25+ January Preschool Themes with Lesson Plans and Activities

January Preschool Themes with Lesson Plans and Activities are full of hands-on activities to enjoy this winter. These preschool themes are perfect for the Winter. Pick your favorite preschool activity or do several. Your children will be learning and exploring all season long. Children of all ages can enjoy these wonderful winter themes with activities and printables. Whether you are a homeschool mom, adding monthly theme activities to your week, or you are a classroom teacher, you’ve come to the right place.

Preschool Themes

January Preschool Themes with Lesson Plans and Activities

This January Preschool Themes Page is full of winter fun and learning activities. You’ll find science, nature, sensory, crafts, geography, holidays, hands-on activities, language, writing, and more. We hope you enjoy all of the ideas you find here

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Winter Themes

Winter is a magical season that offers a wealth of themes perfect for engaging preschoolers in fun and educational activities.

Here are some delightful winter themes to explore with your little ones, and you can find more information and ideas by scrolling down:

Snow and Ice: Introduce children to the wonders of snow and ice through sensory play, science experiments, and creative crafts. Activities could include making snowflakes from paper, exploring the properties of ice with melting experiments, or building mini snowmen using playdough or cotton balls.
Winter Animals: Teach preschoolers about animals that thrive in cold climates, such as polar bears, penguins, and Arctic foxes. Incorporate storytime with books about these animals, create animal masks, and discuss how they adapt to the winter environment.
Holiday Celebrations: Explore the various holidays celebrated during the winter season, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s. Engage children with festive crafts, songs, and stories that highlight the traditions and customs of each holiday.
Winter Clothing: Discuss the importance of dressing warmly in winter and introduce vocabulary related to winter clothing, such as hats, scarves, mittens, and boots. Organize a dress-up activity where children can practice putting on and taking off winter gear or create a matching game with pictures of winter clothing.
Hibernation and Migration: Teach preschoolers how some animals hibernate or migrate to survive the winter. Use interactive storytelling, puppet shows, or simple science activities to illustrate these concepts. For example, you could create a “hibernation station” where children can pretend to be animals preparing for winter.
Winter Sports and Activities: Introduce children to popular winter sports and activities like ice skating, skiing, and sledding. Organize a mini “Winter Olympics” with indoor-friendly versions of these activities, such as a paper plate ice skating rink or a cotton ball snowball toss.
Winter Weather: Explore different types of winter weather, including snow, sleet, and frost. Conduct simple weather experiments, such as making frost on a can or creating a snowstorm in a jar. Discuss how to stay safe and warm during winter weather conditions.

Winter Preschool Themes

Click on the link for activities and printables

Antarctica

Check out my amazing Antarctica unit study for lesson plans and preschool theme ideas your little learners will love. The Montessori puzzles and three part cards were a big hit at our house.

Arctic

Study animal tracks in the Arctic with this frozen foam dough recipe that looks just like snow!

Bears

Practice early math skills with your preschoolers using adorable bear manipulatives from Montessori by Mom Toolbox. Then, explore bear caves with cave sensory play ideas.

Clouds

Learn about the weather with your preschoolers, beginning with this cool rain cloud in a jar experiment.

Hibernation & Migration

Preschool is the perfect time to begin teaching your kids about hibernation, migration, and how they’re different. You can use these adorable winter animal worksheets to help your preschoolers begin to understand how animals hibernate and migrate in Winter.

Hot Chocolate

January is the perfect time for a really cute hot chocolate theme. Make this hot chocolate slime with your preschoolers for a sensory learning activity they won’t forget.

Ice

You can use this project to teach your preschoolers about important concepts like global warming and melting ice in the Arctic. This endangered ocean animals sensory play will engage your preschoolers for hours while teaching important lessons.

Mittens

These easy mitten themed activities are perfect for preschoolers or toddlers this Winter. Practice sorting, matching, and lacing with printable mitten templates and concrete objects.

Owls

Learn about owls at home with your preschool learners or toddlers in this exciting Winter sensory bin activity.

Pinecones

You can bring nature inside for your preschoolers to explore while it’s cold outside as you learn about pinecones, evergreen trees, and nature in the Winter.

Snow

Engage all 5 senses with this fluffy snow slime recipe that’s perfect for a Winter themed preschool sensory play experience.

Snowflake

This Winter science experiment for preschoolers is the perfect way to begin learning about snowflakes as you create your own crystal snowflake ornaments with borax and pipe cleaners.

Snowman

One popular theme for January is snowmen. Countless books, crafts, and activities can be incorporated into this theme. Children can learn about sequencing by building a snowman in the correct order and can even create their snowman craft to take home.

Help your preschoolers build emotional awareness with printable snowman activities this Winter.

Winter Animals

Learn about winter animals, such as penguins and polar bears. Students can learn about their habitats, diets, and unique adaptations to survive harsh winter weather.

Learn about penguins with the best preschool penguin activity printables and lesson plans, book suggestions, movement activities, and 3 part Montessori winter animal cards.

Letter of The Week Crafts

January Preschool Themes with Lesson Plans and Preschool Activities, These Fun January Preschool Activities explore winter, BEARS, Winter Animals, Nature, Penguins, Snow and so much more. Preschoolers will enjoy these fun hands on activities with monthly winter themes that include List of Themes for Preschool, January Holidays, Preschool Activities, and Preschool Lesson Plans for the Year

January Themes and Holidays

New Year’s Day

Celebrate with a “Noon Year’s Eve” kickoff your preschoolers will love! Balloon drops, confetti poppers, DIY noise makers, freeze dance, and sweet treats will have all your preschoolers excited about ringing in the New Year.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read I Am Brave: A Little Book about Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer with your preschoolers this year.

National Spaghetti Day

You can have a lot of fun celebrating National Spaghetti day with your preschoolers this year. Make spaghetti for lunch and learn to sing On Top of Spaghetti.

National Bird Day

Celebrate National Bird Day with your preschoolers by making a DIY birdfeeder together to help the birds in your backyard this Winter.

Winnie the Pooh Day for The Birthday of author A.A. Milne (January 18th)

Celebrate with more than 40 Winnie the Pooh themed activities and crafts that are perfect for the holiday including sensory bin ideas and cupcake recipes.

Penguin Awareness Day

Learn all about these amazing creatures with these preschool penguin activities.

National Pie Day

Make pumpkin pie playdough for sensory play, or work together in the kitchen to create a sweet dessert for the holiday.

Preschool Activities

Are you looking for exciting new themes to teach your students in January? January is a great time to introduce new themes and activities to your children. With winter in full swing, there are plenty of opportunities to explore themes such as snow, winter animals, and hibernation.

No matter which themes you choose, it is important to have a solid lesson plan in place. This will ensure that your kids are engaged and learning throughout the day. With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can create a fun and educational environment for your preschoolers to thrive in.

Homemade Bird Feeders

Preschool Weekly Themes and Activities for January

By incorporating these winter themes into your preschool curriculum, you can create a rich and engaging learning environment that celebrates the season while fostering creativity, curiosity, and a love for learning.