Are you looking for fun theme ideas for your preschool or kindergarten classroom, or for some fun learning at home? Here are over 150 exciting themes to inspire creativity and hands-on learning, as well as a handy printable to keep for your planning.

Follow the links in the themes to find activity ideas that cover the areas of process art, music and movement, literacy and stories, science, maths, sensory play, social-emotional and more.

Below are theme ideas for the following topics:

👨‍👩‍👧 Back to School/All About Me
👨‍⚕️My Relationships & Community
🍎 Health, Hygiene and Safety
🌍 The World Around Me
❄️ Weather and Seasons
🍃Nature and Science
🐾 Animals
🚗 Transportation & Occupations
🔤 Basic Concepts and Skills
🦄 Fantasy, Imagination and Play
🎃 Holidays and Celebrations

Start your school year with themes about the children themselves, then move outward to families, communities and the wider world.

👨‍👩‍👧 Back to School & All About Me Themes

Back-to-school themes are all about me, my body and my senses.

Back to School/Classroom Rules & Routines
This theme introduces children to the structure of the school day. They can help make a classroom rules chart, practise routines such as lining up and tidying away, and take part in games that encourage teamwork and responsibility.
All About Me
All About Me is a perfect theme for helping kids explore their individuality. They can create self-portraits, share favourite things, or even make a “Me” book, fostering self-awareness and confidence. You may also want to introduce name-writing practice.
My Body
Help children develop body awareness through fun body parts activities like body tracing, movement games, and songs about the body — such as Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.
Five Senses
Explore the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch as one longer My Senses theme, or tackle each one separately.
- Sense of Sight
  Explore the sense of sight with preschoolers through fun visual perception games, colour hunts and simple activities that highlight how we use our eyes to see the world.
- Sense of Hearing
  Invite preschoolers to discover the sense of hearing through musical activities, rhythm play and listening to sounds that sharpen their awareness of everyday noises.
- Sense of Smell
  This theme lets kids explore different scents. Fun sense of smell activities could include a scent guessing game with items like oranges, flowers, and spices, helping them link smells to memories and experiences.
- Sense of Taste
  With a Taste theme, children can explore their taste buds through activities like trying new foods or making a simple recipe, and discussing the difference between sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami flavours.
- Sense of Touch
  The Sense of Touch theme helps children explore different textures and materials through sensory bins, touch boards and mystery boxes that encourage them to describe what they feel.
Emotions and Feelings
Understanding emotions is key for young children, and this theme offers a safe space to explore them. Feelings activities like an emotions chart, role-playing scenarios, or reading stories about feelings can help kids express themselves better.

👨‍⚕️ My Relationships & Community Theme

Explore the people and places that shape children’s lives, from family and friends to neighbourhoods and community helpers, fostering belonging, kindness and social awareness.

My Family / Families
Celebrate different family structures and relationships through drawings, stories and family trees in the My Family theme (or Families), helping children value their own families and understand the diversity of others. Teaching diversity can tie in here or later when learning about cultures and holidays.
My Home / Homes
Children explore different types of houses through building, drawing and storytelling activities that spark curiosity about where people live.
My Neighbourhood / Neighbourhoods
This theme helps kids learn about their community. They can draw a map of or build a model of their neighbourhood, go on a walk, or learn about community helpers, making them more aware of the world around them.
Community Helpers / People Who Help Us
Learn about the important jobs that keep the community running — from firefighters and doctors to teachers and postal workers — through role play, stories and real-world visits.
Friendship and Kindness
These can be taught as one theme or separately. Teach children about the value of forming and maintaining friendships with activities like making friendship bracelets and role-playing kind interactions. Try some kindness activities, such as creating kindness jars or reading stories about kindness.

🍎 Health, Hygiene and Safety Themes

Some of these themes can be combined, and others can be explored separately depending on your schedule, the children’s interests and how deeply you want to focus on each topic.

