January 21 is National Hugging Day. Could anything be better than a hug on a cold winter day? Let children make a list of people they like to hug. Hint! If your school is cautious about hugging, demonstrate how to give an air hug by squeezing your arms in front of you. “Hug” in sign language is done by making fists and wrapping your arms around your chest. Show your students how to give a “hall hug” to friends by crossing your index and middle fingers and wiggling. Give children a paper plate and ask them to draw their face on it. Let them trace around their hands and cut them out. Give them two strips of paper (12” x 2 ½”) for arms. They can glue the arms to the paper plate and then attach the hands. Use the “hugs” for a bulletin board or let children give them to someone special. Sorry, this looks a little sick-o. Your kids will do a better job than I did! January 23 is Handwriting Day, so students should remember to do their best. It might be fun to let them use pens, colored pencils, or different writing utensils that day.