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National Day Themes in January - Week 3: Creative Themes Kids Can Talk About

  • Writer: shannon | speech hamster
    shannon | speech hamster
  • Jan 15
  • 13 min read

January 15th - 21st (Week 3)

blog cover image of national day themes for speech therapy during the third week of January with images that represent the themes

January keeps moving, bringing a mix of imaginative, cozy, and curiosity-driven themes that fit naturally into speech therapy sessions. These national day ideas support articulation, vocabulary, sequencing, and storytelling while offering flexible entry points for early elementary students.


Welcome to National Days in January Week 3! Whether you’re getting creative with National Hat Day (January 15), leaning into imagination on National Appreciate a Dragon Day (January 16), or encouraging problem solving for Kid Inventors’ Day (January 17), these themes offer a variety of ways to bring fresh ideas into your speech therapy sessions.


This blog post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase through them, with no extra cost to you.


Use the table below to explore some of the national days celebrated the third week in January. To avoid scrolling fatigue, use the quick links to view activity ideas and book suggestions for each theme.


View other weeks in January:

January National Days Week 1 (January 1 - 7)

January National Days Week 2 (January 8 - 14)

January National Days Week 4+ (January 22 - 31)


To view themes for all 12 months head over to 10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning.


*Free resource links listed here may change over time. Please check the original source for current availability and terms.


January National Days Week 3

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January)

Inauguration Day: January 20 (every 4 years)

National Days in January Week 3 with speech therapy themes and activity ideas for elementary students.
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January 15:


🎩 National Hat Day (January 15)

About: National Hat Day celebrates all kinds of hats, from cozy winter hats to silly costume styles. It’s a lighthearted way to explore clothing, weather, and personal style.


Fun Facts:

  • Hats can be worn for warmth, protection, uniforms, or fashion.

  • Some hats have special jobs, like construction helmets or firefighter hats.

  • People around the world wear different traditional hats.


  1. Articulation:

    1. Hat Toss: Line up different hats on the floor, placing different articulation cards inside each one. Students toss a bean bag into hats while practicing their target words.

    2. Hat Stack: Have students stack different hats on their head while practicing target words. How many can they hold on their head before they fall?

    3. Directed Drawing: Each of my Articulation Art resources on TpT ($) include a winter hat directed drawing page.


      articulation art directed drawing activities for speech therapy
      Articulation Art directed drawings for speech therapy

  2. Language:

    1. Vocabulary: Have students brainstorm and list out as many types of hats as they can. Introduce new vocabulary as needed. Ex: beanie, visor, crown, etc.

    2. Following Directions: Using a variety of real hats or pictures of hats, have students follow 1–2 step directions to place hats using positional words like on, above, next to, and under.

    3. Sorting Hats: Download my free Sorting Hat Categories resource and have students sort vocabulary words (animals, foods, instruments, etc.) under wizard hat category title cards (activity designed for Int'l Harry Potter Day - May 2nd).

    4. Describing: Describe hats using color, size, texture, and purpose.

    5. Sequencing: Sequence the steps for getting dressed on a cold day or getting ready to go outside.

    6. WH Questions:

      1. Who would wear this hat?

      2. Where would you wear it?

      3. When would you need it?

      4. Why is this hat helpful?

      5. How do you put it on or take care of it?

    7. Narratives:

      1. Read and have students retell one of the popular children's books listed below.

      2. Have students a short story about a hat that goes on an adventure or gets lost and found.

    8. Open Ended:

      1. Let students design a hat and explain who would wear it and why. Check out Crafty Teacher TX's free Design a Hat activity on TpT.

      2. Check out Mobaamal's free Winter Hat cutting practice activities or browse the various, free hat crafts offered on TpT.


  3. Popular Children's Books:

    1. Caps for Sale – Written and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina: A peddler tries to get his caps back from a group of mischievous monkeys. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    2. Hooray for Hat! - Written and illustrated by Brian Won: A grumpy elephant gets a mysterious gift - a hat! He shares it with his friends, spreading happiness in this charming story about kindness and sharing. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]


    3. I Want My Hat Back – Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen: A bear searches for his missing hat by asking others if they’ve seen it. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    4. The Hat - Written by Jan Brett: A hedgehog finds a lost stocking that becomes a hat, leading to a series of wintertime encounters. The story follows a clear sequence and emphasizes sharing and problem solving. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]



January 16:


🐉 National Appreciate a Dragon Day (January 16)

About: National Appreciate a Dragon Day invites kids to celebrate dragons from stories, myths, and imagination. Dragons are often powerful, mysterious, or friendly characters in books and folklore.


