Free Educational Resources and Seasonal Promotional Offers for January

The provided source material highlights two distinct categories of free offerings available in January: educational freebies for teachers and parents, and seasonal promotional freebies from various brands. The educational resources focus on providing teachers with classroom materials, such as worksheets, literacy centers, and math journals, suitable for kindergarten and first-grade students. These resources are often shared through teacher marketplaces and personal blogs, offering activities related to winter themes, including snowmen, penguins, and The Mitten by Jan Brett. The second category involves brand-sponsored freebies and promotional days, covering national food holidays and seasonal events, such as free ice cream, pretzels, popcorn, and national park entrance fees.

Educational Freebies for January

A variety of free educational resources are available for educators and parents looking for January-themed materials for young learners, specifically targeting kindergarten and first-grade levels. These resources cover literacy, mathematics, and seasonal activities.

Literacy and Writing Activities

Several sources describe free literacy activities designed for January. One source details the use of "Write the Room" as a literacy center for kindergarteners. This activity involves hiding theme-based words around the classroom for students to find and record on clipboards. For January, two different theme-based versions are available. Another resource offers a "sound match game" suitable for literacy centers, which can be stored in metal tins or clear pouches.

Additional literacy materials include journals focused on Common Core standards and number sense skills. These journals are designed as a warm-up or for extra practice during small group instruction. The directions are written to be easily understood by students. There are also resources for practicing rhymes, consisting of ready-to-print worksheets where students color matching rhymes from five different pictures per page.

Math and Fine Motor Skills

For mathematics, "January Math Journals" are available to practice number sense skills. These are designed for kindergarten students and build upon skills from previous months. They can be used during lessons or for extra practice.

Fine motor skill activities are also mentioned, specifically using tongs and plastic ice cubes. Students use tongs to pick out ice cubes, which can have letters or words written on them, to practice reading or alphabetizing. These activities are intended for use in fine motor bins and encourage pair work.

Winter and Seasonal Themes

Common themes for January educational materials include winter, snowmen, penguins, and the book The Mitten by Jan Brett. One source mentions a "Winterlicious" theme. Digital resources are also available, such as "DIGITAL Morning Meeting for Winter," which includes animated math and literacy activities for circle time, compatible with PowerPoint or Smartboard.

Storage and Organization

Practical advice for organizing these freebies is provided, suggesting the use of metal boxes for storing literacy center cards and clear pencil pouches for holding center materials. These storage methods are intended to keep materials accessible and engaging for students throughout the month.

Seasonal Promotional Freebies

Beyond educational materials, the source material identifies several annual promotional freebies available in January and throughout the year. These offers typically align with national holidays or seasonal events.

January Specific Promotions

National Popcorn Day: Occurring every January 19th, several movie theaters across the country offer a bag of free popcorn.
National Corn Dog Day: Sonic offers corn dogs for $0.50 on this day, with a limit of five per order. No coupon is required.
National Park Entrance: Free entrance is available to any national park on a specific date, though the exact date in January is not specified in the text.
Free Pretzels: On April 26th, brands such as Philly Pretzel Factory, Pretzelmaker, Snyder's of Hanover, and Wetzel's Pretzels give out free pretzels.

Year-Round and Other Seasonal Promotions

Ben & Jerry's: Every April 10th, Ben & Jerry's stores offer a free ice cream scoop from noon to 8 p.m.
Tax Day: Several businesses offer freebies as a reward for making the federal tax deadline on April 15th.
Free Comic Book Day: Held the first Saturday in May, participating comic book stores across North America give away at least one free comic book.
Earth Day: On Earth Day (April 22nd), various promotions are available, though specific details were not provided in the text.