Hygiene and self-care
Teach children the importance of looking after themselves through simple routines like washing hands, brushing teeth and keeping clean, helping them build healthy lifelong habits.
Dental Health
Teach children how to care for their teeth through brushing and flossing activities, dentist role play and stories about visiting the dentist, helping them understand why keeping teeth clean and healthy is important.
Healthy Eating and Nutrition
This theme teaches kids about making healthy food choices. Activities like creating a balanced plate, sorting foods by colour, singing food songs, or trying new fruits and vegetables can make nutrition fun and interactive.
Food Themes
These can tie into nutrition or be standalone units:
- Cooking: Simple cooking activities such as making sandwiches, mixing ingredients or decorating cookies help children develop life skills while also practising maths, language and other early learning skills.
- Fruits: Activities for this colourful and tasty theme could include fruit tasting, creating fruit art, or sorting and grouping fruits by colour. Cut fruits like apples and oranges can also be used to explore patterns and symmetry.
- Vegetables: Introduce children to a variety of vegetables through gardening, counting games, vegetable printing art and simple cooking activities like making vegetable soup or rainbow salads to promote healthy eating habits.
- Pasta Fun: This theme brings creativity to the table with pasta! Dry pasta works well for many art projects, and various types of pasta are also handy for sorting activities as well as for learning to thread by making a pasta necklace.
Exercise
An Exercise theme gets kids moving while teaching them the importance of staying active. Simple movement activities, obstacle courses, or dance parties are great ways to show that exercise can be fun and healthy.
Sports
Introduce children to the idea of sports through playful movement activities that build coordination, balance and teamwork. Simple games, relay races and pretend sports events such as a mini Olympics encourage a love of physical activity and support early gross motor development.
Sleep and Dreams
Exploring the Sleep and Dreams theme helps kids understand the importance of rest. Read bedtime stories, make dream catchers and sing bedtime rhymes.
Gratitude and Mindfulness
Health is as much about the mind as the body. Teach children to use mindfulness, breathing, meditation, gratitude or relaxation as tools in their daily lives.
Personal Safety
Teach kids to stay safe in different situations. Activities could include making a checklist of rules to be safe at home, learning about stranger danger, or identifying safe adults, making it both practical and empowering. These safety activities for kids include ideas about personal, road, home and fire safety.
Fire Safety
Fire Safety is often a favourite standalone theme. Activities might include practising stop, drop and roll, learning about firefighters’ roles, or creating a fire safety plan, ensuring that kids know what to do in case of an emergency.

🌍 The World Around Me

These themes help children look beyond their immediate surroundings to explore their town, country and the wider world. Through maps, landmarks, celebrations and stories from different cultures, children build curiosity, empathy and a sense of belonging to a global community.

My Town / Cities and Towns
Explore how people live, work and travel in different places by building model towns, drawing maps and learning about landmarks, making this theme both creative and meaningful.
My Country/ Our Leaders
Help children learn about their country’s culture, symbols and important figures through activities like creating a class flag, exploring national holidays and role-playing being a good leader, to foster pride, belonging and an early understanding of good citizenship.
The World Around Me
Take children on a journey around the globe as they explore maps, countries, cultures and landmarks through art, stories and hands-on discovery, helping them develop curiosity and a sense of global awareness.
Cultural Diversity / Traditions Around the World
The Diversity theme helps children appreciate the richness of different cultures and ways of life. They can explore traditions, foods, clothing and music from around the world, learning empathy, inclusion and respect for diversity. Share these diversity songs and books about diversity.
Holidays and Celebrations
To continue the theme of diversity and culture, celebrate various holidays and special days throughout the school year, including birthdays, Mother’s/Father’s Day, and cultural and religious days. See a list of these at the end of this post.
History
Introduce children to the stories of the past by exploring important events, people and timelines, helping them see how the past shapes the present. Share your own history and encourage them to do the same through pictures and storytelling.

❄️ Weather and Seasons Themes

The seasons and weather patterns are often taught through multiple themes during each season. Here are many ideas for each season and type of weather.

Weather Themes

These themes focus on different types of weather — such as rain, fog, sunshine, wind and rainbows — helping children observe and understand the changing elements around them through play and exploration.

The Weather
Explore the ever-changing world of weather through songs, stories and simple science activities. Children can observe the sky, track daily weather changes and learn about sunshine, rain, wind and clouds while discovering how weather affects people, animals and plants. Here is a great collection of songs about the weather and seasons.
Rain
The Rain theme helps children explore the wonders of water from the sky through fun, hands-on play. Try making rain sticks, painting with watercolours or learning about the water cycle, then finish with a “rain party” in raincoats and boots for splashing fun.
Rainbows
The Rainbows theme is a fun way to explore colour, light and weather. Children can create rainbow art, sing rainbow songs or go on a rainbow hunt, making science and colour discovery fun and engaging.
Wind
The Wind theme helps children explore the invisible power of moving air through hands-on play. Activities like making pinwheels, flying kites and observing how wind affects weather make learning active and exciting.
Fog
Introduce kids to the mysterious world of misty mornings. Activities might include making “foggy” pictures with white chalk on grey construction paper, exploring how fog forms, or making “fog in a bottle”.
Snow and Ice
Activities like making snowflakes, experimenting with ice, or learning about different types of precipitation make this theme chilly and educational.
Sun
The Sun theme teaches kids about the importance and benefits of the sun, as well as sun safety. Activities might include making sun hats or exploring how the sun helps plants grow.

Fall / Autumn Themes

Celebrate the changing season with activities about leaves, pumpkins, apples, farms and harvest time, helping children explore nature’s colours, textures and transformations in autumn.

