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Happy New Year and welcome to a brand-new blog feature!
At the start of each month, we’ll be posting an all you need to know guide filled with seasonal activity ideas, ways to develop learning at home, storybooks to share and so much more.
Let’s dive straight into January - a seasonal guide for under 5s.
January
2024 has officially begun – a New Year full of amazing opportunities for learning, having fun and bonding!
Did you know...
January is considered the coldest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere... It's also considered the warmest month of the year in the Southern Hemisphere!
Making this month a perfect time to embrace the joy of winter! Cosy moments at home, fun winter activities, frosty park adventures and learning all about the year to come.
There are lots of events and observance days that can make this time of year fun and interesting. Helping your little one better understand the world around them both through their community and through nature.
Events
Here is the list of events/observance days taking place this month, each is linked to more information or activity ideas to expand your little one’s learning at home:
Recipes to try
Wintertime brings cravings for warming soups, hearty stews, and delicious roast dinners. Here is a selection of BBC GoodFood recipes ideal for winter which you can easily make with your little one.
Note: Why not make these recipes vegan with a few simple meat and dairy substitutes!
Activities
From crafts activities and sensory play to heading outdoors and exploring wildlife, here are a few amazing activity ideas for this month!
Snow Playdough
Your little one can create their own snow-inspired playdough and use it for a variety of amazing sensory and creative activities!
Click here for the full guide.
Seasonal Sensory Bottles
Your little one can learn more about the seasons by making these lovely sensory bottles!
Click here for the full guide.
Penguin Ice Melting Experiment
Get your little one interested in science with this fun ice-melting activity!
Click here for the full guide.
Bird Activities
Celebrate Big Garden Birdwatch this January with these awesome activities - from birdwatching to making your own bird feeders and so much more.
Click here for the full guide.
Head Outdoors This Winter
Check out our guide to heading outdoors with 10 amazing trails and parks in South London and Surrey.
Please note this guide was published for the Bank Holiday in August but we think winter is an amazing time to head outside and observe all the amazing seasonal changes.
Click here for the full guide.
Books to read
January evenings are a great opportunity to cuddle up on the couch with your little one and read a wonderful winter-themed storybook. Here are some of our recommendations:
Additional Resources