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Quirky & Fun January Celebration Activities
Pull out those board games and trivia questions! Or go learn some new fun facts through Crash Course for Kids videos or Kahoot! games.
Tip! Click the Image Above for my favorite Board Game Hacks for the Classroom!
It’s Bird Day! This annual celebration highlights the need to protect our nation’s birds, and it also encourages us to go out and appreciate all the birds in our neighborhood. It’s a great day for observing birds during recess or lunch or even just doing a little research about the birds in your region.
Click the Image to Watch a Video of Our Very Own Desert Hot Springs, CA Birds!
Time to celebrate words! Add a new book to your classroom and encourage all of your students to learn a new word today! Dictionary.com posts one word each day for its readers to help them grow their vocabulary. You can also do a “Word of the Day” in your classroom. Let your students be in charge of gathering and posting them!
Click the Image to Access Merriam-Websters Word of the Day Calendar!
In 1973, newspaper journalist Harold Pullman Coffin decided that there should be an official day to do NOTHING. And, what better moment than this? After a crazy holiday season and the end of a semester, we could all use a nothing day to recuperate! Encourage your students to relax their minds and journal about nothing!
Click Image for more info!
What do the Popsicle, earmuffs, and the trampoline all have in common? They were invented by kids! In honor of Benjamin Franklin’s birthday, celebrate the innovation of your students, whether that be through the newest STEM activity, an imaginative quick write, or even a quick look at the products that children have invented. There are also some pretty inspiring TED Talks by kids and young adults that could inspire your little entrepreneurs.
Click Image for a Cool Video of some Great Kid Inventors!
This day celebrates the birthday of Peter Mark Roget, creator of Roget’s Thesaurus. Although you may not have a thesaurus nearby, this is a great time to teach a lesson on synonyms, word choice, and shades of meaning. Thesaurus.com is an excellent resource that might spark some conversation!
Click image for access to the website!
From Happy Feet to Madagascar, there is no shortage of adorable penguins in the movies. Penguin Awareness Day was created purely to appreciate these cute little seabirds and help people learn more about them. So, go ahead—throw a precious little penguin with a fun fact on your morning message board to brighten up your students’ day! If you’re really feeling the penguin love, your class can adopt one online through the World Wildlife Fund!
Click Image for more info!
If you’ve ever read Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin, you know just how incredible squirrels can be. Today celebrates these little creatures and encourages people to learn a little more about what squirrels are really like. Encourage your students to find an amazing squirrel fact to write about or share with the class.
Click the image for a fun read aloud video!
Give those iPads and Chromebooks a break and appreciate the art of the handwritten note. The special day was created in 1977 to motivate people to buy pens, pencils, and writing paper, but since teachers already buy plenty of those, we get to celebrate a different way. Today would be a great day for teaching a quick cursive lesson, writing notes home to students’ families, or just having a good old-fashioned paper and pencil activity!
Click image for 8 fun handwriting activities!
Started by two women who wanted to thank their loved ones, this day is a perfect time to start encouraging kindness in your classroom. Think about other teachers, students, or even parents who might need a compliment today. This would be a great opportunity for students to practice their speaking skills with one another! Besides, who doesn’t need a compliment every now and then?
Click image to learn about Compliment Circles for your classroom!
It really exists! While kids may jokingly declare “it’s Opposite Day!” during recess, this day will get them really thinking about contrasting ideas. Get a little wacky today and let your students enjoy the wonder of having things flipped around! Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss is a great read-aloud for this day. Find all the silly examples of “opposite” things in daily life!
Click image for a Read Aloud!
Breakout EDU, anyone? Challenge your students with a puzzle or two today. Rebuses, sudoku squares, brain teasers, or even an old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle can be a great brain break. Have fun!
Click image for a lesson Break Out Room!
We live in a world that’s so centered on productivity. Take a moment today to help your students see the beauty in visual arts, music, dance, theater, or poetry. Start the day with a beautiful piece of music or have students create a painting of something they love. You never know what talented artists could be hiding in your classroom!
Click image for a Cute Polar Bear Craft!
Effective Strategies & Best Practices in Language Arts
Explore Various Strategies, Best Practices, and Resources for Encoding and Decoding in this amazing Padlet by Molly McCabe, RCOE.
Click on the Image to Access this CLOSE Reading Placemat that includes Key Effective Strategies to Use Throughout the CLOSE Read Process. Click Image Below for A CLOSE Read Anchor Chart to have Visible in the Classroom.
The Teacher's Room YouTube Channel
Lesson Tips, Ideas, and Games to Teach English. Click the Image to Access the Video Playlists
Mathematics
New Number Chart App from Bridges
Check Out Various Ways to Incorporate the Number Chart into your day by reading the Blog. Click HERE.
The Number Chart App on the Bridges Educator Site is a tool for exploring numbers in a grid format. Learners can use one of the standard charts – such as a 10 x 10 grid with the numbers 1-100 – or they can create their own custom chart of any size and fill it with fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers. They can also use the stamp tool to identify patterns or make conjectures about the number system. In addition, teachers can use the Number Chart app for choral counting by using the play and pause buttons in the lower tray.
Log into Bridges Educator Site and Explore Different Ways of Using the Number Rack!
Math & Movement
Using Brain Based Teaching Practices to Promote Movement While Learning Mathematics Foundations
Click the Above Resources for Ideas on How to Add Movement to Your Math Lessons.
Great for Physical Education and Brain Based Learning!
Google Slides match the webinar that is advertised above. Click the link on the right above to access the registration page. There are many dates available in January. Even if you can't make the live times, a recording will be sent to your email as long as you are registered.
The items they use along with the movements are available for purchase, but they are also easily created as a DIY.
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