Fall Leaves / Autumn Leaves
Whether you call it Fall or Autumn on your side of the world, a Leaves Theme is perfect for exploring the beauty of changing leaves. Kids can play with leaves, collect them for crafts like leaf prints, or explore the colours and smells of autumn.
Apples
The Apples theme is perfect for autumn learning and sensory exploration. Children can sort and count apples, taste different varieties or prepare simple apple snacks.
Pumpkins
Pumpkin season is a highlight of fall/autumn in preschool classrooms. Whether you celebrate Halloween or just enjoy the harvest season, pumpkins offer endless opportunities for play, learning and creativity. Here are some pumpkin-themed activities.
Harvest / Farm
The Harvest and Farm theme celebrates the season of gathering crops and caring for animals. Children can learn where food comes from through farm role play, harvest songs, crop sorting and simple cooking activities, connecting nature, seasons and community life.
Scarecrows
The Scarecrows theme ties in beautifully with autumn and harvest time. Children can make their own mini scarecrows, explore how they protect crops and enjoy scarecrow-themed stories and songs that celebrate life on the farm.
Nocturnal Animals
The Nocturnal Animals theme introduces children to creatures that come out at night, such as bats and owls. Through stories, crafts and simple science activities, they can learn how these animals see, move and live in the dark.

Winter Themes

Explore the magic of the cold season through activities about snow, ice, winter clothes and animals in winter, helping children discover how people and creatures adapt to chilly weather.

Winter
Explore the magic of the cold season through crafts, sensory play and simple science. Making paper snowflakes, building indoor snowmen and learning how animals stay warm turn winter into a cosy, wonder-filled time of discovery.
Snow and Ice
Encourage hands-on exploration of freezing and melting with ice experiments, snowy art and pretend snow play. Children discover how temperature changes materials and transforms the world around them.
Mittens and Winter Clothes
Teach children how to keep warm in chilly weather by exploring winter clothing. Matching clothes to the season, designing mittens and playing dress-up build self-care skills and fine motor coordination.

Spring Themes

Celebrate new life and growth with spring themes about plants, flowers, baby animals and gardening, encouraging children to explore nature’s changes and the joy of watching things grow.

Spring
The Spring theme celebrates new beginnings and growth. Kids can plant seeds, learn about baby animals, or go on a nature walk to see flowers blooming, making this theme bright and full of life.
Spring Animals
Meet the baby animals of spring as children learn about bunnies, chicks and lambs through songs, stories and pretend play. This could be a separate theme or part of a general Spring theme.
Gardening / Plants / Trees
The Gardening theme gets kids excited about growing their own plants. Simple activities might include planting seeds, creating a class garden, or learning about how plants grow, making this theme hands-on and nurturing.
Seeds, Bulbs and Flowers
Explore the magic of plant life as children learn how flowers, seeds and bulbs grow. They can plant seeds, create flower art, sort different types of plants or try simple experiments like colouring carnations to see how water moves through a flower.

Summer Themes

Celebrate the sunshine themes about beaches, water play, picnics and camping, encouraging children to enjoy the fun and energy of the season through creative, outdoor-inspired activities.

Summer/ Summer Fun
Bring the feel of summer into the classroom with simple, hands-on activities like sun art, pretend beach days and outdoor play, helping children learn about the season in a fun and active way.
Beaches
Bring the shore to the classroom. Activities like creating sand art, learning about seashells, or building sandcastles help kids explore what makes beaches special.
Water Play
Cool off with water play activities like pouring, scooping and floating objects. These simple experiments build sensory awareness and early science skills through hands-on fun. Here is a comprehensive set of water play ideas.
Camping
Introduce children to the idea of camping through pretend play. Build tents indoors or outside, tell stories around a pretend campfire, make s’mores and explore nature with simple scavenger hunts.
Picnics
Enjoy the fun of outdoor eating with a picnic. Children can help pack snacks, set out blankets and practise sharing and manners. Children can bring along their teddy bears and don’t forget to sing the Teddy Bears’ Picnic song (find it in this list of animal songs).
Summer Games / Outdoor Play
Encourage active play with games like obstacle courses, ball games and races. These activities help children develop strength, balance and cooperation while enjoying the outdoors.
Ice Cream
Make learning sweet with ice cream-themed activities such as pretend ice cream shops, counting scoops, or creating art with pastel colours, linking play to maths and creativity.

🍃 Nature and Science

These themes invite children to explore the wonders of the natural world through hands-on discovery. Some topics, like life cycles, plants, or weather, may be explored as part of seasonal or animal themes, while others—such as space, magnets or recycling—can stand alone to nurture curiosity, observation and scientific thinking.

