January Classroom Activities – New Years, Winter Ideas, Snowmen & More!

It’s January, and that means a fresh start to the year! For teachers, that often means trying out new activities and lessons in the classroom. We asked some of our favorite teachers about their favorite January classroom activities, and here’s what they had to say.

From tried-and-true classics like snowmen-themed activities and New Year’s resolutions to more unique ideas like winter scavenger hunts, there’s something here for everyone. So grab a cup of hot cocoa and read on for some great January activities and ideas from your fellow educators.

Reestablish Routines and Procedures: Revisit Classroom Management

The first week back after an extended break is hard! This is the case for students and teachers! The alarms wake us up so early. Then, the school day begins, and more exhaustion sets in as students return to following routines and working on assignments.

This is exactly why the first week after winter break is about easing back into learning and reestablishing rules and routines. A few low-key January activities allow teachers time and space to revisit classroom management strategies, rework their end-of-the-day routines, and start goal-setting activities.

Below are some ideas for New Year activities, winter crafts, snow-themed activities, and winter animals that will keep your students engaged!

January Classroom Activities about New Year and Personal Reflection

January is all about personal reflection. People spend a lot of time thinking about the past year and making positive changes for the future. Adults are not the only ones benefitting from reflection and improvements! This is an incredible opportunity to talk with your students about how to set goals!

The New Year Goal Setting Flap Book Craftivity is a great activity to guide students through goal setting. They will reflect on the previous months of school and make goals for the remaining months. Additionally, they will reflect on life outside of school and make personal goals.

Books about New Year’s and Making Resolutions

Books are a great way to engage students in the classroom, and they can be especially helpful when it comes to teaching about the New Year. From fun stories that celebrate resolutions and reflect on past experiences to more serious tales of perseverance, there is no shortage of books teachers can use to help their students understand this important time of year.

Whether you’re looking for something lighthearted or a bit more meaningful, these picture books are sure to provide your students with an enjoyable learning experience as they enter the new year.

New Year Resolution Craft, Winter Art Activities & Reading Passages

The New Year’s Craft is perfect for the first week back from the holiday break, making it a great January bulletin board that focuses on a growth mindset. With this winter craft, you get both a craft activity and an opportunity to write out thoughtful goals all in one! Your students will love setting ambitious goals as they look forward to the New Year.

Pair the January writing craft with a set of New Year’s Reading Passages to help students understand the New Year’s history and traditions from around the world. Students read two engaging articles and participate in a variety of comprehension activities.

Fun January Writing Prompts that Students Love

January CLOZE Reading Vocabulary Building Activity

If you want to increase your student’s vocabulary and grammar skills and work on January reading comprehension, consider adding these CLOZE reading passages to your January lesson plans. They are ideal for 3rd grade through 5th grade students.

In Cloze reading passages, words are selectively removed so that students can determine the best-fit word. There is no word bank, and multiple answers may fit the space, requiring students to rely on context clues and their understanding of syntax to determine the suitable options. While there is no one right answer that can fill the space, there are words that fit better than others.

Topics for January include ice storms, Chinese New Year, and snowflakes. Nonfiction and fictional texts are included.

Snow and Snowmen January Activities

January is a wonderful time to bring snow and snowmen into the classroom to make learning fun! With this selection of activities, you can keep your students engaged and learning during these winter months. From constructing snowmen to exploring the science behind why it snows, your students can develop their creative skills, learn new things, and engage in winter science experiments. Make January fun for your class with these snow-themed activities!

Read Books about Snow and Winter Activities

Snowman stories have been delighting children for generations! From Frosty the Snowman to The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, these stories capture the magic of a snowy winter day in a unique and captivating way. Books about snowmen are often filled with fun and adventure while touching on important themes like friendship, family, and the power of imagination.

They can also provide valuable lessons to inspire readers to believe in their potential or take initiative when faced with adversity. Whether you’re looking for a cozy tale to cuddle up with at night or an exciting romp through the snow, these books about snowmen will surely make your winter days that much brighter. Let’s explore some of the best snowman-themed picture books around!

Snow and Snowmen Classroom Activities

Books, science, and math activities can all be used to bring the snow indoors for students. Studying the effect of snow and ice on our environment, analyzing data from local weather reports, or reading stories about winter adventures that involve snow can be fascinating for curious minds.

Make Borax Snowflakes – Winter Science Experiment

Making snowflakes with borax is a fun and easy winter activity that kids will love. You only need a few simple materials, such as Borax, pipe cleaners, scissors, and water; some creativity; and a little patience.

Start by having kids twist the pipe cleaners into different shapes – circles or stars are great places to start – or get creative and create their own designs. Then, attach the two ends of the pipe cleaner to form a snowflake shape.

Dissolve some Borax in warm water and let the snowflake ornament hang in the solution for at least eight hours. Finally, remove it from the mixture and allow it to dry independently. Afterward, your kids will have created beautiful snowflakes like what might fall from the sky!

With a little bit of creativity and thoughtfulness, teachers can turn simple snow tasks into meaningful learning opportunities to engage their students in lessons that include collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving, even during the coldest months of the year.

