The holidays are over, and the kids are ready to be back in the classroom, but they are still excited about the festivities. How do you keep them focused while providing fun activities to excite them? Incorporate crafts and activities that both engage the kids and teach them something. Keep reading to learn some amazing ideas you can use in your classroom this winter, including some bulletin board ideas for January.
Keeping Kids Excited and Motivated After the Holidays with Visuals
One of our most challenging jobs as teachers is keeping kids on task around the holidays. They get so excited about presents, time away from school, and family visits that their academic focus goes out the window. However, there are ways to keep them engaged while in the classroom. It just takes a little bit of planning!
Keep them focused using a Winter Powerpoint and Google Slides Template. Use the editable slides to set up literacy and math centers and welcome kids to the classroom. They will love the winter theme and are simple to use all day long. Teachers love using them during morning meetings to lay out the day, during centers to keep kids on task, and to close the day with a nice message.
I also have a Winter Powerpoint with Timers that makes the center time a breeze!
If you want fun activities to use during January, try creating fun games for them to play while they work on math and literacy skills. Use these FREE Editable Winter Labels to put point values on cups and use them as baskets for cotton balls. Students can practice sight words, vocabulary words, math facts, and more and then toss a cotton ball in the cups to score points. It’s a fun way to practice all sorts of skills in the classroom.
Invite Kids to Get Crafty and Practice Fine Motor Skills
One of the best ways to keep kids engaged around the holidays is to add crafts to your lesson plans. I don’t mean arts and crafts with glue and glitter everywhere. I mean crafts with a purpose!
Use a bulletin board display to add decor to your room and to add to your classroom community. A craft where students are involved in the creation process allows them to see how much they mean to the classroom environment. This Winter Bulletin Board Kit lets every child make a sweater and attach their smiling face to it. They will love seeing their creations up on the bulletin board in January.
Kids also love a writing craft where they can express themselves. Use these Winter Crafts and Writing Templates to create a mug, mitten, penguin, and snowman. Kids can write about whatever they like, or you can provide them with winter writing prompts to match each design. Each craft comes with primary writing lines and simple writing prompt options.
Another fun activity is this FREE Snowman Craft! Keep this on hand for a rainy day or to start a day if students need a little brain break. It’s simple to complete and makes a great bulletin board display in January.
Watch this video for fun Dollar Tree ideas, including the snowman craft!
Include Family in the January Fun
When it comes to the classroom community, including the family at home is just as important as what happens in the classroom. Use newsletters sent home regularly to communicate what’s happening in the classroom and keep families updated.
Don’t have your own newsletter template and want a January-themed one? I have you covered with this Winter Newsletter Template Pack. There are three different themes to choose from that can be used with any grade level. The templates are editable, so you can add your own wording.
Include vocabulary kids are learning, events that are coming up, things to look forward to, items the classroom needs, standards they are working on, and more.
Hopefully, combining these ideas will help your kids fall back into the classroom rhythm after the excitement of the holidays. Use the slide timers to keep kids on task and send the newsletters home to keep parents in the loop. You’ll have a great classroom community and students ready to learn in no time!
For more classroom bulletin board ideas and activities, check out these posts:
- New Year’s Resolutions in the Classroom With SMART Goals Worksheets and Activities
- So What’s the Deal With Teachers Using Printable Classroom Decor Anyway?
- 3 Important Procedures and Routines That Every Teacher Needs
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