Day and Night
The Day and Night theme helps kids understand the difference between these two daily cycles. Activities such as sorting pictures of nocturnal and diurnal animals, discussing day/evening family activities, or creating art inspired by the day and night sky can make learning about time fun and engaging.
The Sky and Space / Planets and Astronauts
The Space theme takes kids on an interstellar adventure. They can learn about the solar system, create their own rocket ships, or explore the life of an astronaut, making space exploration fun and educational.
The Environment and The Three R’s / Recycling and Taking Care of Nature
Teach children about reducing, reusing and recycling through simple, hands-on activities like sorting recyclables, creating art from reused materials and learning small ways to care for the planet, helping them develop early environmental awareness.
Water Cycle and Water Conservation
Help children discover how water moves through the world with simple experiments, posters and movement activities. They can also learn about saving water in everyday life, making science both meaningful and easy to understand.
Oceans, Lakes, Ponds and Rivers
In this theme, compare and contrast the different bodies of water by exploring water habitats, creating water-themed art, or learning about the animals that live in these environments. You might combine this theme with that of Water Animals and Fish or the Ocean theme.
Earth, Soil, Sand and Mud
Get children outdoors exploring how earth, soil and sand change when mixed with water through digging, pouring and building activities. This theme can link to gardening, helping kids learn which soil grows plants best and how water supports life on Earth. The children can also celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd.
Life Cycles
The “Life Cycles” theme introduces kids to the concept of growth and change and lends itself nicely to sequencing activities. They can observe caterpillars turning into butterflies, plant seeds, or follow the stages of a frog’s life, making science tangible and exciting. Life cycles can be explored more during various seasons, animal and plant themes.
Plants & Trees
Celebrate the giants of the plant world by exploring different types of trees, making tree bark rubbings, or learning about the life cycle of a tree, fostering a love for nature and the environment.
Rocks and Fossils, Rocks
The Rocks and Fossils theme is great for little geologists. Activities could include a rock hunt, learning about different types of rocks, or exploring how fossils are formed, making science hands-on and fascinating. The topic of fossils can also lead to a dinosaur theme.
Science
The Science theme encourages curiosity and exploration. Kids can conduct simple science experiments, explore different branches of science, learn about famous scientists, or host a simple science fair with easy-to-do experiments.
States of Matter: Solids, Liquids and Gases
This theme simplifies the science of matter for kids. They can experiment with ice, water, and steam, sort objects by their state of matter (solids, liquids or gases), or learn about how materials change states. Children love to observe whipped cream turning into butter through shaking, as well.
Hot and Cold
This theme introduces kids to temperature concepts. Simple experiments with ice and warm water, sorting items by temperature, or learning about different climates make this theme both educational and interactive. This theme could also be used along with seasons or animal habitats.
Magnets
The Magnets theme introduces kids to the magic of magnetism. Activities could include experimenting with different materials to see what sticks, creating magnetic art, or learning about the science behind magnets.

🐾 Animals

Children love learning about animals, from pets and farm animals to wild creatures and insects. These themes explore where animals live, how they grow and how we care for them.

Some, like caterpillars and frogs, fit naturally into spring or life cycle studies, while others—such as ocean or arctic animals—can be explored at any time of year to spark curiosity and respect for the living world.

Pets
Pets are a favourite topic for many kids, and this theme lets them share their love for animals. Activities might include drawing their pet, learning about pet care, or even role-playing as veterinarians, teaching responsibility and empathy. Make sure that children with no pets at home do not feel left out. In discussions and projects, urge them to imagine a pet they want to have in the future or a pet belonging to a friend, neighbour or relative.
Animal Habitats
This theme helps kids learn where animals live and how they survive. Activities like matching animals to their homes or exploring different environments can make learning about animal habitats exciting and fun.
Farm Animals
A field trip to a farm is a wonderful opportunity for kids, especially during spring to see the baby animals. Books and videos are the next best things for exploring what kinds of animals live on farms and how they are cared for to stay healthy. Here are some farm animal activities and farm songs.
Wild Animals / Zoo Animals / Safari Animals
Kids love learning about wild animals. Activities might include creating animal masks, exploring different animals’ habitats, visiting a zoo or going on a pretend safari. Set aside a special day for the kids’ stuffed “wild” animals to join in the fun.
Animals of Our Country
Introduce children to the types of wild animals that live in their country. Kids can learn about native animals, create animal crafts, or go on a nature walk to spot local wildlife, fostering an appreciation for their natural surroundings.
The Ocean / Under the Sea
Under the Sea is always a favourite preschool theme. Activities might include creating an aquarium in a jar, singing songs about the ocean, learning about different water animals, or playing with water toys. Painting underwater scenes on windows is a way for kids to safely “swim” under the waves with the fish and other water animals.
Insects and Spiders / Bugs
The Insects and Spiders theme lets kids explore the tiny creatures all around them. Activities could include observing creepy-crawlies with magnifying glasses, creating bug art, or learning about the roles insects play in nature.
Caterpillars and Butterflies
Caterpillars and Butterflies are often studied on their own as this is such a fun theme and a nice intro to the topic of life cycles. Make sure to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the children.
Birds
Teach kids about our feathered friends. Bird activities like going on a “listening walk”, making bird feeders, making bird mobiles out of paper plates, or learning about different types of birds can help children appreciate the diversity and beauty of birds.
Nocturnal Animals
Learn about animals that are active at night, such as bats and owls. Children can explore how these creatures see, move and hunt in the dark through stories, art and pretend play.
Dinosaurs
The Dinosaurs theme brings the prehistoric world to life. Kids can dig for fossils, create dinosaur footprints, walk like dinosaurs, or learn about different dinosaur species. Challenge kids to come up with new dinosaur names after learning some of the commonly recognised reptiles.
Arctic Animals
Discover how animals like polar bears and penguins survive in icy habitats. Children can explore how these creatures stay warm, move on snow and find food through stories, crafts and simple science activities.
Woodland Animals / Hibernation
Explore forest life and the animals that live there. Children can learn which animals hibernate, how they prepare for winter and what happens when they wake up again in spring through nature walks, sorting games and crafts.
Reptiles
Introduce children to the scaly world of reptiles, including snakes, lizards and turtles. They can learn about different habitats, life cycles and body coverings through observation, stories and hands-on play.
Frogs & Pond Life
Explore the fascinating world of frogs and pond creatures through observation and play. Children can learn about the frog life cycle, study pond habitats, and even create their own small-world ponds. This theme also links naturally to spring and life cycle studies.

