📅✨ Download your FREE January Events and Awareness Day Calendar ✨📅
🌿 January – New beginnings, wellbeing and connection
January offers a gentler pace for early learning services, making it an ideal time to focus on wellbeing, relationships and settling into a new year together. With many services welcoming children back after the holidays, this month supports calm transitions, reconnection and establishing positive routines.
From acknowledging cultural and faith celebrations to exploring kindness, creativity and curiosity, January provides meaningful opportunities to start the year with intention. You don’t need to recognise every date — simply choose the moments that best reflect your children, families and community context.
This calendar is designed as a practical planning tool for educators, helping you identify key dates, inspire purposeful experiences and invite families to share their perspectives and traditions in ways that feel respectful and relevant.
Available in A3 and A4 wall formats, plus an A4 list version, the calendar includes:
• Links to EYLF V2.0 Learning Outcomes
• Connections to the National Quality Standard
• Space for family ideas and contributions
• Room to add local events and service-specific celebrations
It’s a helpful resource for strengthening Quality Area 1 – Educational Program and Practice and Quality Area 6 – Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities, while making curriculum links visible in everyday planning.
❤️ January 2026 Highlights
January brings a mix of reflection, culture and play-based learning opportunities:
Begin the year with conversations about change, routines and new beginnings on New Year’s Day (1 Jan).
Explore cultural diversity and global celebrations through Gantan Sai (Shinto New Year) and World Hindi Day (10 Jan).
Support wellbeing and self-awareness with International Mind–Body Wellness Day (3 Jan) and Parent Mental Health Day (30 Jan).
Encourage creativity and problem-solving through playful provocations for Kid Inventors’ Day (17 Jan) and World Handwriting Day (23 Jan).
Celebrate stories, language and shared joy with Winnie the Pooh Day (18 Jan) and World Religion Day (18 Jan).
Engage in respectful, age-appropriate discussions about history, identity and belonging on Australia Day / Survival Day / Invasion Day (26 Jan), alongside community events such as Yabun.
Support smooth transitions back into learning as Term 1 begins across states and territories.
Use the January calendar to guide intentional planning, support children’s sense of belonging, and create a calm, connected start to the year for educators, children and families alike
#NewYearsDay #GantanSai #WalkYourDogMonth #Veganuary #WorldIntrovertDay #ScienceFictionDay #MindBodyWellnessDay #WorldBrailleDay #NationalSpaghettiDay #Epiphany #OrthodoxChristmas #WorldHindiDay #EarthChakraDay #OrthodoxNewYear #MakarSankranti #InternationalKiteDay #WorldLogicDay #ThaiPongal #KidInventorsDay #WinnieThePoohDay #WorldReligionDay #WorldSnowDay #MLKDay #NationalPopcornDay #PenguinAwarenessDay #SquirrelAppreciationDay #NationalHugDay #WorldHandwritingDay #InternationalDayOfEducation #AfricanAndAfrodescendantCultureDay #AustraliaDay #SurvivalDay #InvasionDay #Yabun #ChocolateCakeDay #LegoDay #PuzzleDay #ParentMentalHealthDay #Term
