If you are on the search for a January theme for preschool, you are in the right place! I have decided to share with you monthly themes for preschool all year long with a glimpse inside an amazing preschool classroom. You will see all of January crafts, activities, and learning centres below. I hope you find them helpful for use in your own preschool classroom. If you are looking for a different theme, please visit my main Themes for Preschool page.
You might recall a few years ago I shared with you a January and February preschool classroom tour from a preschool my little guy was attending. I was always amazed by the quality and creativity of the various preschool activities Michelle and Heather had.
Well, this year I decided to make this a monthly feature. I know so many of you are preschool teachers and having monthly themes for your preschool might be very helpful!
I know I always love having a peak inside other classrooms to ‘borrow’ an idea or two. After all, every preschool teacher knows that sharing is caring.
So please, have a stroll through this preschool classroom and have a peak at all of the preschooler activities and centers set up for this January theme.
January Theme for Preschool
To start things off, you will likely want to select a craft or two to have out at your art table. I have compiled all of the preschool crafts on my blog by season and theme making them nice and easy for you to access. You can check out my winter crafts page to find a perfect craft or two for your January classroom.
Now, let’s check out some other preschool centres and ideas for activities this January.
January Loose Parts Play Ideas
One centre that is out every single month is a “loose parts centre” for the January theme this year, the team got extra creative! By adding in some really large nuts and bolts as well as some “S” hooks, sticks, and elastics, the preschoolers had an opportunity to get really creative.
Sometimes the elastics would be stretched around the sticks and the S hooks would be hung up. Other times, snowmen would be made out of the washers – it is January after all, and here in Canada a January theme ALWAYS includes snow!
Another fun idea is adding facial features to small stones or rocks. Tape them on with some packing tape and let those little one’s explore making faces. You could even add some winter hats, ear muffs, or felt for scarves to really tie in the January theme.
Sensory Play for Preschoolers, January Theme edition!
Have you seen these little melting snowmen? They can be found from all over the place around here. These ones were found at a local bookstore but you can also find them on Amazon (You can use my affiliate link right here: Melting Snowman Putty)
I love the idea of setting these little sensory snowmen up on a mirror. This adds such a cool dimension to the activity! Little one’s can roll and shape snowballs out of the silly putty like dough and then patiently (patiently!) watch it “melt” as the little arms, carrot nose, and eyes all slide and squirm.
January Ideas for Block Centre
Have you noticed that a lot of blocks now are magnetic? Whether you have Tegu blocks, Magnatiles, or any other type of magnetic block, here’s a neat idea for January: play with them on a vertical surface!
Pop a magnetic board up on the wall, or lean it against a wall and secure with some duct tape if it cannot be put up permanently. Little one’s can get all the benefits of vertical wall play, while also getting the benefits of block play.
Now for the marble run. Some are so flimsy and frustrate those little preschoolers (and teachers!) to no end, right? Well this month’s theme saw the marble run fixed to a board permanently. A little bit of hot glue and some tape made this activity completely stable for even the littlest of exploring hands.
And while some of the exploring can’t happen this month, little one’s can still learn about lots of big math concepts watching that marble slide, roll, and bounce down the marble run.
Whole Body Learning Ideas for January!
No January theme for preschool would be complete without some great learning activities that allow little ones to MOVE! Since it is so cold outside, little one’s might be inside a little more often. But of course, there is still oodles of energy in those little bodies.
This month there are some great, full body moving learning activities in the classroom. This awesome roller coaster has made an appearance, and with it some painters tape numbers.
Preschoolers wait their turn in line standing on each of the numbers. While they are there, they might trace the letter with their fingers, their feet, or jump that number of times.
When the roller coaster comes to a stop, the preschoolers will see the big word STOP written in painter’s tape to help them learn that sight word and those letters.
Another wonderful full body moving learning activity for January is to use an old overhead projector. If you can get your hands on one of these, or borrow one – do it! They are so full of learning opportunities. Just about anything you can put on a light table you can put on an overhead projector and it gets displayed up on the wall.
Little one’s can jump high to try to touch certain colours, shapes, or letters of their names.
There you have it! A tour of Michelle and Heather’s preschool classroom this January. I hope you loved seeing their January theme for preschool.
I am excited to share February’s theme with you next month!
Thank you so much for reading friends,
xo
Sarah
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