🚗 Transportation & Occupations

These themes explore how people and things move, work and create in the world around us. From cars, trains and airplanes to builders, artists and inventors, children learn about different ways people get from place to place, do their jobs and use tools and technology to make life easier and more exciting.

Transportation / Things That Go
The Transportation theme gets kids excited about how people and goods move from place to place. Tackle this as a general theme or branch into the following sub-themes if your little ones love learning about things that go!
Cars & Trucks
Children can explore the world of vehicles by building roads, painting with toy cars and discovering how wheels help things move. Try building cars from blocks, hosting a “bike day” or using small wheels for creative painting activities.
Airplanes & Boats
Take learning to the skies and seas with activities about flying and floating. Children can make paper planes, build simple boats to test in water or learn how people travel across the world using different types of transport.
Trains
All aboard for some fun! Build tracks, line up chairs for a pretend journey or read stories about trains and travel. This theme helps children learn about movement, teamwork and how trains connect places and people.
Jobs / Occupations / Professions
The Jobs theme introduces children to different kinds of work people do. Activities might include role-playing community jobs, exploring the tools workers use or inviting guest visitors. Children can also make “I Can Be…” books to imagine what jobs they might like to do when they grow up.
- Inventors
  Encourage creativity and problem-solving as children learn about inventors and their ideas. They can explore how everyday objects were created, design their own simple inventions or experiment with building and testing new ideas, sparking curiosity and imagination.
- Builders / Buildings / Construction / Architects
  Learn about the people who design and build the places we live and work. Children can explore buildings in their neighbourhood, study photos of famous structures and try simple building projects. Discuss the roles of architects and builders, and link this theme to community helpers who help create our homes, schools and cities.
- Fabrics: Quilting, Weaving and Sewing
  Introduce children to the world of textile work and the people who create and repair fabrics. They can try paper weaving, explore different fabric textures, or make a class “quilt” from fabric or paper scraps. Talk about jobs such as tailors, fashion designers and textile artists, and if possible, invite a visitor or visit a local sewing or quilting group to see these skills in action.
- Artists
  Explore the world of art and creativity by introducing children to famous artists and their styles. They can experiment with different materials, create their own masterpieces and discuss how art expresses ideas and feelings. A visit—virtual or in person—to a local gallery can help them appreciate art in the real world.
- Museums
  Bring curiosity and discovery to life by learning about museums and what they hold. Children can create their own mini-museums, explore different types such as art, history or science museums, or take a virtual tour. Local museums often offer hands-on exhibits that make learning about the world fun and interactive.
- Composers
  Introduce children to the people who create music. They can listen to different composers, make simple rhythms or melodies and explore how music is written, linking naturally to a music and dance theme.
- Photographers
  Help children see the world through a new lens by exploring photography. They can take simple photos, create picture stories or look at the work of famous photographers to learn how images tell stories.
- Engineers
  Encourage problem-solving and hands-on building. Children can design and test simple structures or machines, explore how things work and learn how engineers use creativity to solve everyday problems.
- Tools
  Teach children about the tools people use to build, fix and create. They can match tools to their uses, explore how different tools work or build simple projects, learning how tools help with everyday jobs, as well as many professions.
- Technology and Media
  Introduce children to modern tools and communication. They can explore basic technology, create simple digital art and talk about how we use media to share information. Include discussions about using technology safely and responsibly, helping children build healthy digital habits from an early age.
- Robots
  The Robots theme taps into kids’ fascination with technology. They can build their own robots from recycled materials, learn about how robots work, or explore simple coding activities.
- The Future
  Encourage children to imagine the world of tomorrow. They can design future inventions, draw what they think homes or transport might look like, or talk about what they’d like to be when they grow up, promoting creativity and forward thinking.

