January is a wonderful time to slow things down after the busy holidays and ease preschoolers back into routines with cozy, meaningful learning. January preschool themes naturally lean into winter, cold weather, new beginnings, and simple concepts that help young kids learn through play.
These themes work beautifully for lesson plans in preschool, pre-k, and daycare settings, and they are also easy to adapt for different age year olds at home or in early learning classrooms. Whether you are planning a full lesson plan for January or just looking for theme ideas to guide your activities, these January themes for preschool offer plenty of inspiration to use and adapt as suits you and your children best.
January Preschool Themes List
Our January preschool themes printable is part of a full January through December set, making it easy to plan your preschool themes for the whole year without starting from scratch each month. Let’s take a look at these January theme ideas.
If you click on the linked words in each of the topics below it will take you to activities and ideas we have here at In The Playroom which fit these themes.
Winter
A winter theme is a natural starting point for January preschool themes. Talk about cold weather, winter clothing, and what changes outside during this time of year.
Activities can include winter sensory bins with fake snow, painting snowy scenes, or reading simple winter stories that help preschoolers learn about the season and how people adapt to colder temperatures.
Snowflakes
Snowflakes are perfect for crafts and early learning. Preschoolers can explore shapes, patterns, and symmetry by cutting paper snowflakes or stamping snowflake designs with paint. This theme also works well for early math and art activities, helping kids learn that snowflakes are all different, just like people.
More Snowflake activities and crafts for kids
Arctic Animals
An arctic animals theme introduces preschoolers to animals that live in cold climates. Polar bears, arctic foxes, seals, and penguins are exciting animals for kids to learn about in January. Simple activities might include arctic animal yoga, animal matching games, arctic animal facts and crafts, or talking about how animals stay warm in winter.
This is one of the most popular January themes for kids of all ages.
Ice
Ice is fascinating for young learners and makes a great hands-on January theme. Freeze small toys or objects in ice and let preschoolers observe what happens as it melts over time.
This theme supports early science learning and encourages kids to ask questions, explore the concepts of states of matter, cause and effect, and build curiosity.
You can also learn about iceskating which makes the theme extra fun.
New Year
A New Year theme focuses on fresh starts and simple reflection in an age-appropriate way. Preschoolers can talk about what they enjoy, what they want to learn, or what makes them feel happy.
Activities can include drawing pictures of favorite things or creating a simple class goal together. Explore calendars, vision boards and pick out a word of the year.
Polar Bears
Polar bears deserve their own theme because preschoolers love them. Use this theme to talk about animal habitats, colors, and size comparisons. Polar bear crafts, counting activities, and polar bear movement games are all fun ways to support learning while staying on a winter theme.
Mittens & Hats
Mittens and hats are perfect for a practical winter preschool theme. Preschoolers can sort mittens by color or size, practice buttoning and dressing skills, or create mitten crafts. This theme connects daily life with learning and helps kids understand how clothing keeps us warm.
Hot Chocolate
A hot chocolate theme adds warmth and fun to January themes for preschool. Use pretend play with cups and spoons, practice counting marshmallows, or read cozy winter stories together.
This theme works well as hot cocoa sensory play and role play, especially for younger preschoolers and toddlers.
Hibernation
Hibernation is a calm, cozy theme that fits perfectly into January lesson plans. Talk about animals that sleep during winter and compare that to how people rest.
Activities might include acting out animals getting ready for winter or creating simple animal dens with blocks and blankets.
Animals that hibernate include bears, squirrels, hedgehog, bats and groundhogs. Explore books about hibernation.
Opposites
Opposites tie in naturally with winter concepts like hot and cold, big and small, or fast and slow. Preschoolers can explore opposites through movement games, matching activities, and simple discussions that support early language and thinking skills. You can also explore textures like rough and smooth, color opposites like dark and light, through hands on winter process art.
Igloos
An igloo theme introduces basic ideas about shelters and how people live in cold places. Preschoolers can build pretend igloos with blocks, cotton balls, or paper, helping them learn about shapes, structures, and different ways people stay warm around the world.
You can also explore igloo crafts and igloo coloring.
Warm & Cold
Warm and cold is an easy, clear theme for January preschool activities. Compare winter clothes to summer clothes, talk about how weather feels, and sort objects into warm and cold categories.
This theme supports early science and sensory learning in a way preschoolers can easily understand. You can also try this easy experiment about temperature perception.
Doctors, Nurses
A doctors and nurses theme focuses on community helpers and caring for others. Preschoolers can role play check-ups, talk about staying healthy in winter, and learn that doctors and nurses help people feel better.
This theme is great for dramatic play and also supports emotional learning and empathy.
Healthy Habits
January is a great time to talk about healthy habits in simple ways. Preschoolers can learn about washing hands, brushing teeth, eating foods that help their bodies like fruits and vegetables, and getting enough rest.
Activities should stay positive and age-appropriate, focusing on caring for ourselves. A great book to include for this theme is our book Thank You Body.
Goals & Wishes
Goals and wishes work well as a gentle New Year theme. Preschoolers can share wishes, draw pictures of things they like to do, or talk about what they want to learn this year. This theme supports communication skills and helps kids feel heard and valued.
Holidays and Dates in January
January includes several meaningful dates that can be included in preschool lesson plans. Martin Luther King Day is a time to teach kindness, fairness, and helping others in age-appropriate ways. Simple activities can focus on friendship and treating people with respect, inspired by Martin Luther King and his message.
The Feast of the Epiphany, also known as three kings day, celebrated in early January, can be explored through simple storytelling or cultural discussions depending on your setting.
Other January dates may include National Popcorn Day or winter weather observations, which can easily tie into daily learning activities.
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 6 – Feast of the Epiphany
Third Monday in January – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 4 – World Braille Day
January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
January 18 – Winnie the Pooh Day
January 20 – Penguin Awareness Day
January 21 – International Hugging Day
January 24 – International Day of Education
January 25 – Burns Night
January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Download All 12 Months of the Year Preschool Themes PDF
If you want to save time planning your preschool themes, you can download the full January preschool themes PDF as part of a complete set covering all 12 months of the year. This printable is designed to support lesson plans, theme ideas, and planning for preschool, pre-k, and daycare, making it easy to stay organized all year long.
Terms of use: Our monthly preschool themes pdf is free for personal use and classroom use. Do not redistribute our files. This file contains all 12 months of the year, so if you only want the january calendar themes then select the page number accordingly when printing.
January preschool themes offer a calm, cozy way to start the year with meaningful learning. From winter animals and snow to healthy habits and new beginnings, these themes help preschoolers learn through play while staying connected to the season. With flexible ideas that work for different year olds, January themes can support both classroom learning and at-home activities.
Planning ahead for next month then also check out the February themes
More Winter Activities for Kids
Looking for more winter activities to go with your January themes? We have plenty of winter crafts, learning ideas, winter printables and preschool activities that keep kids engaged during cold weather.
- 33 Cool Snowman crafts for kids
- Free Printable Winter LEGO Mats Worksheets
- Free Winter Dot to Dot Printable 20 Pages
- Winter PomPom Mats Free Printable Fine Motor Activity for Kids
- Disguise a Snowman Printable Pack
- Winter & Christmas Color By Number Pages for Kids {Free Printables}
We hope you enjoyed these January themes ideas. If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with other teachers, parents, or caregivers who are planning preschool themes for January. Sharing helps others discover new ideas and supports early learning for kids everywhere.
More Monthly Theme Posts
We’re working on getting the whole year written up, so far we have covered
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.