![]()
January 1
Celebrate: New Year’s Day
What You’ll Do:
It’s a brand-new year! What will it hold? Discuss the possibilities and traditions with the children. Perhaps have some traditional New Year’s food (black-eyed peas, turnip greens). Enjoy the promise of a new year!
Infant/Toddler Adaptation:
Our youngest students can also participate by trying new foods and ringing in the New Year!
![]()
Celebration: Winter Animals
What You Will Need:
Books, pictures, figures
What You’ll Do:
We know children are drawn to nature. Let’s talk to them about animals who thrive in the winter. Snow leopards, reindeer, and snowshoe hares are just a few that come to mind. Explore their habitats and what part of the world they live in. Share their names and help children identify them. Allow the children to play with figures and recreate the habitats and things they’ve learned.
Infant/Toddler Adaptation:
Ensure that the figures are not choking hazards. Allow the children to explore. Name the animals, a few a time, in a clear distinct voice. Have the children repeat.
![]()
Celebration: Straw Day
What You Will Need:
Various straws, size and colors, biodegradable straws
What You’ll Do:
Who doesn’t love a straw? Children are drawn to the colors, stripes, bendy and swirly straws. There are unlimited possibilities on how to incorporate them in the classroom. For lunch or snack time, provide bendy or swirly straws for some fun. Maybe even allow for some bubble blowing fun! If you want to introduce some environmental aspects, introduce paper straws and discuss why they are important to the environment.
Infant/Toddler Adaptation:
Use containers with various size openings for our youngest friends to insert straight straws into, the smaller the opening the more difficult, so increase the difficulty as you go. This will help with concentration and hand-eye coordination.
![]()
January 4
Celebration: Braille Day
What You Will Need:
The Braille Alphabet, Books written using Braille
What You’ll Do:
Introducing children to Braille is an excellent way to incorporate empathy and understanding to the classroom. Young children are very tactile, so touching the pages will be sure to fascinate! You can learn to create words in Braille or perhaps their names. You can also incorporate stories about Helen Keller to bring a sense of familiarity to this project.
![]()
January 5
Celebration: Bird Day
What You Will Need:
Bird Charts, Field Guides, Binoculars, Bird feeders,
Books about birds
What You’ll Do:
We all know young children are drawn to nature. We can help encourage this and foster their love of nature by providing them several opportunities to learn more. Try posting a chart or poster of local birds by a window. Children can quickly refer to it as they spot birds outdoors. Putting a bird feeder near that window will increase the opportunities children will have to see birds. Field guides will also help identify birds. Take one along on a nature walk or a quick trip to the park or playground. Children will love he opportunity to see birds up close using binoculars. Keep a pair near the window or bring them along with your field guide.
You can always read books about birds of the world, or specific regions. Use bird flash cards to introduce the names of birds not found locally. Trips to the Zoo or nature preserves could also be in order.
Infant/Toddler Adaptation
You can use charts and feeders, too. Name the birds for the children and have them repeat the names.
January 6
Celebration: 3 Kings Day, Apple Tree Day, Bean Day
What You Will Need:
Books, apples, beans
What You’ll Do:
If you celebrate 3 Kings Day, often called Epiphany, there are so many fun things to do. Introducing the young child to the three wise men in a concrete way brings the Christmas story to life for our young charges. We know children identify with concrete objects, so a nativity they can manipulate would be ideal! Providing three small gifts, just would also be a lovely way to celebrate. Learning how Epiphany i...
