3. Move on to the next white finger. But now it must first be on top, and blue - on the bottom.
4. If you find it difficult to bind a heart, ask an adult to help.
5. Now take the orange strip, apply glue to the shaded parts. Glue it inside like a loop. What a beautiful heart!

Happy New Year! Coloring poster

This coloring book is so big that the whole family can color it, and so bright and beautiful that it will fill your home with a sense of wonder. Lay it out on the floor or hang it on the wall for the whole family to color. The picture gathered favorite New Year's characters. They rejoice at the approach of the New Year and decorate a fluffy Christmas tree. goo.gl/7zr01b

Show your children how many miracles are hidden in the New Year, and they will definitely believe in a miracle.

Psychologist Ekaterina Burmistrova talks about "safety precautions" during the New Year holidays.

In this article, an experienced psychologist will give advice on how to successfully celebrate the New Year with children. We will tell you how to choose Santa Claus and gifts for Christmas.

New Year with children: "safety"

Which of us, adults, does not love the Christmas tree and beautiful, almost magical gifts under it ...

New Year is the most mysterious and wonderful holiday, loved by most grown children. The only magical holiday in the Soviet era. But in the thirties, when it was forbidden to put a Christmas tree in the houses, many fathers and mothers secretly carried several spruce branches under their coats, and closing the curtains so that the neighbors would not see, they hung miraculously preserved toys on these branches.

Then the authorities softened and the New Year trees returned to homes, forever taking a place in the hearts of the kids.

New Year, Christmas, Old New Year - they are located so close, in the country there are New Year holidays, parents can fully devote themselves to children and family, make these days festive, eventful.

But why, by the end of the Christmas holidays, there are so many appeals to neuropathologists, psychologists, allergists? The answer is simple - the child was "overfed". And sweets, and impressions.

I would like to talk about "safety" during the New Year holidays.

The smallest children

These are children from one year to two and a half years.

These kids, as a rule, still speak poorly, do not remember the previous New Year - after all, they were still very small. If they have heard about Santa Claus or seen him in a picture in books, then they have not yet met him in person.

And often parents can’t wait until the child gets on his feet to introduce him to Grandfather Frost. But their two or even three-year-old baby may not be happy, but very scared.

For the smallest children, it is important that during the New Year itself and the Christmas holidays in general, life does not lose its clarity and predictability. Too strong impressions often unsettle the child and lead to behavioral failures.

How to make a meeting with Santa Claus safe for a child

• Time to take a look:

When going to a children's party or inviting Santa Claus home, remember the golden rule regarding the communication of a small child with strangers.

In order for your baby not to be afraid of a stranger, and even more so such a bright one in a red robe, he needs time to take a closer look, get used to the presence of a stranger in the room and get used to his unusual appearance.

• The quieter and more chamber - the better:

Parents, especially those who love colorful and massive spectacles, should not forget that "each vegetable has its own time." That is, what is interesting and attractive for an adult may not be suitable at all. For example, adults are often lovers of spicy and smoked, spicy cuisine, which is definitely not suitable for a small child.

So, the regimen of impressions during the New Year holidays for the baby should also be “dietary”, otherwise various kinds of “allergies” are possible. For example, small children can be so frightened by the noisy, loud, huge Santa Claus that then for a long time any figure in a red caftan will cause panic attacks in the child.

When choosing a candidate for Santa Claus and planning a scenario for a home holiday, you must, first of all, give Santa Claus clear instructions.

Should I call Grandpa home?

• "And daddy's eyes":

Even the smallest children, even in the best costume and make-up, can easily recognize their own dad, grandfather, godfather or just a good family friend.

Before the time to destroy the beautiful legend of Santa Claus, I would not advise. Moreover, after such a revealed untruth, a child may stop believing his parents in something else. And that in and of itself is not good for a relationship.

• Where is the real Santa Claus?

Older children are already well aware that there are many Santa Clauses, and they are all different and the costumes are also different. In the garden at the holiday - one Santa Claus, in the kids club - another, and the theater - the third, and they are all different, and even in every supermarket there is a Santa Claus.

It is quite possible to explain to such children that the real Santa Claus is alone, he is invisible to the naked eye and it is he who puts gifts under the Christmas tree, and all these Santa Clauses are his helpers, because he alone cannot be in time everywhere, for a holiday in every kindergarten .

