Are you looking for theme ideas for your preschool classroom or homeschool?
Here are 100 exciting themes to spark creativity and learning in your classroom:
When planning themes for children, especially if they are very young, it’s usually best to start with themes about the children as individuals, leading to those about families and neighbourhoods.
Then expand to the broader world around your kids, and finally to the earth at large. The ideas presented in this article are listed roughly in this order. Some could easily fit into various spots, as well.
A particular theme can span a week or even a month; this is up to you and could vary, depending on the length of time to which a particular topic lends itself.
1. My Body
The “My Body” theme is fantastic for helping kids learn about themselves.
Body parts activities like body tracing or singing songs about the body like “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” can make it fun to explore body parts and their functions.
This topic naturally connects to the five senses, which can be explored individually or combined into a larger theme.
2. Sight
Exploring the sense of sight can be exciting for preschoolers, as they can engage in activities like playing blindfolded games or doing a colour scavenger hunt.
Books can help support this theme, and you could even explore sight challenges, blindness and Braille.
3. Sound
The “Sound” theme invites kids to explore the world of noises and music. They can play with instruments, mimic animal sounds, or go on a listening walk to identify different sounds in their environment.
4. Smell
A “Smell” theme offers a sensory adventure, letting 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.
5. 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.
You can even explore the connection between smell and taste with their noses pinched closed!
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6. Touch
The “Touch” theme lets kids explore different textures and materials. Sensory bins filled with sand, rice, or fabric scraps can make learning about touch interactive and engaging, helping them describe what they feel.
Touchy-feely boxes, where children guess what they are touching without seeing, and also touch boards with various textures posted, are both easy-to-make sense of touch activities to share with your children.
7. Health and Self-Care
Teaching health and self-care is essential in early childhood.
Kids can practise brushing their teeth on models, learn about washing hands, or even role-play getting ready for school, fostering independence and good habits.
8. Personal Safety
The “Personal Safety” theme is all about teaching kids to stay safe in different situations.
Activities could include practising stop, drop, and roll, 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.
9. Exercise
An “Exercise” theme gets kids moving while teaching them the importance of staying active.
Simple yoga poses, obstacle courses, or dance parties are great ways to show that exercise can be fun and healthy.
10. Sleep and Dreams
Exploring the “Sleep and Dreams” theme helps kids understand the importance of rest.
Storytime with bedtime tales, making dream catchers, or talking about what they dream about can make this theme cosy and imaginative.
Teach your kids these nursery rhymes about sleep too.
11. Night and Day
The “Night and Day” theme helps kids understand the difference between these two daily cycles.
Activities like sorting pictures of nocturnal and diurnal animals, talking about day/evening family activities, or creating day and night sky art can make learning about time fun and engaging.
12. 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.
13. Emotions/Feelings
Understanding emotions is key for young children, and this theme offers a safe space to explore them.
Activities like an emotions chart, role-playing scenarios, or reading stories about feelings can help kids express themselves better.
Here are more feelings activities for preschoolers.
14. Families
The “Families” theme celebrates different family structures and relationships. Kids can draw their families, share stories about family traditions, or even make a family tree, promoting love and understanding of their own and others’ families.
Share books about all different kinds of families, from one person to a dozen. Explore families with two parents, one parent, same-sex parents, and extended family living in the same household.
15. Homes
This theme encourages children to learn about different types of homes. Activities could include building houses with blocks, drawing their dream home, or exploring homes around the world, sparking curiosity about where people live.
Share books in which the settings show all different types of homes where people live, such as small/large houses, apartments, house trailers, shacks and shelters.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
Kids arrange pictures of people at various life stages in the correct order, and, depending on your children’s development level, this could be a time to read about and discuss things like growing older or losing someone we love.
19. 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.
20. Cooking
The “Cooking” theme lets kids explore the kitchen safely.
Simple cooking activities like making sandwiches, mixing ingredients, or decorating cookies not only teach life skills but also encourage creativity and teamwork.
21. Fruits
Fruits offer a colourful and tasty theme for kids to explore.
Activities could include fruit tasting, creating fruit art, or sorting and grouping fruits by colour, making healthy eating an enjoyable adventure.
Cut fruits like apples and oranges also make fun painting tools for fruit stamping, to help explore patterns and symmetry.
22. Vegetables
The “Vegetables” theme introduces kids to a variety of veggies.
