Tolerance, diversity and inclusion. These are words that get thrown around a lot – often during workplace trainings – and they even seem quite trendy right now. What do they actually mean though? And can you just put together a workshop and expect a bunch of adults to come out suddenly ready to embrace diversity …
Theme Activities
Find ideas and activities for your next theme here. From exploring the senses to discovering the wonders of the ocean, each theme is packed with creative ideas, songs, and hands-on projects that make learning an adventure.
Choose from this list of 100 themes for preschool and kindergarten, or explore these popular themes:
My Body and My Senses:
- Body Parts Activities: 22 Ideas for teaching kids about the human body.
- Body Parts Songs: These songs about the body include lyrics and videos.
- 16 Sense of Hearing Activities: Dance to the beat, guess the sound and play Noise Detectives!
- 15 Sense of Taste Activities: Have a tasting party, make edible finger paint and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
- Sense of Smell Activities: Make smelly arts and crafts, and build some new vocabulary to describe smells.
- Sense of Touch Activities: Make a touch-and-feel box and a texture collage, and go on a scavenger hunt.
- Sense of Sight Activities: Make glasses and play some games blindfolded.
All About Me:
- 8 Fun Feelings Activities: Teach kids about emotions with art, songs, discussion and stories.
- Preschool Kindness Activities: 12 Ideas for learning to show kindness and consideration towards others.
Safety:
- Safety Activities: 18 Ideas that teach road, home, fire, water, body and personal safety.
Healthy Eating and Nutrition:
- The 10 Best Songs About Food: These catchy songs include Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar? and Do You Like Broccoli Ice Cream?
- Easy Food Activities: The 14 easiest things to make in the kitchen with kids.
Tolerance and Diversity:
- The Best Diversity Activities: Teach kids to appreciate and accept differences in religion, age, gender, identity, sexual orientation, ability, education, ethnicity and origin.
- Songs about Diversity and Inclusion: 9 Catchy songs with lyrics, including People are Rainbows Too and We’re All Amazing!
- Books About Diversity for Preschoolers: These books are a great way to introduce children to topics such as gender roles, religion, sexual orientation, special needs and lots more.
The Weather:
- 18 Great Songs About Weather: Includes songs about the seasons, as well as snow, rain, sun and more.
- Rain Activities for Preschoolers: Ideas for art, music and movement, language and dramatic play, sensory play, science and more.
- Gardening Activities and Ideas: 36 ways to learn about gardening and plants with games, stories, discussions, creative art and gardening!
- 8 Fun Rainbow Songs for Kids: Teach kids the colours of the rainbow with these popular classics and fun new songs.
The Ocean and Water:
- Ocean Activities for Preschoolers: Teach kids about this fascinating topic with these 26 simple ideas.
- The 8 Best Ocean Songs: These fun songs with actions include a finger play about a whale, and the song The Animals in the Ocean sung to the tune of The Wheels of the Bus.
- 12 Simple Water Experiments: Teach your preschoolers and kindergarteners about the properties of water, how it changes, and its effects on other substances.
- Floating and Sinking Activities: 12 ideas for discovering which materials and objects float on water and which sink to the bottom.
Animals and Birds:
- Farm Animals Activities: 16 hands-on ideas for a fun theme about the farm.
- Fun Farm Songs: 15 songs with lyrics including classics like Old MacDonald Had a Farm and Dingle, Dangle Scarecrow.
- Animal Songs for Preschoolers: 17 of the best, including Teddy Bears’ Picnic and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
- Animal Games for Preschool Kids: Add some fun to your animal theme with these 20 awesome animal games.
- 22 Fun Birds Activities for Preschoolers: Paint with feathers, sing classic songs and move like different kinds of birds.
Transportation:
- Simple Transportation Activities for Preschoolers: Includes ideas for art, music and movement, stories, discussions and more.
Whether introducing a gardening theme or simply looking for ideas to get kids out in nature, these preschool gardening activities will keep the kids busy and learning in simple ways. Most of these are hands-on activities for the garden, but there are also ideas of educational activities to support the garden theme such as games, …
Here are 9 of the best songs for teaching young children about different cultures, different perspectives and different ways of being human. Teaching tolerance and diversity to kids is an ongoing process, both in the classroom and at home. Using the power of music, introducing simple diversity activities and reading books about diversity are all …
Stories can be a great way to teach young children about diversity and tolerance. Books do not only teach young children about others, but they can also provide a form of representation. It is comforting for a child to see their own religion, race or identity represented in stories. Diversity isn’t just about cultural differences …
Help preschoolers embrace diversity, develop empathy and foster a sense of inclusivity within the classroom, home and the wider world with these simple ideas. Much like teaching tolerance and values to young children, learning about diversity is not really something that can be achieved in a lesson or a single week of planned activities. Rather, …
Build social skills, vocabulary, thinking, and gross and fine motor skills with these 20 awesome animal games for preschool kids. Whether you’re just looking for some fun or you need some animal-themed games for your preschool unit, there’s something here for everyone. 1. Duck, Duck, Goose Duck, Duck, Goose is a classic circle game where …
Teach your kids these 18 songs about the weather and broaden their vocabulary and understanding of the seasons and types of weather. There are songs about the four seasons that are perfect for a weather preschool theme, as well as songs about snow, rain, sun and more. Make the learning extra meaningful by bringing these …
Singing songs and reciting rhymes can be a fun way to teach toddlers and preschoolers about their bodies, whether you’re doing a My Body theme, or just developing body awareness through play. Singing songs is also great for building vocabulary, memory and listening skills. Here are 17 of the best body parts songs for kids. …
“Staying safe” relates to all facets of children’s lives: playing outdoors, spending time inside, travelling, staying home, attending school, going anywhere in public and dealing with other people. Teaching preschoolers about safety can be accomplished through fun and non-scary methods that inspire confidence without causing fear. Here are some simple ideas to teach your children …
These sense of hearing activities will help you explore hearing with children in a fun and engaging way. Whether looking for sensory development ideas or aiming to teach the concept of senses through a preschool theme, these 16 activities are a great starting point. 1. Guess That Sound Show children a variety of small objects: …
Whether you want to explore the senses as part of a preschool theme or enjoy some fun sensory play, these sense-of-taste activities are both unique and fun. You can explore the senses with children through planned activities, but it also happens naturally during play. Try these 15 great activities with your preschoolers! 1. Cook Together …
These sense of smell activities will help you explore the senses with children in a fun, practical way. Whether you are working on children’s sensory development or teaching the concept of senses through a preschool theme, these ideas are a great starting point. 1. Smell Bottles Gather small plastic bottles, cotton balls and items for …