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January is an exciting month in the kindergarten classroom! Students are eager to be back at school after the break and get back into a routine. There is also the excitement of a new calendar year! If you could use a little bit of inspiration for your lesson planning after winter break, I’ve compiled some of my favorite January activities for kindergarten to share with you.
Your January lesson plans are important because they can set the tone for the rest of the school year. January is a great month to review important skills and reset your daily learning routine while diving back into the curriculum. Here are some of my favorite activities for supporting young kindergarten students after winter break.
It’s helpful to get back into a familiar routine as soon as possible after winter break. Students love the consistency of centers during the daily routine!
Centers are also helpful because you can select specific skills that you want your students to review after the break. The fun winter center activities are a great way to review the skills that students need to refresh after their time away from school.
I have written a blog post that showcases all of the many different activities in my January centers, so be sure to check it out!
All of the seasonal fun you had in December doesn’t have to come to an end just because it’s January! A thematic unit is an easy way to get students excited about learning!
This winter unit is filled with engaging math and literacy activities that incorporate some snowy fun!
There are also fun crafts for your students to complete. These are great for practicing fine motor skills and following directions!
One of my favorite read alouds for January is “The Mitten” by Jan Brett. This story of forest animals escaping the winter weather in a lost mitten is always fun for kindergarteners!
This story can inspire an entire thematic unit! Students can review math and literacy skills with mitten-themed activities.
Did you know that Jan Brett’s book is based on a folktale? There are other versions of this story, which you can also read with your students for an opportunity to practice comparing and contrasting.
It’s also fun to learn all about penguins in January! In fact, a penguin unit can be a great addition to your January lesson plans.
Students can learn about penguins with engaging nonfiction read alouds. Then they can share what they’ve learned with a penguin writing craftivity.
You can also add penguin fun to your literacy and math practice with engaging learning activities and games. Students won’t even realize they’re hard at work reviewing important skills!
Whether or not January is a snowy month where you live, a snowman unit can be a fun addition to your classroom in January. There are many fun books that you can read with your students during a snowman thematic unit, like “Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner.
After reading the book, students can write about what they would do if they were a snowman at night, which is an easy way to get students motivated to practice writing! They can then turn it into an adorable flip book.
There are also many fun literacy and math activities that you can use to incorporate more snowman fun into your daily learning routine.
Simple, low-prep activities can be so helpful as you get back into the swing of things after winter break. These winter connect-the-dot activities are perfect for morning work, centers, early finishers, and more!
Students can review letters and numbers as they complete these winter-themed pictures. They’re always excited to color the picture when they’re finished!
Mystery pictures are also a great addition to your classroom in January! These low-prep activities are always a student favorite.
Students will read and write the sight words in the key. (These words are editable so you can choose what you’d like your students to practice.) Then, they will color each box in the grid according to the key. Students love to watch the wintery picture come to life as they fill in each of the boxes!
Depending on when your school year started, January could be the month that you celebrate 100 days of kindergarten with your students!
There are so many activity ideas for the 100th day of school, which can become a bit overwhelming when it’s time to plan out your day of festivities. That’s why I’ve put together blog posts with my favorite 100th day activities and crafts.
As students complete each of ten activities, they will earn a $10 bill of play money for their 100th day wallet. By the end of the day, they will have collected $100 of play money! This is such a fun way to tie all of the activities together into one cohesive celebration of 100 days!
Finally, winter mystery puzzles are always a hit with students in January! These low-prep printables are easy to add to your lesson plans for centers, morning work, early finishers, or even homework!
Students will cut out the pieces of the mystery puzzle, then match the pieces to the grid based on a math or literacy skill. They will fill in the blanks at the bottom of the page for additional practice with that skill and to increase accountability.
Once they’re ready, they will glue down the pieces and color the completed picture. These mystery puzzles are always so fun for students! They’re an engaging way for students to practice important academic skills as they also improve their hand strength with fine motor practice.
Would you like to share these winter mystery puzzles with your students this January? You can grab them for free! Just fill out the form below and I’ll send them straight to your inbox. Your students will love practicing literacy and math skills with these fun winter puzzles!
Be sure to save this post if you’d like to come back to it later! Just add the pin below to your favorite kindergarten board on Pinterest. You’ll be able to quickly find these January activities for kindergarten when you’re putting together your January lesson plans.
These alphabet books will have students dive deep into learning about each letter of the alphabet while eager to see what activity they get to complete next!
