Materials to have on hand: A homemade toy telephone constructed with two tin cans and a string about 25 feet long (one labeled 20__ [old year] and the other 20__ [new year]).

(Have two of the older youngsters get on either end of the tin can telephones and stretch out the string as far as it will go. Have the one holding 20__ [new year] say, "Thank you for a good year" to 20__ [old year]. Then have the one holding 20__ [old year] say to 20__ [new year], "We look forward to what you will bring." By now the other children will have the idea.)

The telephone is often used to spread some good news. We're going to do that now as we help 20__ [old year] speak to 20…