🔤 Basic Concepts and Skills

These themes help children build early learning foundations through fun, hands-on exploration of colours, shapes, numbers, letters, opposites and measurement, making abstract ideas concrete and meaningful through play.

Colours / Colour Mixing
Explore colours through painting, sorting and mixing. Children can experiment with blending primary colours to make new ones, identify colours in their environment and create colourful art. Try these simple colour-mixing activities.
Shapes
Help children recognise and name shapes through building, drawing and sorting activities. Use shape hunts, puzzles or shape crafts to connect shapes to real-world objects.
Numbers / Counting
The Counting theme makes maths fun and accessible. Activities might include counting games, creating number art, or using everyday objects to practise counting, helping kids develop their early maths skills in a playful way.
Maths is all Around
Show children how maths appears in daily life — from counting steps to comparing sizes or sharing snacks. Real-world experiences help make maths meaningful and practical.
Alphabet / Letters
Introduce children to letter shapes and sounds through songs, tracing, and alphabet games. Letter-recognition activities like matching letters to names or objects build early literacy awareness.
Opposites
Teach simple concepts like big/small, hot/cold or fast/slow through movement, storytelling and sensory play. Exploring opposites builds vocabulary and understanding of comparison.
Measurement / Big and Little
The Measurement theme helps kids understand size and scale. Kids can measure, compare and estimate using non-standard tools like footprints, blocks or string. Here are some hands-on measurement activities for kids.
Symmetry
Let children explore symmetry, balance and design by creating symmetrical art with paint, blocks or pattern tiles. Simple mirror play or folding paint pictures helps them spot patterns and order.

🦄 Fantasy, Imagination and Play

These themes spark creativity and self-expression through stories, music, movement and pretend play. From fairy tales and superheroes to puppets, poetry and dramatic play, children explore imagination, storytelling and make-believe while building language, confidence and social skills.

Stuffed Animals and Toys
The Stuffed Animals and Toys theme brings comfort and fun into learning. Kids can introduce their favourite toy to the class, have a toy “party” with their stuffed animals as the guests, or even set up a toy hospital, making this theme both playful and creative.
Monsters
The Monsters theme lets kids explore their imagination in a fun and not-so-scary way. They can create their own friendly monsters, read friendly monster stories, or even have a monster dance party, making this theme playful and creative.
Superheroes
This theme is all about imagination and action. Kids can design their own superhero costumes, create stories about their superpowers, or learn about real-life heroes. Dramatic play lends itself well to this theme through puppets and dress-up clothes and costumes.
Unicorns
Unicorn activities might include unicorn crafts, creating a rainbow unicorn world, or reading magical unicorn stories, bringing a touch of whimsy to learning.
Books, Authors and Libraries
Fosters a love for reading and storytelling with this theme. Kids can explore different books, learn about their favourite authors, or even create their own library, making literacy fun and inspiring. If possible, visit the library together, or invite a librarian or local author to come for a visit. Read children these poems about the magic of books and reading.
Storytelling & Retelling Activities
Encourage children to share stories in their own words through oral storytelling, puppets, or picture prompts. Retelling familiar tales builds memory, language and sequencing skills while inspiring creativity and confidence in speaking.
Fairy tales
The Fairy Tales theme brings well-loved stories to life through acting, crafts and storytelling. Children can retell their favourite tales, invent new endings or create their own versions of classic stories. You can also discuss how some tales are a little scary as they were originally written for adults, and read your kids these delightfully funny fairy tale poems.
Role Play / Dramatic Play / Drama and Plays
Encourage children to take on different roles through dress-up, puppet shows and imaginative play. They can act out familiar stories or everyday situations such as playing shop or home corner, helping them build confidence, creativity and social skills. Check out this list of role-play ideas.
Puppets
The Puppets theme brings stories and characters to life. Kids can make their own simple puppets, put on puppet shows, or explore different types of puppets from around the world, making storytelling both hands-on and imaginative.
Nursery Rhymes
The Nursery Rhymes theme is perfect for introducing kids to rhythm and rhyme. Activities could include singing classic rhymes, acting them out, or creating rhyme-themed art, making language learning fun and musical.
Music and Dance
Music and Dance get kids moving and grooving while learning about rhythm and melody. Activities could include dancing to different genres of music, making homemade instruments, or learning simple dance routines, combining physical activity with creative expression.
Building and Construction Play / Block Play/ LEGO
Encourage creativity and problem-solving as children design, build and experiment with different materials. They can stack blocks, build cities, take things apart or construct with recycled items, learning about balance, structure and teamwork through open-ended play.
Dr. Seuss
Celebrate reading and imagination with the playful rhymes and characters of Dr Seuss. Children can listen to stories, explore silly rhyming words, make character crafts and join themed dress-up days. This literacy theme helps children enjoy books and language in a fun, memorable way.