So we have to send assistants - the younger Santa Clauses. The mind of a child is quite ready for just such a version of events - remember the Russian fairy tale "Two Frosts".

• Should I invite Santa Claus home?

If we are talking about a child aged 3 to 6 years, then the answer to this question is likely to be yes.

At this age, children are already big enough not to be too afraid of Santa Claus, but still small enough and therefore they believe that this is really Santa Claus, and not uncle in disguise.

For older children, whose milk teeth have already begun to change, and, accordingly, magical thinking begins to give way to logical thinking, such close, actually individual contact with Santa Claus can cast doubt in the child’s soul ahead of time.

Choosing Santa Claus

The ideal Santa Claus for a small child should be:

• Sober. It seems that this condition is obvious to everyone, but the reality is that not all parents, who themselves are waiting for Santa Claus in their hearts, will have the determination not to let the long-awaited guest on the threshold, smelling the smell of alcohol.
  Nevertheless, the adequacy and sobriety of Santa Claus is the main condition for you and your child.
• He should not have a very loud voice and not too noisy behavior.
• He will not interfere with the ability to take into account age characteristics and change the scenario of the visit in accordance with the reactions of the child.

Instructing Santa Claus

First and the main condition for a child who is not yet four years old is not to touch him with his hands, especially with his hands in “frost” mittens, until he wants to. Children are generally sensitive to tactile contacts with strangers, and even such an exotic figure as Santa Claus can cause horror mixed with delight.

Second: do not expect activity from the child. For young children, it is not at all necessary to have an ardent desire to tell Santa Claus a rhyme, sing a song, or even just give your name.

The child may not utter a single word, but at the same time he will be completely delighted.
The main thing is not to try to break through his silence - this can turn into tears and a complete rejection of contacts.

If the baby is suddenly ready to talk with Santa Claus, and he wants it himself - very well, rejoice and shoot on a video camera. If he is silent and only looks attentively, tell yourself that this is the first, and not the last, New Year in his life, and there will still be.

From 5-6 year old children, Santa Claus sometimes simply does not know how to get rid of, these grown-up children have such a strong desire to show their achievements - to sing a song or tell a rhyme.

Set yourself up for the fact that in a year, well, in a maximum of two, you will be able to proudly capture in the photo and video the joy of your dear child at the sight of Santa Claus.

Try to remember your childhood feelings from the holiday, impressions from kindergarten matinees and mass Christmas trees in the Kremlin or Luzhniki. Remember how huge Santa Claus seemed to you then and how exciting your worries and doubts were.

Childhood memories will help you understand your baby's behavior, shyness or overexcitation much better.

Waiting for a holiday

A very significant, and actually lost in the Soviet years due to the constant rush of working mothers, a factor in preparing for the New Year and Christmas is the process of preparing the holiday itself, the “holiday of waiting for the holiday”.

What can be done with the child together and for the child:

• First of all, for a baby who is already 3 years old, I would recommend the last 10 days - a week "waiting calendar" holiday. It is necessary either at a certain time of the day, for example, before going to bed, to tear off a piece of paper from the tear-off calendar with the child, drawing his attention to how few leaves are left, and hence the days until the end of the old year, and hence the beginning of the New.

True, there is one difficulty here: the thinking of a small child is in many ways magical. And your baby may well think that the sooner he tears off all the leaves, the sooner the holiday will come.

Preschool children are not fully aware of the passage of time and its duration. And your "waiting calendar" can help them with this.

Homemade calendars are also good, in which you can paint circles in the evenings, or cut through windows. In recent years, in Moscow, you can find factory-made New Year's calendars, in which behind every day there is a small chocolate bar.

• From children who are more than 4-5 years old, one can expect many repeated questions: “Mom, when will the holiday come?”

You should not get annoyed with these questions, but you need to fill the last New Year's days with calm pre-holiday preparations. For example, you can prepare gifts for relatives and friends together with your baby and be sure to pack them together in elegant paper.

Older children can enjoy writing gifts and making New Year and Christmas cards.

