January is one of the best months to bring French culture, goal-setting, and winter vocabulary into your classroom. After the holiday break, students need structure, fresh routines, and engaging activities that ease them back into learning. These French January lesson plans are perfect for Core French and French Immersion teachers looking for no-prep winter resources, meaningful cultural connections, and activities that build vocabulary, communication, and confidence.
Whether you’re teaching L’Épiphanie, launching a French New Year vision board, or reviewing French winter vocabulary, this month is full of opportunities to explore culture while reinforcing language skills.
Below are five classroom-tested French January activities to help your students start the new year inspired, motivated, and engaged.
1. French New Year Vision Boards: Goal-Setting & Growth Mindset Activities (All in French!)
Kick off January with an activity students love: creating a vision board in French.
This French New Year goal-setting activity helps students reflect, set intentions, and practice French writing—all while creating a beautiful poster they’ll be proud to display.
The vision board workbook (100% in French!) guides students through meaningful, age-appropriate prompts about:
Travel ✈️
Family 👨👩👧
Friends 💬
Hobbies 🎨
Money & savings 💵
Health & wellness 🍎
Growth mindset 🌱
What is a vision board?
A vision board is a powerful visual tool that helps students identify their goals, focus on what matters most, and stay motivated throughout the year. By choosing images, writing key phrases, and answering reflection questions, students practice French vocabulary, personal expression, and future-tense structures naturally.
Why it works in the French classroom:
Inspires meaningful writing
Encourages authentic self-expression
Supports SEL (social-emotional learning)
Perfect for the first week of January
Engaging for Core French & Immersion learners
This activity sets a positive tone for the new year—and students love keeping their vision board all semester long.
2. L’Épiphanie & La Galette des Rois: A Collaborative French Culture Quilt
January 6th is the perfect moment to bring Epiphany into the classroom with a hands-on cultural project that students will remember: the Galette des Rois Collaborative Quilt.
This French Epiphany activity blends vocabulary, reading, culture, and creativity through a collaborative class display about the famous galette des rois.
Students explore:
la fève
la couronne
the golden puff pastry
kings and crowns
traditions across French-speaking cultures
With options for both secular and religious variations, you can tailor the lesson to your students and program requirements.
What’s Included:
30 illustrated quilt squares with beginner-friendly French sentences
10 blank templates for differentiation & writing practice
20 themed coloring pages (crowns, fèves, cake scenes, and more)
2 French display headers (religious + secular)
Why teachers love this resource:
Zero prep
Works for all levels
Makes an amazing bulletin board
Reinforces French reading and vocabulary
This activity transforms your classroom walls into a festive, student-created tapestry that celebrates French culture and brings L’Épiphanie to life.
3. French New Year Speaking Prompts: Build Oral Communication with Winter Vocabulary
January is the perfect time to boost communication orale with low-stress, high-impact French speaking prompts.
These French New Year discussion cards help beginner learners build confidence with winter vocabulary and simple sentence structures.
Perfect for:
morning meeting
bell ringers
attendance questions
pair discussions
writing extensions
What’s Included:
20 French speaking prompts (with visuals!)
Writing cards for follow-up tasks
Google Slides + printable formats
Seasonal themes like winter sports, New Year goals, snow, routines, and more
These prompts help students practice everyday language, express opinions, and gain confidence speaking French in a supportive setting. They are structured, predictable, and great for classrooms aiming to build daily oral communication routines.
4 — Differentiated French Winter Reading Comprehension Passages for All Levels
Bring the magic of winter into your French classroom with this set of differentiated French winter reading comprehension stories—designed to support all levels of learners, from true beginners to more confident Core French and French Immersion students. This resource helps you teach winter vocabulary, reading strategies, and cultural connections without extra prep.
The pack includes three engaging winter-themed French texts:
Il neige ce matin
Brrr… Il fait froid
Le ski
Each story is offered at multiple levels of difficulty, allowing you to easily differentiate instruction, support mixed-ability groups, and meet your students right where they are. Whether students are new to French or ready for more complex structures, they’ll find a version that challenges them appropriately.
Along with the leveled texts, the resource includes a full collection of activities to reinforce essential French winter vocabulary and build stronger reading comprehension skills.
Your students will:
✅ Read short, accessible French winter stories at their appropriate level
✅ Learn and review key winter vocabulary: un bonhomme de neige, un flocon de neige, l'hiver, un chocolat chaud, des bottes, un manteau, la montagne, le ski, un chalet, and more
✅ Answer targeted comprehension questions that match each text level
✅ Build confidence through meaningful, seasonally themed practice
✨ Differentiated, no-prep, and classroom-ready—perfect for French teachers looking to support diverse learners while keeping winter lessons fun, engaging, and culturally rich. ✨
5. Winter Idioms Posters & Activities: Add Culture + Creativity to Vocabulary Lessons
Want to go beyond basic vocabulary?
Introduce your students to French winter idioms—a fun and memorable way to explore authentic language and culture.
This French winter idioms poster pack includes 8 beautifully illustrated idioms plus 4 ready-to-use activities:
Matching activity
Sentence creation
Comprehension questions
Creative writing prompt
These idioms deepen vocabulary knowledge while offering students meaningful opportunities to use French creatively. The posters also make a stunning winter bulletin board!
Winter Idioms Posters & Activities: Add Culture + Creativity to Vocabulary Lessons
Final Thoughts: Make January Your Easiest Month with No-Prep French Activities
January can be one of the most engaging months to teach French when you combine culture, winter vocabulary, and meaningful goal-setting activities. Whether you’re celebrating L’Épiphanie, exploring New Year traditions, or building confidence with reading and speaking tasks, these resources ensure your lessons are:
✓ no-prep
✓ culturally rich
✓ level-appropriate
✓ engaging for Core French & Immersion
With the right French January lesson plans, students ease back into routines, stay motivated after the break, and connect meaningfully to French culture all month long.
👉 Click here to download 30 FREE activities to help your students speak more French!