🎃☘️ Holidays and Celebrations

These themes invite children to explore special days throughout the year, learning about family traditions, community celebrations and cultural holidays around the world through crafts, songs and stories that make each occasion meaningful and fun.

Birthdays
Celebrate children’s special days with activities like making birthday crowns, creating cards, or sharing stories about how birthdays are celebrated around the world.
Mother’s Day
Honour mothers and caregivers with handmade cards, crafts and songs that celebrate love and appreciation.
Father’s Day
Celebrate fathers, grandfathers and special grown-ups with crafts, songs and family-themed stories.
New Year’s – 1 January (Gregorian calendar)
Mark the start of a new year with fireworks art, countdown songs and discussions about traditions from different cultures.
Chinese / Lunar New Year – Late January or February (date varies)
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with dragon crafts, red envelopes, music and stories about family, good luck and new beginnings.
Valentine’s Day – 14 February
Focus on kindness and friendship with heart-themed crafts, stories and activities about caring for others.
Holi – Festival of Colours – March (date varies)
Celebrate joy and togetherness with colourful art, paint play and stories about the Hindu festival that marks the arrival of spring in India.
St. Patrick’s Day – 17 March
Explore Irish culture and folklore through shamrock crafts, music, movement and stories about luck and friendship.
Easter – March or April (date varies)
Celebrate new life and renewal through egg hunts, bunny crafts and stories about growth and change.
Eid al-Fitr – April (date varies each year)
Learn about this Muslim celebration marking the end of Ramadan through food, stories and sharing activities.
Earth Day – 22 April
Encourage care for the planet with simple recycling projects, nature walks and planting activities.
Eid al-Adha – June or July (date varies)
Explore themes of giving, gratitude and community through stories, art and simple sharing activities.
Bastille Day / French National Day – 14 July
Learn about French culture with songs, food play and crafts in the colours of the French flag.
Diwali – Festival of Lights – October or November (date varies)
Celebrate this Hindu festival of lights with diya lamps, colourful rangoli art and stories that highlight light, hope and kindness.
Halloween – 31 October
Enjoy a fun, not-too-spooky celebration with dress-up play, pumpkin crafts and songs about imagination and creativity. Here is a collection of Halloween-themed ideas.
Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Day (UK) – 5 November
Learn about fireworks, fire safety and community traditions through art, storytelling and simple science.
Thanksgiving / Harvest Celebration (US & Canada) – Fourth Thursday in November (US) / Second Monday in October (Canada)
Focus on gratitude and sharing through storytelling, cooking and food-themed crafts.
Hanukkah – November or December (date varies)
Celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights with menorah crafts, dreidel games and family stories about light and hope.
St. Nicholas Day (Europe and beyond) – 6 December
Share stories about giving and kindness with small gift exchanges or shoe-themed activities.
St. Lucia’s Day (Sweden and parts of Europe) – 13 December
Mark this festival of light with candle or lantern crafts and songs about kindness and joy.
Christmas / Gingerbread Cookies – 25 December
Celebrate the Christian festive season through songs, decorations and stories about giving, family and togetherness. Enjoy baking or crafting gingerbread people and houses, linking to The Gingerbread Man story for a fun literacy activity.
Kwanzaa – 26 December – 1 January
Explore African heritage and community values through candle-lighting crafts, music, storytelling and discussions about unity and kindness.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of themes for preschool and kindergarten kids. Exploring these diverse themes not only sparks curiosity and creativity in young minds but also lays a strong foundation for lifelong learning, making each day in the classroom an exciting journey of discovery.

📄 Want a quick reference sheet of these activities? Download the free printable below and keep it in your planning binder.

Pin with image of tree in four seasons and text overlay: A complete set: 150+ preschool themes with activity ideas.

A Complete List of 150+ Themes for Preschool and Kindergarten

Notes

👨‍👩‍👧 Back to School & All About Me Themes

Back-to-school themes are all about me, my body and my senses.

Back to School / Classroom Rules & Routines

All About Me

My Body

Five Senses

Sense of Sight

Sense of Hearing

Sense of Smell

Sense of Taste

Sense of Touch

Emotions and Feelings

👨‍⚕️ My Relationships & Community Theme

Explore the people and places that shape children’s lives, fostering belonging, kindness and social awareness.

My Family / Families

My Home / Homes

My Neighbourhood / Neighbourhoods

Community Helpers / People Who Help Us

Friendship and Kindness

🍎 Health, Hygiene and Safety Themes

Some of these themes can be combined or explored separately depending on your schedule and the children’s interests.