Make a Melting Snowman – Winter Science Experiment

Making a melted snowman craft is a fun and creative way to celebrate winter! Start by gathering the materials you’ll need – shaving cream, white glue, plastic cups, googly eyes, orange felt, pipe cleaner, and cardstock.

First, mix equal parts of shaving cream and white glue in one cup. Then, spoon this mixture into other cups to make the body segments for the melted snowman. Add eyes and an orange triangle for a nose to the tallest cup. Wrap a piece of pipe cleaner around the outside of each cup for arms and legs. Finally, use cardstock to create a snowy background under your melted snowman.

To finish off your craft project, show what happens when temperatures get too high! All you need is some watercolors or sprinkled salt over the melting snowman to get that melting effect! This also makes a great winter art project!

Place Value Snowflakes – Winter Math Activity

December may have come and gone, but January offers the perfect opportunity to make fun place-value snowflakes! Have students pick a double-digit number, then cut out paper tens rods and one’s cubes to represent that number.

Glue the pieces together into a snowflake pattern on blue construction paper and watch their snowflakes come alive, with some of them as falling snow. It’s an educational winter activity that will keep them engaged during math!

Have a Snowball Fight

Math can be a blast in the classroom, especially with a snowball fight!

Start by dividing your class into two teams and having them stand on opposite sides of the room – this will be their home base. Give each team a basket of ‘snowballs’ made of paper balls with math facts written on them. When you say ‘Go,’ have each team throw the snowballs at one another.

Every time someone catches or dodges a snowball, they must answer the question written on it correctly before they can move to the next person. The first team to finish all their snowballs wins!

STEM Snow Activities

Snow can be the perfect backdrop for a range of STEM activities! Here are a few ideas:

• Build an igloo – use basic engineering principles to design and construct a miniature igloo.
• Measure snowfall – use measuring tools, such as rulers and thermometers, to record snow depth over time.
• Make a marshmallow catapult – build a catapult out of everyday objects like cardboard tubes and rubber bands, then launch mini marshmallows at targets!
• Design snowshoes – create shoe-like objects out of wood or plastic that can help you traverse snowy terrain.
• Create ice crystal art – observe and document different shapes and structures created by freezing water droplets on surfaces like leaves or windows.

January Activities about Animals

Students are often fascinated by animals! Therefore, they are a great aspect to bring into lessons. This is especially helpful when students return from winter break or are tired during a cold, snowy January.

Learn about Penguins

Are you ready to take your students on a journey of discovery and learning about penguins? This All About Penguins blog post provides an informative and engaging lesson plan about penguin activities covering key facts about penguins while helping students practice their literacy skills.

Students will learn important information, such as their appearance and behavior, plus have fun with worksheets and summarizing activities. This educational and entertaining lesson plan lets your students explore the wonderful world of penguins!

Learn about what Animals do in Winter

Students also love learning about winter animals! What Animals Do in Winter helps students explore animals’ unique adaptations to survive winter! This blog post provides information about migration and hibernation, along with educational books and videos to bring this topic to life. Students will develop a deeper understanding of how animals survive during the cold winter months, plus enjoy a selection of fun activities to help them learn. Dive into this exciting lesson plan about animals in winter!

Read Paired Texts about Owls

Combining fiction and nonfiction is an excellent way to engage students in the winter. By pairing the children’s book Owl Moon with a nonfiction article about owls, teachers can open up a world of possibilities for their learners. Sharing the story of a young girl’s journey to finding a great horned owl on a snowy night inspires and encourages imagination, while using the nonfiction article to discuss topics like animal adaptations, diet, and habitat helps deepen understanding and appreciation for these majestic creatures. This activity could be extended further by having students design snow-filled environments for their unique owl adventure.

Animal Article Collection for More Animal Reading and Research

Are you looking for engaging and high-interest text for elementary students to read? Do you need resources that can be used during reading, writing, and science lessons? The Animal Article Collection provides a range of animal articles and resources that are perfect for scaffolding reading comprehension and writing. With these tools, you can give your students access to quality materials about animals with plenty of choices for research.

Martin Luther King Jr. Teaching Ideas

As the world continues to remember the legacy and teachings of Martin Luther King Jr, it is important that we carry on his legacy with engaging teaching ideas for our children. With MLK Day just around the corner, now is a perfect time to explore creative and impactful ways to honor this great leader and use his life’s work as an example for future generations. From book recommendations to interactive activities, here are some of our favorite ideas for teaching kids about Martin Luther King Jr.

Winter Online Activities for January

Depending on your school, some students may still be learning at home. Or, some are just at home temporarily as illnesses and germs continue to spread. The Winter Online Activities offers plenty of ways to help! There are ideas for all content areas to ensure students learn no matter how long they are at home. Many of these ideas even work for in-person learning! 

Sliding into winter can really go two ways. It can be smooth or bumpy for teachers and students. Since no one wants a rough transition to the New Year, these activities are fantastic ways to ease students back into learning. Best of all, they include ways to keep the excitement going throughout the winter! 

Keep reading for more engaging ideas to make January learning fun for students! Feel free to leave a comment with some ideas of your own!