If you’re planning your French January classroom activities, L’Épiphanie and La Galette des Rois offer the perfect opportunity to blend French culture, reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and hands-on learning. Whether you teach Core French or French Immersion, these French Epiphany activities make it easy to bring authentic francophone traditions into your winter classroom.
Today, we’ll explore how to teach L’Épiphanie in French class using a variety of engaging, no-prep, student-approved activities—perfect for the first weeks of January when everyone is still easing back into routine.
What Is L’Épiphanie? A Quick Overview for French Teachers
L’Épiphanie falls on January 6th, marking the end of the Christmas season in France. To celebrate, families share the iconic galette des rois, a flaky puff-pastry cake filled with almond frangipane. Hidden inside is the famous fève, and whoever finds it becomes the king or queen for the day—complete with a gold couronne.
That tradition alone gives you a rich foundation for countless French culture lessons, speaking prompts, readings, and hands-on activities perfect for January.
1. Introduce L’Épiphanie with a Cultural Presentation + Reading Comprehension
A great way to begin your unit is with a clear, accessible introduction to the tradition. This L’Épiphanie French resource includes everything teachers need to introduce the holiday in both English and French:
✔ Complete Lesson Starter: “When do French people eat La Galette des Rois?”
This cultural mini-unit includes:
A short presentation about la galette des rois in English
A presentation in French
Comprehension questions in English
Comprehension questions in French
A short research project: La galette des rois – Recipe
A word search
A fève research activity
This is perfect for:
French culture days in January
Sub plans
No-prep winter lessons
French New Year classroom activities
Core French cultural units
Introduce L’Épiphanie with a Cultural Presentation + Reading Comprehension
It gives students the context they need before jumping into more interactive tasks.
2. Create a Collaborative Classroom Poster of La Galette des Rois (French or English)
Collaborative posters are one of the best French winter classroom activities because they build culture knowledge while creating classroom decor.
This activity introduces students to:
the history of the galette
its ingredients (pâte feuilletée, frangipane)
the hidden fève
the paper crown tradition
regional variations of the celebration
Students work in groups to research and color different poster squares. When assembled, the poster becomes a vibrant cultural display—perfect for French classroom walls in January.
It includes:
Both French and English versions
Reflection questions
Teaching tips
Research prompts
This activity works beautifully after your introductory lesson, reinforcing vocabulary and cultural understanding.
Create a Collaborative Classroom Poster of La Galette des Rois (French or English)
3. Explore L’Épiphanie with a French Scavenger Hunt (Research-Based)
If you want something that blends technology, independent learning, and French culture, a French scavenger hunt on La Galette des Rois is ideal.
✔ Galette des Rois Scavenger Hunt (French Research Activity)
Includes:
12 research-based questions
1 question sheet in French
An answer key
Designed for computers, mobile labs, or tablets
Perfect for:
Stations
Fast finishers
Early January lessons
Digital-age French learners
This activity builds online research skills while deepening their knowledge of French Epiphany traditions.
4. Build Reading + Cultural Literacy with a French Mini Booklet
Students love mini booklets—they’re tactile, simple, and memorable.
✔ La Galette des Rois French Booklet Activity
This hands-on French January activity includes:
Instructions
A mini booklet page
Answer key
Digital or print options
Students explore facts about the galette, the fève, and Epiphany while practicing reading and writing in French. It’s an excellent intro activity or assessment tool.
5. Make a Stunning January Classroom Display with a Galette des Rois Quilt
If you want a visually impactful, community-building classroom project, this one is perfect.
✔ Galette des Rois Classroom Quilt (Collaborative French Activity)
Students create quilt squares using:
30 pre-made squares with French sentences
20 French-themed coloring squares
10 blank squares for writing
Secular + religious headers (your choice)
This quilt lets students:
learn French Epiphany vocabulary
explore French traditions
practice writing
create meaningful French classroom decor for January
It’s the perfect French bulletin board idea for winter.
6. Build Speaking Confidence with a Galette des Rois Chat Mat
January is the perfect time to get students speaking again after the holidays.
✔ La Galette des Rois Chat Mat (French Speaking Activity)
Includes:
Vocabulary related to L’Épiphanie
High-frequency verbs
Sentence starters
Speaking prompts
Great for:
Bell-ringers
Pair conversations
Speaking stations
Fast finisher tasks
No-prep French winter lessons
This is one of the easiest ways to add meaningful oral communication into your January plans.
7. Teach Vocabulary with a Royalty-Themed French Idioms Pack
Idioms + culture = an unforgettable French lesson.
✔ Royalty-Themed French Idioms Poster + Activity Pack
Includes:
8 posters
Matching activity
Sentence creation
Comprehension questions
Creative writing prompt
Answer key
This blends beautifully with L’Épiphanie because the idioms are linked to royalty—king, queen, crowns, etc. It’s a fun way to reinforce thematic vocabulary while keeping students engaged.
Putting It All Together: A Complete L’Épiphanie French Lesson Plan for January
Here’s a simple sequence:
1️⃣ Introduce the tradition
→ Use the cultural presentation + comprehension questions
2️⃣ Build knowledge
→ Mini booklet or word search
→ Fève research
3️⃣ Add collaboration
→ Classroom poster or classroom quilt
4️⃣ Practice research skills
→ Scavenger hunt
5️⃣ Add speaking practice
→ Chat mat
6️⃣ Extend vocabulary + culture
→ Royalty-themed idioms
This gives you a complete, differentiated French Epiphany unit ready for the first weeks of January.
Why Teaching L’Épiphanie in French Class Matters
French teachers love using L’Épiphanie because it is:
✔ highly cultural
✔ easy to explain
✔ food-based (instant engagement!)
✔ perfect timing for January
✔ full of traditions students remember
Plus, it’s one of the best ways to bring authentic francophone culture into winter lessons.
Final Thoughts: Make January Fun with L’Épiphanie French Activities
Teaching L’Épiphanie in French class is an amazing way to bring warmth and joy into your classroom during winter. Whether you use cultural readings, collaborative posters, research hunts, mini booklets, or speaking mats, your students will walk away with meaningful memories and stronger cultural understanding.
👉 Click here to download 30 FREE activities to help your students speak more French!