Hygiene and Self-care

Dental Health

Healthy Eating and Nutrition

Food Themes

Cooking

Fruits

Vegetables

Pasta Fun

Exercise

Sports

Sleep and Dreams

Gratitude and Mindfulness

Personal Safety

Fire Safety

🌍 The World Around Me

Look beyond the immediate surroundings to explore town, country and the wider world through maps, landmarks and cultures.

My Town / Cities and Towns

My Country / Our Leaders

The World Around Me

Cultural Diversity / Traditions Around the World

Holidays and Celebrations

History

❄️ Weather and Seasons Themes

Explore seasons and weather patterns through play, observation and simple science.

Weather Themes

The Weather

Rain

Rainbows

Wind

Fog

Snow and Ice

Sun

Fall / Autumn Themes

Celebrate changing leaves, harvest time and seasonal nature play.

Fall Leaves / Autumn Leaves

Apples

Pumpkins

Harvest / Farm

Scarecrows

Nocturnal Animals

Winter Themes

Discover snow, ice, winter clothes and animals in winter.

Winter

Snow and Ice

Mittens and Winter Clothes

Spring Themes

Explore new life, plants, flowers and baby animals.

Spring

Spring Animals

Gardening / Plants / Trees

Seeds, Bulbs and Flowers

Summer Themes

Enjoy beaches, water play, picnics and camping.

Summer / Summer Fun

Beaches

Water Play

Camping

Picnics

Summer Games / Outdoor Play

Ice Cream

🍃 Nature and Science

Explore the natural world and nurture curiosity, observation and scientific thinking.

Day and Night

The Sky and Space / Planets and Astronauts

The Environment and The Three R’s / Recycling and Taking Care of Nature

Water Cycle and Water Conservation

Oceans, Lakes, Ponds and Rivers

Earth, Soil, Sand and Mud

Life Cycles

Plants & Trees

Rocks and Fossils

Science

States of Matter: Solids, Liquids and Gases

Hot and Cold

Magnets

🐾 Animals

Learn where animals live, how they grow and how we care for them.

Pets

Animal Habitats

Farm Animals

Wild Animals / Zoo Animals / Safari Animals

Animals of Our Country

The Ocean / Under the Sea

Insects and Spiders / Bugs

Caterpillars and Butterflies

Birds

Nocturnal Animals

Dinosaurs

Arctic Animals

Woodland Animals / Hibernation

Reptiles

Frogs & Pond Life

🚗 Transportation & Occupations

Explore how people and things move, work and create using tools and technology.

Transportation / Things That Go

Cars & Trucks

Airplanes & Boats

Trains

Jobs / Occupations / Professions

Inventors

Builders / Buildings / Construction / Architects

Fabrics: Quilting, Weaving and Sewing

Artists

Museums

Composers

Photographers

Engineers

Tools

Technology and Media

Robots

The Future

🔤 Basic Concepts and Skills

Build foundations through colours, shapes, numbers, letters, opposites and measurement.

Colours / Colour Mixing

Shapes

Numbers / Counting

Maths is all Around

Alphabet / Letters

Opposites

Measurement / Big and Little

Symmetry

🦄 Fantasy, Imagination and Play

Spark creativity and self-expression through stories, music, movement and pretend play.

Stuffed Animals and Toys

Monsters

Superheroes

Unicorns

Books, Authors and Libraries

Storytelling & Retelling Activities

Fairy Tales

Role Play / Dramatic Play / Drama and Plays

Puppets

Nursery Rhymes

Music and Dance

Building and Construction Play / Block Play / LEGO

Dr. Seuss

🎃☘️ Holidays and Celebrations

Explore family traditions, community celebrations and cultural holidays through the year.

Birthdays

Mother’s Day

Father’s Day

New Year’s – 1 January (Gregorian calendar)

Chinese / Lunar New Year – Late January or February (date varies)

Valentine’s Day – 14 February

Holi – Festival of Colours – March (date varies)

St. Patrick’s Day – 17 March

Easter – March or April (date varies)

Eid al-Fitr – April (date varies each year)

Earth Day – 22 April

Eid al-Adha – June or July (date varies)

Bastille Day / French National Day – 14 July

Diwali – Festival of Lights – October or November (date varies)

Halloween – 31 October

Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Day (UK) – 5 November

Thanksgiving / Harvest Celebration (US & Canada) – Fourth Thursday in November (US) / Second Monday in October (Canada)

Hanukkah – November or December (date varies)

St. Nicholas Day (Europe and beyond) – 6 December

St. Lucia’s Day (Sweden and parts of Europe) – 13 December

Christmas / Gingerbread Cookies – 25 December

Kwanzaa – 26 December – 1 January