• A good pre-holiday activity is baking special spicy cookies, which can be hung on the Christmas tree on elegant ribbons. The smell of cinnamon and ginger in this case, the child will directly become associated with something magical. Young children are very sensitive to smells.
• You should definitely read New Year's, Christmas, Christmas stories and fairy tales that will prepare your child's mind for the upcoming holidays.
• You can also gradually, during the last two weeks before the holiday, decorate the house with homemade and purchased toys, Christmas lights and lanterns. Draw pictures on the window with stained glass paints. And by the New Year, the house should gradually change, preferably with the direct participation of the child.
• Another good idea is letters and postcards to Santa Claus, which are put in the freezer, from where the grandfather himself takes them. Even younger students believe in it. And writing a letter is a good way to find out the most cherished desires of a child. Just do not pretend that you have read this letter.

Scenario, design, logistics of holidays

• A lot of "good" is no longer good

The more holidays, the worse each of them is perceived, especially if they are of the same type, with a similar scenario of stealing some attributes of the New Year holiday, such as a bag with gifts or a snow maiden.

Choose from a variety of activities. The general rule is this: there should be no more Christmas trees than the age of the child minus one, including home and kindergarten holidays.

• And how many "trees" are normal?

In a good way, the real New Year's holiday should be one. But if a child has a Christmas tree every day, to which Santa Claus comes, and even the scenarios of the holidays are in many ways similar, then the feeling of magic can begin to give way to just fatigue.

• What holidays to choose?

The younger the child, the more intimate the holidays should be. Young children do not like noise, new faces, new smells, various unforeseen effects such as fireworks and special effects. This does not please them, but rather scares them.

Also, holidays are not suitable for them, where the presence of parents is not expected. Children under 6-7 years old are unlikely to be able to enjoy the holiday if there is no mother nearby. And they can get scared not at the first moment when you need to let your mother go, but at the most emotionally intense moment of the performance, and raise a cry, and your mother will no longer be around.

The preschool child quite often takes theatrical performances too seriously and does not feel the difference between the stage and the auditorium.

But if your child is already going to school, then the scarier and more unexpected, the more interesting. That is, the preferences are directly opposite.

• Can parents celebrate the New Year separately?

This is the question that each family decides individually. Raising children in general is free creativity, and everyone does what he sees fit.

Kingdom of New Year's gifts

• How much, when and how to donate: in my opinion, it is important that by the end of the Christmas holidays the child does not cringe at the sight of the next package with gifts, but could show joy and keen interest.

Children who are not yet three years old do not always understand at all that they have been given something, or they are so gifted that their reaction is very blurred.

• Don't expect the instant joy of gratitude: often a child will not be able to appreciate a good and really right gift right away. Bright and catchy gifts are instantly appreciated, which are just as quickly forgotten.

Moreover, the bright events, noise, bustle and abundance of impressions of the New Year holiday are such that it is difficult for a child to maintain a lively reaction. Do not judge the success or failure of a gift by the first reaction.

• Sweet gifts: This is a problem for many parents, especially those with allergic children. The tradition of giving sweets at Christmas is ancient and comes from the time when sweets were a symbol of abundance, sweet life.

Nevertheless, every year a huge number of children by the end of the New Year holidays are covered with an allergic rash from sweets and citrus fruits. Yes, and the behavior of a child who has eaten too much chocolate is characterized by an increased level of arousal.
In these times, it is better to replace sweets with any other pleasant little things if possible.

For example, small children appreciate small toys, beads, semi-precious stones. Schoolchildren love miniature stationery and children's perfumes. And sweet gifts from mass Christmas trees can be collected in order to be later transferred, for example, to some orphanage. There, indeed, they will be very happy with such gifts, and your baby will learn to think about other children.

• Gifts for others: In general, they existed before the revolution and are now being revived by the wonderful Russian traditions of helping poor families and arranging Christmas trees for poor children.

If your child is already a schoolboy, then after reading Christmas stories, where the plot of miraculous help to the poor is always present, it would be very good to do something real, in which the child could also take part.

Then the New Year holidays will turn from a time of endless consumption of gifts and pleasures into a time when your child can learn to do something for others.
But, of course, such things depend on the worldview of the family.

• who gives gifts: does the myth of Santa Claus harm the child? It is easy and natural for a child who has not yet celebrated his seventh birthday to think that gifts under the Christmas tree appear by magic, with the direct participation of Santa Claus. If the adults themselves do not debunk this myth, then it can persist for quite a long time, which is not at all harmful to the child.