Fun Facts:

  • Dragons appear in myths from many cultures around the world.

  • Some dragons are said to breathe fire, while others fly or guard treasure.

  • Dragons can be heroes, villains, or helpers depending on the story.


  1. Activity:

    1. Craft: Use Texas Speech Mom's free Pop Up Dragon articulation activity for r blends (TpT).

    2. Build-a-Dragon: Students add a dragon body part after a set number of correct productions. Use Ellen Russell's free Cardboard Tube Dragon craft or Printable Dragon Airplane craft on TpT.

    3. Dragon Path Practice: Move a dragon along a path or map while practicing target sounds at each stop. Fun Learning for Kids (TpT) has a free editable Dragon Board Game so you can add your own target words.

    4. Open Ended Activity: Download my free Dragon's Gold open ended activity for speech language therapy. Add or take coins away from the dragon.



  2. Language:

    1. Vocabulary: Review dragon-related words such as scales, wings, claws, fire, fly, treasure, cave, fierce, friendly.

    2. Comparing: Compare two dragons or a dragon and another animal using same/different or more/less.

    3. Following Directions: Follow 1–3 step directions to move a dragon stuffie or picture around the room using positional and sequencing words.

    4. Sequencing: Brainstorm then sequence events in a dragon’s day.

    5. Narratives: Create a beginning, middle, and end story about a dragon who has a problem and solves it.

    6. Perspective Taking: Tell a story from the dragon’s point of view or explain how the dragon feels in a situation.

    7. WH Questions: Ask questions after reading a short story (e.g., Dragons Love Tacos):

      1. Who: Who loves tacos in the story?

      2. What: What food causes a problem for the dragons?

      3. Where: Where does the taco party take place?

      4. When: When do the dragons start breathing fire?

      5. Why: Why do the dragons get upset?

      6. How: How is the problem solved at the end of the story?


  3. Popular Children's Books:

    1. Dragons Love Tacos Written by Adam Rubin,  illustrated by Daniel Salmieri: A humorous story about dragons and their love for tacos, perfect for practicing sequencing and vocabulary. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    2. There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon – Written and illustrated by Jack Kent: A small dragon grows bigger each time he is ignored. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]


    3. Zog – Written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler: Zog is a dragon who wants to be the best in dragon school. The story follows his efforts through repeated attempts and friendships. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]



😌 National Nothing Day (January 16)

About: National Nothing Day is all about taking a break from celebrations and enjoying a quiet moment. It’s a playful reminder that it’s okay to slow down and keep things simple.


Fun Facts:

  • National Nothing Day was created in 1973.

  • It encourages relaxation and low-pressure activities.

  • The idea is that doing “nothing” can still be meaningful.


Activity: Do nothing. 😉 What would that look like in your therapy space? What would your students come up with?



January 17:


💡 Kid Inventors’ Day (January 17)

About: Kid Inventors’ Day celebrates creativity, problem solving, and new ideas created by children. It is observed on January 17 in honor of Benjamin Franklin’s birthday.


Fun Facts:

  • Benjamin Franklin invented his first creation as a child.

  • Many kid inventors have created toys, tools, and games still used today.

  • Inventions often start with a problem someone wants to solve.


  1. Give students the lead: Present articulation cards/pictures, dice, a spinner, paper, and markers to your students. Ask them to create a new articulation activity.


  2. Vocabulary: Review words such as invent, create, problem, solution, improve, design, tool, machine, idea.


  3. Category Naming: List tools, materials, or machines that could be used to create a new invention


  4. Fix-It Challenges: Present a broken object (e.g., a backpack zipper, a leaky water bottle) and have students describe how they’d invent a fix. 


  5. Recycled Invention Project: Use cardboard, tape, and recyclables to build a new invention and label its parts.


  6. Popular Children's Books:

    1. The Most Magnificent Thing – Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires: A girl works through frustration as she tries to build something magnificent. The story shows perseverance and problem solving. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    2. Rosie Revere, Engineer  – Written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts: An inspiring tale about creativity, perseverance, and invention. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    3. What Do You Do with a Problem? Written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mae Besom: A story that follows a child learning to tackle a problem step-by-step, building resilience and problem-solving skills. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    4. What Do You Do With an Idea? – Written by Kobi Yamada: A beautifully illustrated story about nurturing big ideas and seeing them through.

      📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    5. Ada Twist, Scientist  – Written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts: A story about a curious girl who loves solving problems through science. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]



January 18:


🍯 National Winnie the Pooh Day (January 18)

About: National Winnie the Pooh Day honors the birthday of author A. A. Milne and his beloved character, Winnie the Pooh. The day celebrates friendship, imagination, and classic storytelling.


Fun Facts:

  • Winnie the Pooh first appeared in a book in 1926.

  • Pooh’s friends include Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl and Christopher Robin.

  • The stories are known for gentle humor and thoughtful moments.


  1. Articulation: Move a small plushie or picture of Pooh along a simple path toward a honey pot while practicing target words.


  2. 100 Trials: Adapt Jen Wood's free Race to 100 Bears & Bees activity (TpT) for students while they complete their speech/language tasks.


  3. Vocabulary: Review character names, friendship words, feeling words (happy, worried, proud), story words (forest, honey, problem).


  4. Describing: Describe characters using physical traits, personality, and feelings.


  5. WH Questions:

    1. Who is Pooh’s friend?

    2. What does Pooh love?

    3. Where do the characters live?

    4. When does a problem happen in the story?

    5. Why does Pooh need help?

    6. How do the friends solve the problem?


  6. Narratives:

    1. Retell a Pooh story or create a new adventure set in the Hundred Acre Wood.

    2. Create a new character for the Hundred Acre Wood and explain how they help Pooh and his friends.


  7. Popular Children's Books:

    1. Winnie-the-Pooh – Written by A. A. Milne, illustrated by E. H. Shepard: Classic stories follow Pooh and his friends through gentle adventures.  📖 [Amazon Link]


    2. Pooh’s Honey Trouble – Written by Kathy Hapka: Pooh searches for honey and encounters small problems along the way. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]



January 19:


🍿 National Popcorn Day (January 19)

About: National Popcorn Day celebrates a favorite crunchy snack enjoyed at movies, fairs, and at home. Popcorn is made from a special type of corn that pops when heated.


Fun Facts:

  • Popcorn kernels pop because of water trapped inside the shell.

  • Popcorn has been eaten for thousands of years.

  • It can be sweet, salty, or flavored in many ways.


  1. Articulation:

    1. Using real popcorn, students roll dice and practice the same number of target words while adding the same number of popcorn kernels to their bowl.

    2. Grab Monae's Speech House's free Popcorn Articulation Feeding activity for /k/on TpT.


  2. Open Ended:

    1. Popcorn Trials: Adapt Recipe for Teaching's free Popcorn Math activity sheets on TpT or students while they complete their speech/language tasks.

    2. Popcorn Strings: thread popcorn kernels onto string while completing speech/language tasks.


  3. Vocabulary:

    1. Review words such as popcorn, kernel, pop, heat, bowl, crunchy, salty, sweet.

    2. Check out Teaching with Class' free Popping Adjectives resource on Teachers Pay Teachers.


  4. WH Questions:

    1. Who likes popcorn?

    2. What happens to the kernel?

    3. Where do people eat popcorn?

    4. When does popcorn pop?

    5. Why does popcorn pop?

    6. How is popcorn made?


  5. Sequencing: Sequence the steps for making popcorn from kernel to bowl.


  6. Following Directions: Follow 1–3 step directions using pretend popcorn pieces and containers.


  7. Popular Children's Books:

    1. Let's Pop, Pop Popcorn – Written by Cynthia Schumerth and illustrated by Mary Reaves Uhles: Told through rhyme, this story moves through the process of creating popcorn, from planting to popping fun. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]


    2. The Popcorn Book – Written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola: This nonfiction picture book explores how popcorn is made and enjoyed. It blends facts with simple explanations. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resource on TpT]



January 20:


🐧 National Penguin Day (January 20)

About: National Penguin Day highlights penguins and the environments where they live. Penguins are birds that cannot fly but are excellent swimmers.


Fun Facts:

  • Penguins live mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.

  • They use their wings like flippers to swim underwater.

  • Penguins often care for their eggs and chicks together.


  1. Articulation:

    1. Fish for Sounds: Students “catch” fish cards with target words and practice each word before feeding the penguin. I've been using Carrie Manchester's free Feed the Penguin activity (TpT) for years!. It comes with bilabial CV fish cards and blank ones too!

    2. Waddle Walk: Practice target sounds, then waddle to the next card like a penguin.

    3. Don't Break the Ice: Kids love playing Don't Break the Ice! It's one of those games that takes longer to set up than play which works great for speech therapy! Each correct production earns an ice block while building the game.


