New Year in Different Countries, or How to Remind Children about the Significance of Gifts

The Fifth Meeting of the Children’s Art-group

The first (in 2010) meeting of the children’s art-group has already taken place. And it is notwithstanding the fact that both the road to our house and the neighbouring streets were covered with 20-centimetre snow which had fallen at night.

The New Year unexpectedly brought us some new elements into our art meetings. Now not only mums/grandmas and their children come to us but also dads. And, secondly, one more boy, Svet (2,5) finally joined us.

We started our meeting with a story about how the New Year’s Eve is celebrated in different countries, how Father Frost/Santa Claus comes to all the children on our planet though he may be called differently and be accompanied by different personalities. Here you can download an illustrated story about the New Year in different counties prepared for children: from Santa Claus and Per Noel to Queen Lucia and Goddess Laxmi.

An important quality which unites all the characters in the story about the New Year is the desire to give presents, tasty things and joy to people. We also decided to prepare something sweet to present others with it – this time we were making pastry for gingerbread.

While the pastry is being cooled in the fridge, we meditate and sing, clap our hands and rejoice together with children!

Then, traditionally, the crafts part follows. The topic of our creation is presents for others as well – we remember what things Nature grants us. I have prepared a slide-show based on my photographs of berries and fruits. The children suggest what is depicted in the pictures.

When we had freshened the images of summer fruits and berries in our memory, we moved to crafts themselves. This time we worked with plastic. When being used for modeling it is more flexible than plasticine and after baking it becomes firm (therefore, one may play with it – in our case, treat dolls and toys to small fruits and berries).

But it is not good if berries and fruits just lie on the table! I give squares of construction paper and geometric figures cut out of colour paper to the children for them to make beautiful mats.

And now the only thing left is to finish our gingerbreads: each child chooses forms and decorations for his/her gingerbread.

Anastasia

Illustrations to the article

Photos by the author

Here you can read this article in Russian