February Teaching in Kindergarten

February teaching in kindergarten is such a fun time! Not only are there several fun themes that you can include in February, but there is also Valentine’s Day–a time when we can celebrate all the great friends our students have made this year! I like to bring the February themes into as many content areas as possible, but I especially love including them in STEM and crafts. These are just some of the themes I use throughout February to get students engaged and excited about learning. 

Groundhog Day

The first week of February is all about Groundhog Day. Kindergarteners love learning about this tradition that is usually unfamiliar to them, and they love making their own predictions about whether or not the groundhog will see its shadow! Not only is this a great opportunity to have students vote on what they think will happen and then record their answers on a graph, but it can also make a really fun writing prompt!

There are also several other ways you can write about Groundhog Day. Students can complete some nonfiction writing about groundhog facts or write about whether or not he saw his shadow. Pair them with a cute groundhog craft, and you have the perfect bulletin board! February teaching in kindergarten means groundhog week is full of fun!

Valentine’s Day

Another great holiday to bring into your classroom in February is Valentine’s Day! We talk about all things Valentine’s Day, from chocolates and roses to making cards and celebrating friendship. We also share Valentine’s Day read alouds, and then put some of the holiday fun into centers and STEM.

During STEM learning, I give my students different materials and present them with a problem to solve. For Valentine’s Day, one of the problems might be that we have chocolates to give as a gift, but no box to put them in. Then, students use the provided materials to create a box for the chocolates. 

We bring Valentine’s Day into our craft and writing, too. One of my favorite crafts is a “love bug” craft. Students then  write a story about a love bug and what it would do! There are so many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the classroom all week long!

President’s Day

After Valentine’s Day, we start learning all about presidents! Not only do we talk a little about the job of the president, but we also talk about some notable presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. With each president, we discuss what they were like in their early life, what monuments are dedicated to them, and what coins and bills they are on. 

Once students learn different facts about each president, they can write a nonfiction piece. After writing down their favorite facts, students can also complete an Abraham Lincoln or George Washington craft to go with their writing. 

Then, we bring the presidents into our STEM learning. One of the many facts we learn about Abraham Lincoln is that he was raised in a log cabin, so students can work with different materials to create their own log cabin model. Throughout the week, students can learn all about the presidents through hands-on activities like crafts and STEM projects. 

Dental Health

As many of my fellow kindergarten teachers already know, February is also Dental Health Awareness month, making it the perfect time to talk about dental hygiene and teeth! There are a lot of ways to bring these topics into February teaching in kindergarten, from learning about different types of animal teeth to even writing a how-to piece about how to brush teeth. 

Alternatively, students can write a narrative story about the tooth fairy. They can get creative and think about what they think the tooth fairy would look like and what she would do when she isn’t collecting teeth. With either prompt, a fun tooth fairy craft would be the perfect way to end the project! With different projects and crafts, students can learn all about their dental health in fun and meaningful ways. 

Throughout the month of February, there are many different holidays you can bring into your lesson plans. Students will love learning about Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and Groundhog Day, as well as dental health and the tooth fairy! Through crafts, STEM projects, and other fun activities, students can learn about these important nonfiction topics in exciting, hands-on ways!