Welcome to a new “Off the Shelf” blog post highlighting important key dates, ideas, and activities for January that you can incorporate into your library lesson plans or classroom activities. My goal is to help you stay organized and inspired as you plan your month, making it simpler to bring exciting and meaningful activities to your students. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas or resources to save you time, I hope these posts help make your planning process smoother and more enjoyable.

Key Dates, Ideas, and Activities for January:

January 1 =New Year’s Day
     * Happy 2026! What are your resolutions?
January 2 =National Science Fiction Day
     *Explore the Science Fiction section of your favorite library! Create your own alien or spaceship.
January 4 = World Braille Day
     *Learn about how Braille was invented with this video.
     *Then practice your Braille skills with these free activities that you can find here. 
January 5 = National Bird Day
     *Learn something new about birds! Explore birds through books and/or databases.
     *Then have students fill out their learning on this Animal Fast Facts.
January 7 = Orthodox Christmas Day
January 11 = International Thank You Day
     *Thank someone you know today for their help!
     *Create a Thank You card for someone special like the one here.
January 13 = National Clean Your Desk Day
January 14 = Dress Up Your Pet Day
*Learn about pets at your local library.
January 15 =National Hat Day
*Create your own unique hat like the examples found here. 
January 17 = Benjamin Franklin Day
     *Learn all about Benjamin Franklin through books and/or databases?
     *Fill out their learning on this Biography Fast Facts. 
January 18 =Winnie the Pooh Day
     *Read your favorite Winnie the Pooh book!  Then draw your own version of Winnie the Pooh.
January 18 = National Thesaurus Day
     *Get a thesaurus and learn some new words!  Try to use them with your family today.
January 20 =Martin Luther King Jr. Day
      *Research MLK with your online databases and then have students fill out their learning on this Biography Fast Facts. 
January 28 = Lego Day
     *Build something new!
January 29 =Lunar New Year
*Learn about Lunar New Year through books and/or databases or through this video.
January 30 = Astronauts Day (NASA’s Day of Remembrance)
*Read some fun stories with astronauts in space in Story Time From Space.
January 31 =  Hot Chocolate Day
     *Enjoy a mug while learning more about where chocolate comes from!

Activities For January:  

These bookmarks have been a lifesaver for me this year in the library! After students check out their books, they choose one of the bookmarks to color. This gives them a fun, new bookmark each time they visit the library, but it also gives them something to do while they wait for others to finish finding their books.

Activity Link: TpT Store

Here’s a great activity to encourage students to reflect more about the “type” of books that they are checking out, and provide them with a way to set reading goals for the new year.

Activity Link: TpT Store

Want a cute way to re-introduce proper bookcare and manage damaged books in your library? Use these Book Hospital and Graveyard signs!

Activity Link: TpT Store