I have had a lot of fun putting together "My Favorite January Activities."  There are lots of ideas for reading, math, social studies, Martin Luther King activities, and games that are fun and educational.  All of the patterns are included with PDF files that make it very easy to copy and use in your classroom.  Detailed directions are also included with each of the activities shown here. 

Make a fun New Year's Hat with PDF files for directions and patterns.

The Chubby, Little Snowman

This is a terrific little snowman with the poem made for phonemic awareness.  Complete directions, patterns and copies of the poem to copy are provided in PDF files.

January  Bingo

Bingo is a fun game to play year around.  This is a January Bingo Game with lots of things we all talk about in January.  It's great for listening skills, following directions and building vocabulary.  A blank PDF grid is also provided and each child creates his/her own unique card using the small pictures.  This can be saved and used all month!

Alphabet Card Game

"Boom!" is an alphabet card game that can be played with as many as six or seven children, or as few as two. We play it to learn alphabet letter names and sounds. The students LOVE this game, and it is a great way to  practice alphabet letter names and sounds!
 

Patterns and directions in PDF file form for each student to complete their mitten.    A easy to print glyph banner type sign is also included to explain your glyphs!  This makes a very cute bulletin board, too!

Mitten Story

There are lots of fun stories to read about mittens.  It's fun to write a story about our own mittens.  The pattern and story started are given for students to write a mitten story on a mitten.  These are great to string together for a cute bulletin board display with snowmen, the glyphs or several of the other projects included in the January package! 

"The Talking Crayon"

This is a wonderful Social Studies lesson on accepting other and appreciating differences.  "The Crayon Box That Talked" is a book and poem by Shane DeRolf.   This is a terrific story to use with a unit on Martin Luther King.  Patterns for an art project with directions are provided for this project.  A bulletin board banner is also included. 

     Banner

                Winter Fun!

This project is fun for the kids and a great way to introduce winter.  We include a study on clothing and shelter as part of our Social Studies unit.   Patterns and directions are given in PDF files with a banner, too!  This makes a fun door decoration using each child's photo.

                      Banner

Patterns and directions are included to make these 3-D stories.  These are great for a bulletin board display and also work well to include in scrapbooks (see photo.)

Penguins & Story Writing

These little penguins were made to go with a unit on animals in winter and how they keep warm.  Story paper and complete directions with patterns to make these fun characters. A banner is also included for you to use on a bulletin board.

Penguin Book

Simple and easy text for students to read and illustrate their own book to take home.

Snowflakes

Making snowflakes is often difficult for Kindergarten students.  These little snowflakes are easy for all and help to learn shapes! 

Winter Trees

Winter trees pictures with directions and patterns for completing these fun, little trees.  These look nice when displayed with your favorite snowman art!

This snowman is a favorite!  Directions are given and helpful hints to make these fun 3-D snowmen.

"It Looked Like Spilt Milk"

This is a classic book that can be used for many different lessons.  It has a repetitive pattern that makes it easy for students to "read" the book.  It also is a great book to use for symmetry.  I have used it for students to make their own spilt milk picture and write a story to tell what they think it looks like.  Complete directions and PDF file are included.  
 

This is a student made, little book.  PDF files are given for copying the six page book.  It's a great book for learning color words.  Because of the repetitive type text, it makes it easy for children to learn to track words for beginning reading skills. 

This is a fun, little book that we make for the poem "It Rained!"  It has an umbrella pointer to track the emergent reader level text.  The kids love using the tracker! 

Another fun winter book to help children learn positions such as over, under, on and between!  Children add a snowman to each page, and it is also easy to track as an emergent reader.  The sentences can also be used on sentence strips to introduce the book.  I like to leave the strips in the chart holder for kids to practice during group time or free choice time, too!

Martin Luther King

This is a great class project or can be used as homework for Martin Luther King unit.  It can also be used for Black History. 

  Patterns and directions are included for each student to make a school bus showing how children of all colors are now able to attend the same schools and ride the school bus together.  

 Writing Activity

Patterns and ideas are included for children to write or draw what their dream is for the world. 

Story blank paper with dotted lines can be used in any way that you would like.  I liked to give the students a choice in what they wanted to write or  to be able to tell what they learned about Martin Luther King.  I apologize for the poor copy shown here.  The PDF file is done correctly!

There is also a book cover provided in a PDF file that can be used to put all of the stories together for a class book.

Chinese New Year will be celebrated on January 29, 2009.  Our school has a parade with a large "dragon" leading the parade.  We make Chinese New Year dragon puppets as pictured above to celebrate the day.  The patterns and directions are given in PDF files to make the paper bag puppets. 

"My Favorite January Activities"  package --with all of the ideas listed on this page --is available for purchase for $15.  When payment is made, an access link will be provided for you to be able to instantly access the materials.  I hope that they will also become some of your favorites, too!

Discount for Two Monthly Packages

Receive a 10% discount for purchasing any two monthly packages!  To view the activities for each of the months, click below.  PLEASE let me know on your Paypal payment which months you would like to order.

September

October

November

December 

February

March

April

May

June

You may pay by Paypal or check. If you choose to pay by check, please email me for info.  When payment is made, an access link will be provided for you to be able to instantly access the materials. 

***PLEASE make sure that your email is set up to receive emails --or check your "junk" box.  I send the link within 24 hours after payment is received.  If you haven't received the link in that time, please contact me.  You can email me at lcritchell @kinderteacher.com (take out the space in the email address!) if you have any questions.

Flannel Board Sets

Jan Brett's "The Mitten" flannel board set comes with all of the characters to re-tell the story with your class.  This is a wonderful story for a winter or weather theme in January.  Click on the photo for more information about ordering.

  "The Talking Crayon" flannel board set is fun to use along with the project listed in the January Ideas package above.  For more information about ordering this set, click on the photo.

Eric Carle's "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See?" is another favorite of mine for January.  All of the characters in the book are given for the story.  Click on the photo for more information in ordering this flannel board set.

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