Winter break is over, and it’s time for students to return—and maybe for a January classroom reset. After the break, routines often need a refresh. This post shares tips for resetting while keeping the winter fun alive!

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What’s a January Classroom Reset? A classroom reset involves reorganizing materials, refreshing routines, and setting new goals for students to create a productive learning environment.

3 Ways to Reset Class Rules After Winter Break

1-Review Procedures

To get students back on track, start by reviewing classroom rules. Repost procedure posters, and go over them as a class several times a day to reinforce how your classroom family works.

2-Chant the Rules

Reviewing and practicing procedures after winter break is key to calming the “sillies” and starting your January reboot. Repeating rules with actions—and a dash of humor—boosts memorization and keeps students engaged. When things get loud, I pause and start our rules chant, and students quickly join in. It’s a fun way to reset, reflect on expectations, and take a quick brain break. Keep chants simple, or let students help create them!

3-Use New Themed Behavior Systems

Changing up your behavior board with the seasons can keep students excited and engaged in their behavior goals. A perfect idea for January is the Yeti behavior goal board.

Welcome Back Winter Theme

Keep students engaged while reviewing procedures with themed, hands-on winter activities! To help, we’ve created the January Reset Pack—full of fun ideas to ease 1st and 2nd graders back into school mode. Let’s see how it helps reset routines!

What wintery goodness awaits in this pack? Here are just a few examples!

Winter ELA

Here's a quick kickoff idea: start with some winter themed picture books. (I recommend one a day the first week.) Use these books to practice prediction, summarizing, main idea and a phonics sound hunt. Here are a few favorites:

• There was a Cold Lady who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro
• How to Catch a Snowman by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton
• One Frozen Lake by Deborah Jo Larson
• The Mitten or The Hat by Jan Brett

After reading The Mitten or The Hat, ask students to name the animals in the books. Then, have your students head to Epic Reading, or find Arctic Animals books from your library for them to use as a research source. Use this cute template for them to compile their research.

Winter Math

Can Math be winter themed? Of course it can! Kickoff idea:Try some online winter themed Math games, like those at Math Playground! Playing these games whole class can kick things back into gear. Then, follow this up with the winter themed math from the January Reset Pack, like the winter time clocks center.

Winter Art: Snowflake Symmetry

Snow can be beautiful! Each snowflake is unique and a work of art from nature. This art project will have kids focusing on symmetry while also seeing nature up close.

Head to the Snowflake Bentley website and show students his work up close. They will be inspired to create their own symmetrical snowflakes using the template in the January Reset Pack.

Winter Science: Ice Melting Experiment

The Science activity included in the pack is a hands-on lab! Students will be thrilled.

Kickoff idea: Make your own snow! (Or if you live in an area with snow, grab a bowl full.) Then, see how long it takes to melt. You will compare this time to the Ice Melting Experiment below. Need the recipe to make snow? Check it out in our Snow Globe Transformation Pack.

This hands-on lab does require teachers to gather a few things, but nothing will have to be purchased! Win! Students will love watching the ice melt and comparing the lengths of time in the different container types.

Winter Social Studies – Winter Wonderlands Around the World

Studying Winter around the world will be fascinating for students. The beautiful photo cards and writing prompt will get them thinking of cozy winter vibes all day long.

An extension idea: Head to Google Earth and find each place on the globe.

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Ready to Make Your January Reset a Breeze?

Transform your classroom after break with our January Reset Pack! Packed with engaging winter activities and practical management tools, this bundle will help you get organized, refocus your students, and kick off the new year stress-free.

Click to start your January reset now!

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One Last Idea…transform your classroom into a snow globe!

Happy teaching!