Looking forward to 2023

After last month’s festivities, January can feel dismal. To make matters worse, this year many families are struggling with the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis. It may feel as though there is little inspiration to be found in January’s gloom.

On a more positive note, a new year brings a sense of hope for the year ahead. It’s time for resolutions to be made and for a fresh start. Rather than riding out the challenges of this time of year and waiting for spring to arrive, educators can instead explore the opportunities that January brings.

New Year is a good time to plot out key events for the year ahead in the form of an almanac including festivals and local community events. Almanac is also a lovely word to add to children’s vocabulary. It is simply a record of events published annually that contains information of interest or events for each calendar month.

Create your January Almanac
January’s almanac entry could include the following festivals and celebrations – dates vary from year to year so do check:

Chinese New Year
International Kite Festival
World Braille Day
National Storytelling Week
International Zebra Day

Events in nature

Bare branches on trees – if you have a tree in your outdoor area, winter is a great time to observe its structure. Can you spot any abandoned nests?
Signs of new growth – look out for tiny buds beginning to appear
Snowdrops – winter’s early blooms will put on a display
Winter weather – make the most of crisp frosty mornings
Evergreen trees – a great way to prompt children to think about why some trees stay green!

Local events – look out for open days and special events in public venues:

museums
art galleries
theatres
markets – street markets often reflect cultural diversity in your local area, with food and clothing from around the world
libraries – story telling sessions are often held weekly for families to enjoy

Be wildlife aware

Territorial robins are very vocal at this time of year and will be frequent visitors to your bird table so keep it topped up with food.
Birds and other small visitors to your outdoor area need water. Keep your bird baths topped up and make sure they do not freeze over.
Look for snails clustered together in tree.
Litter pick with your older children, to make sure that foraging wildlife is not harmed – use litter pickers and gloves and supervise younger children carefully.
Look out for pawprints on snowy days – see if you can work out who has been visiting your outdoor area.

Jobs to do in the garden together this January

Plant a tree (if you have space).
Deadhead any flowers and shrubs that need it. Give children secateurs to use and supervise carefully. Don’t forget to talk about why you are taking off the dead flowers.
Clear paths and borders of any leaves and tree debris.
Protect any hardy potted plants that you may have from frost in extreme cold. weather. You can use straw or even old blankets wrapped around the pot base.
Start to plan for spring – what do the children like about your outdoor area, what does not work well? Seek children’s opinions and plan together.

Be positive
Spring is just around the corner – encourage children to observe the subtle changes in the weather and the landscape as the days start to get longer.

Be mindful. Find ways to relax together and to help children express their worries. Remember that when children are engaged in play that absorbs them, cortisol levels are lower, and they can work through many tensions.

Look for the beauty in nature. January may feel like a bleak month so take the opportunity to point out frosty cobwebs that look like diamond necklaces, or stormy dramatic skies that change within minutes. It’s all there if children are encouraged to stop and stare!