The planning for January is done!
This month I’ve focused on a Snow theme. In Alberta, we’re often overloaded with snow in the month of January. It only seems natural to explore it as much as possible.
If you live in an area that doesn’t have snow, it’s still a fascinating subject to study. There are various ways you can “replicate” snow for your children to explore as well. You can crush ice cubes to make snow. Store in the freezer until you’re ready to explore!
Are you excited yet?! I know I am! Here’s what’s planned for January!
Four weeks of fun, educational activities! Get your #FREE January #homeschool calendar! Click To Tweet
FOCUS POINTS
THEME FOR THE MONTH: Snow
INVESTIGATE: Snowflakes, Mittens
NUMBERS: 9, 10
LETTERS: K, L, M
COLOURS: White, Black
CELEBRATIONS: New Year’s Day (Jan. 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 16), Chinese New Year (Jan. 28)
JANUARY CALENDAR
WEEK 1
MONDAY
- Learning provocation: place a book about snow on the table
- Practice writing the number nine
- Watch and do the “K” video on Starfall (need a computer with flash and a mouse for the free version)
TUESDAY
- Read / look at: Snowflakes in Photographs (hundreds of photographs of snowflakes)
- Make white glitter playdough together
- Provide “K” playdough placemat and make a “K” shape (download is in the Subscriber Library)
WEDNESDAY
- Watch on YouTube: Where do snowflakes come from?
- Write the letter “K” and add it to our alphabet book
THURSDAY
- Read: Snowflake Bentley
- Make snowflakes (use coffee filters because they’re easier to cut)
FRIDAY
- Watch: Six-Sided Snowflakes Bloom in Slow Motion
- Look at snow under a magnifying glass (catch snow on black paper first)
- Action rhyme: Snowflake, Snowflake
WEEK 2
MONDAY
- Watch and do the “L” video on Starfall (need a computer with flash and a mouse for the free version)
- Make white glitter playdough together
- Provide “L” playdough placemat and make a “L” shape (download is in the Subscriber Library)
TUESDAY
- Read: The Snowy Day
- Do a Snowy Day inspired collage (check out this video tutorial)
WEDNESDAY
- Write the letter “L” and add it to our alphabet book
- Sorting activity (two baskets winter clothes & summer clothes)
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
- Go for a snow walk (if snow is available) – look for tracks in the snow
- Play one of these indoor snowball activities (no snow needed)
- Survey and chart our favourite snow activity; sledding, skating, shoveling, etc.
WEEK 3
MONDAY
- Watch and do the “M” video on Starfall (need a computer with flash and a mouse for the free version)
- Make white glitter playdough together
- Provide “M” playdough placemat and make a “M” shape (download is in the Subscriber Library)
TUESDAY
- Read: The Mitten Tree
- Go on a field trip to the store to buy mittens
- Donate mittens to our local homeless shelter
WEDNESDAY
- Write the letter “M” and add it to our alphabet book
- Find the match for the mittens (sort different pairs of mittens)
- Make “stained glass” mittens
THURSDAY
- Read: The Mitten
- Collage activity: Decorate a mitten shape
FRIDAY
- Take a trip to the grocery store to buy items for our snow snack
- Make pretzel snowflakes
- Have a winter picnic with hot cocoa and our snacks
WEEK 4
MONDAY
- Make and play with Insta-Snow
- Provide toy shovels and animals to play with in the snow
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
- Go on a field trip to the grocery store to buy ingredients for our snow snack
- Make (and eat) banana snowmen
THURSDAY
- Read: Snowmen at Night
- Use chalk pastels to draw our own “snowmen at night”
FRIDAY
- Recite The Snowman Poem
- Make a toilet paper roll snowman
- Marshmallow math: Counting “snowballs” (marshmallows)
If you need any additional ideas, check out my post, What to Do With Your Homeschooler in the Winter.
So there you have it! A full month of learning and fun for a preschool or kindergarten child! Feel free to use any or all of these activities in your homeschool plans for January! Also, printable versions of these calendars are available in our subscriber library.
Reflect:
What plans do you have for January? I would love to hear your thoughts on our planning for this month!
Want a handy calendar of all the activities included in this post? Simply click the download button and the complete calendar for the month is yours.
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