  2. Phonological Awareness:

    1. Syllable Counting: Clap or tap syllables in penguin-related words (pen-guin, ice-berg, flipper).

    2. Rhyming: Generate rhymes for simple words like ice, cold, snow, or fish.

    3. Beginning Sounds: Sort picture cards by initial sounds using penguin-themed words.


  3. Vocabulary: Review words such as penguin, chick, flippers, colony, ice, snow, waddle, slide, swim, dive, cold, slippery, smooth, black, white


  4. Describing: Compare penguins to other animals or birds.


  5. Following Directions: Follow directions such as "put the fish on the ice, then move the penguin next to it".


  6. Sequencing: Browse out the free Penguin Life Cycle resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.


  7. Open Ended:

    1. Penguin Crafts: Use simplycraftykids' free Penguin & Igloo Template Craft (TpT) a a craftivity for your students to assemble while completing speech/language tasks.

    2. Games: Check out Tech N' Talk SLP's free Roll & Cover Winter games (TpT).


  8. Popular Children's Books:

    1. Tacky the Penguin – Written by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger: Tacky is different from the other penguins and ends up saving the day.  📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    2. Penguin Problems – Written by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith: A penguin complains about everything that bothers him. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]




January 21:


🐿️ National Squirrel Appreciation Day (January 21)

About: National Squirrel Appreciation Day focuses on squirrels and their important role in nature. Squirrels are known for collecting food and preparing for winter.


Fun Facts:

  • Squirrels help plant trees by burying nuts they forget to retrieve.

  • They use their tails for balance and warmth.

  • There are many types of squirrels, including tree squirrels and ground squirrels.


  1. Articulation:

    1. Hide the Nut: Practice a target word before hiding a nut in a tree or container.

    2. Gather and Count: Each correct production earns one nut to add to the squirrel’s stash.

    3. Boom Cards: Thumb Bunny Speech offers a free Sneaky Squirrel Companion activity for articulation.


  2. Vocabulary: Review squirrel themed words by parts of speech

    1. Nouns: squirrel, acorn, tree, branch, nest, forest

    2. Verbs: gather, climb, jump, hide, chatter

    3. Adjectives: bushy, fast, small, furry, hungry


  3. Following Directions: Use your Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game for following directions activities. Examples:

    1. Multi-Step Directions: Put the nut in the tree, then move the squirrel next to it.

    2. Conditional Directions: If the nut is red, put it on the top of the tree.

    3. Quantitative Directions: Put two nuts at the bottom of the tree (other concepts: more/less, each/every, all/some/none)


  4. Associations: Take a peek at Talking Mama Bear's free Fall Squirrel Vocabulary Picture Associations activity on Teachers Pay Teachers.


  5. Grammar: Meg's Speech Room (TpT) offers a free Squirrelly Irregular Past Tense Verbs activity.


  6. Popular Children's Books:

    1. Scaredy Squirrel – Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt: Scaredy Squirrel avoids new things until an unexpected event changes everything. The story focuses on courage and change.📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud] 🛒 [Free Resources on TpT]


    2. Those Darn Squirrels! – Written by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri:

      A man’s bird feeders are constantly raided by clever squirrels. The playful story highlights problem solving. 📖 [Amazon Link] 🎥 [YouTube Read Aloud]



Wrapping Up January Week 3 with Familiar Favorites

January keeps the creativity going with a lineup of familiar characters and well-loved themes. National Winnie the Pooh Day (January 18), National Popcorn Day (January 19), National Penguin Day (January 20), and National Squirrel Appreciation Day (January 21) offer plenty of chances to build language skills through stories, routines, and playful discussion. There’s more to explore as the month continues!


See More National Day Themes for January:

January National Days Week 1 (January 1 - 7)

January National Days Week 2 (January 8 - 14)

January National Days Week 4+ (January 22 - 31)


Quick Link to View All 12 Months: 10 Reasons to Use National Day Themes for Easy Speech Therapy Planning (each month's themes are noted at the end).


Shannon @ Speech Hamster

Hi! I'm Shannon, creator of Speech Hamster. If you have found the information in this blog post useful, there's more where that came from! Subscribe to the Speech Hamster Newsletter to gain access to the Free Resource Library; a hub containing a host of National Days downloadable resources and so much more!




Portions of this blog post were drafted with AI prompt assistance then reviewed and edited by me.

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