There is such an anecdote: mother and father are seeing off their son to the army, the train is moving, the father is running along the platform and shouting: “Son, son, I have long wanted to tell you but did not dare ... - What is dad, what? - son, you understand, Santa Claus does not exist!

Maybe you don’t have to wait so long, but it’s not recommended to rush either. The longer the child believes in good miracles, the safer his psyche.

How to make sure that Christmas is not a minor holiday

The child perceives the world honestly.

If a Christmas tree is put up for the New Year, and all gifts are given for the New Year, then this holiday is the main one. It all depends on the priorities of the family. Indeed, for us, current parents, the New Year was the main and only holiday. And often we are simply not familiar with the wonderful Russian traditions of celebrating Christmas and holding Christmas time - that is, two weeks following Christmas.

And this is very disappointing - as a result, our children do not get the best, created for centuries by folk tradition.

If it is important for you that the child perceives Christmas as the main holiday, or at least not inferior in importance to the New Year, you need to schedule holiday events and activities accordingly.

It so happened that after the transition to the Julian calendar, made after the revolution, the New Year is celebrated first, and Christmas - then. According to the old style, everything is exactly the opposite - and this is very consonant with children's perception. Children consider the holiday that comes first to be the main one.

Therefore, wanting to highlight the significance of Christmas, you need to “muffle” the New Year's riot in every possible way.

We put up a Christmas tree for the New Year - it's so common that rare families dare to change something here. But after all, before Christmas, in addition to the balls, decorate the Christmas tree with sweets, fruits, cookies, nuts in gold and silver paper. It will be so magical that the child will surely remember the Christmas transformation of the Christmas tree.

And the main gifts can also be given at Christmas.

In some families, children are told that on New Year's Eve Santa Claus brings gifts under the Christmas tree, and on Christmas - angels. Kids believe everything, and who would not be delighted with another gift.

The main mistakes of active parents

• The desire to do everything. Remember that even for a schoolchild, more than one event during the New Year holidays is already too much.

As for preschoolers, overloading with impressions during the holidays for them can turn into serious disruptions in behavior. After all, if you ate too much, then instead of pleasant satiety, heaviness and irritation are felt.

In addition, a large number of activities are almost always associated with the rush of parents. And that means with a restless emotional background.

• What is "overstimulation": overstimulation is when there are too many impressions and events per unit of time. Just as hypervitaminosis (excess of vitamins) is more dangerous than beriberi (lack of vitamins), overstimulation also has a much worse effect on the child than a lack of impressions.

The first adverse consequence may be the general background of overexcitation in the child, a tendency to tears and whims.

The second negative consequence is a decrease in susceptibility. If a child is systematically subjected to overstimulation, in order not to get too tired, he simply begins to perceive stimuli coming from outside worse.

This is entirely protective behavior, in a child, in everyday language, “bananas” simply grow in their ears. And it becomes difficult to reach him, even when it is very necessary. Children who are systematically overloaded with impressions are less receptive.

• Inattention to signs of overwork in a child. If you want to avoid a scandal, and even more so an unwanted outburst of emotions in a crowded place, be extremely attentive to those behavioral manifestations that precede the screaming and crying of your child. When children are very tired or overexcited, their behavior changes.
• The choice of activities is not according to the age of the child. The general rule is that the younger the child, the smaller the scale of the event. Special attention should be given to children who have stuttering or stuttering in speech, or other neurological symptoms. You also need to take care of children who have recently experienced severe stress, or are simply naturally impressionable, or have a large number of fears.

Let's remember the holidays

New Year's Eve is so busy and goes by so fast. There are photos, videos, and they must be watched throughout the year.

I would recommend making a special New Year's album for the baby - you can put in it not only photos from the holidays, but also his drawings, as well as stories about the holidays written by the mother from the words of the child. Then the real chronicle can turn out. And your child will learn to "artistically" relate to the events of his life and memories.

After the holidays, many children like to dress up in fancy dress and look at Christmas decorations in boxes. On all these things lies the reflection of the most magical holiday of childhood.

You can also write a thank you card to Santa Claus.

But remember that a child who has received too many vivid impressions may not be easy to fit into everyday life. And it will take at least two weeks for this - the “post-holiday” tail often lasts no less than the holidays themselves.

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