The start of a new year is the perfect time to engage your students with French culture, language practice, and fun classroom activities. January is a great opportunity to celebrate Le Nouvel An, explore French traditions, and inspire students to set goals for the year ahead. This post highlights 10 French New Year classroom activities that are perfect for Core French or French Immersion classes, all designed to be engaging, no-prep, and culturally rich.
1. French Vision Board Poster: Inspire Your Students’ Goals
Help your students set intentions for the new year with a French Vision Board Poster activity. This creative resource allows students to explore topics like travel, family, friends, hobbies, money, health, and growth mindset while expressing themselves in French.
What’s included:
Easy-to-use workbook in French
Thought-provoking questions to guide reflection
Visual prompts to create a beautiful poster
Why teachers love it: Vision boards are a powerful tool for helping students clarify their goals, build focus, and get motivated to take action—while practicing French vocabulary naturally.
2. Le Nouvel An Reading Comprehension Packet
Engage your learners with 3 differentiated French New Year stories that cover traditions, resolutions, and celebrations. Each story is adapted for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced learners, making differentiation a breeze.
Stories included:
La fête (The Party)
Mes résolutions (My Resolutions)
Le premier jour de l’année (The First Day of the Year)
Students will practice French reading comprehension, learn New Year vocabulary, and reflect on cultural customs in France.
3. New Year Resolutions Art Activity (Freebie)
Celebrate la nouvelle année while encouraging personal reflection. Students write their resolutions on marshmallow-shaped cutouts and decorate cozy mug templates. This hands-on activity reinforces French writing practice and makes a festive classroom bulletin board display.
4. New Year Windsock Craft: Writing and Coloring
Combine creativity with language learning! Students follow simple steps to write their New Year resolutions in French, color, cut, and assemble these windsocks. A perfect decoration for classroom walls that reinforces vocabulary and promotes French writing practice.
Templates included: 4 blackline designs suitable for Core French or French Immersion students.
5. French New Year Traditions Collaborative Posters
Bring French culture to life with interactive posters exploring New Year customs:
Les Étrennes Poster – Research French gift-giving traditions
Les Cartes de Vœux Poster – Explore French New Year cards
Les Vœux Présidentiels Poster – Learn about the President’s speech
Bonne Année Celebrations Poster – Investigate New Year festivities in France
Each poster includes French and English versions, making them ideal for multi-level classrooms and group work.
6. Le Nouvel An Research Project
Your students can dive deeper into French New Year traditions with a 26-page bilingual research project. Topics include New Year’s Eve dinner, dressing “sur son 31,” kissing under the mistletoe, Champs-Élysées celebrations, resolutions, cards, and les étrennes.
This activity encourages independent research, enhances cultural knowledge, and develops critical thinking skills.
7. New Year’s Idioms Poster & Activity Pack
Teach students French idioms related to the New Year in a fun and interactive way. This resource includes 8 illustrated posters and 4 activities that reinforce comprehension and creative writing.
Benefits:
Expands vocabulary in meaningful contexts
Strengthens understanding of French expressions
Sparks discussions about celebration, renewal, and hope
8. French Speaking and Discussion Prompts for January
Build students’ confidence in oral communication with 20 seasonal French speaking prompts. Visual cues and simple structures help Beginner students practice everyday phrases while learning winter vocabulary and New Year terms.
Use as:
Morning meeting prompts
Bell-ringers
Pair or group discussion activities
9. No-Prep French New Year Chat Mat
Encourage structured French conversation about le Nouvel An with a printable chat mat. Includes key vocabulary, high-frequency verbs, sentence starters, and discussion prompts—perfect for independent or guided practice. Great for all proficiency levels, it’s ready to use with zero prep.
10. French Grammar & Vocabulary Winter Review
End the month with a 20-page review packet for Core French and French 1 students. Cover essential vocabulary, grammar, and conjugation while reinforcing concepts from the start of the year. Topics include daily routines, family, numbers, colors, verbs, prepositions, and reflexive verbs.
This resource is perfect for review, assessment, or warm-up activities while keeping students engaged in meaningful language practice.
Final Thoughts: Make January a Month of Culture and Conversation
With these 10 French New Year classroom activities, you’ll combine cultural exploration, creativity, and language practice. From vision boards to collaborative posters, interactive chat mats, and engaging reading passages, your students will gain confidence, practice French vocabulary, and celebrate Le Nouvel An in style.
Start the year with fun, no-prep activities that bring French language and culture to life—your students (and your planning time!) will thank you.
👉 Click here to download 30 FREE activities to help your students speak more French!