Kids can learn about different vegetables by planting a garden, doing veggie stamping art, or taste-testing new veggies, making this a hands-on way to encourage healthy habits.
23. Pasta Fun and Yum!
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.
24. Friendship
The “Friendship” theme teaches kids the value of forming and maintaining friendships.
Activities like making friendship bracelets, role-playing kind interactions, or reading stories about friends can help kids build social skills and empathy.
25. Kindness
Kindness is a theme that encourages children to care for others.
They can participate in acts of kindness, create kindness jars, or read stories about kindness, making it a heartfelt and impactful theme. Kids could help make a “kindness” tree holding leaves on which various kind words are dictated and written.
Here are some preschool kindness activities to get you started.
26. Mindfulness
Many picture books, websites, blogs and videos have been popping up recently that fit with the concept of using mindfulness as a tool in our daily lives.
Breathing, meditating, focusing and relaxing are all topics to explore with kids.
27. Diversity
The theme of tolerance and diversity teaches preschoolers to embrace diversity, develop empathy and foster a sense of inclusivity within the classroom, home and the wider world.
Learning about diversity involves more than just exposing kids to different cultures – it also includes appreciating and accepting differences in religion, age, gender, identity, sexual orientation, ability, education, ethnicity and origin.
Here are some books about diversity and songs about inclusion to enrich and expand your children’s views.
28. Neighborhoods
The “Neighborhoods” theme helps kids learn about their community.
They can draw a map of or build a model of their neighborhood, go on a neighborhood walk, or learn about community helpers, making them more aware of the world around them.
29. Sports
Sports provide a fun way for kids to learn about teamwork and staying active.
Activities might include trying out different sports, making a mini-Olympics, or discussing favourite athletes, encouraging a love for physical activity.
30. Wheels
The “Wheels” theme taps into kids’ fascination with things that go.
They can explore different vehicles, build cars out of blocks, paint with small cars, or have a bike day, making learning about transportation both fun and interactive. Small wheels also make great painting tools.
31. Transportation
The “Transportation” theme gets kids excited about how people and goods move from place to place.
Activities like creating a car out of cardboard boxes, exploring different modes of transportation, or having a toy car race help make learning about travel fun and interactive.
32. Cities and Towns
Exploring “Cities and Towns” helps kids understand where people live and work.
Building a model city, learning about different landmarks, or drawing maps of their town makes this theme both creative and educational.
33. Animal Habitats
The “Animal Habitats” 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 nature exciting and fun.
34. Farm Animals
A field trip to a farm is a wonderful opportunity for kids to see this setting up close.
Books and videos are the next best things, exploring what kinds of animals live on farms and how they are cared for to stay healthy.
Here are some fun farm animal activities and farm songs for preschool kids.
35. Wild Animals
Kids love learning about “Wild Animals,” and this theme brings the excitement of the wild to life.
Activities might include creating animal masks, exploring different animals’ habitats, or going on a pretend safari, making learning adventurous.
36. Insects and Spiders
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.
37. Birds
The “Birds” theme is perfect for teaching kids about our feathered friends.
Birds 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.
38. Fish and Water Animals
Exploring “Fish and Water Animals” introduces kids to life under the sea.
Activities might include creating an aquarium in a jar, singing songs about the ocean, learning about different water animals, or playing with water toys.
Underwater pictures with coloured pencils or chalk are easy to make on dark- or light-blue construction paper, and painting underwater scenes on windows is a way for kids to safely “swim” under the waves with the fish and other water animals.
39. Community Helpers
The “Community Helpers” theme teaches kids about the people who keep our communities running smoothly.
Role-playing as doctors, firefighters, or teachers, visiting local services, or creating thank-you cards for helpers can make this theme both meaningful and engaging.
40. Construction
Kids love building and dismantling, making the “Construction” theme a hit.
Activities could include building with blocks, taking apart old gadgets, or creating structures with recycled materials, encouraging creativity and problem-solving.
Investigate real-life building by looking at the community helpers who construct and take apart various types of structures.
41. Buildings
The “Buildings” theme helps kids explore different types of structures.
Explore the different kinds of buildings in the neighbourhood through a local hike and in the world beyond, through books.
Learn about architects and what their jobs entail. Make a variety of building toys available for kids to flex their building muscles.
42. Clothing
A clothing theme provides a wonderful opportunity to take a look at clothing through the decades, in various seasons, and also the types of clothing worn around the world.
This topic can also lead to the next theme about fabrics.
43. Fabrics: Quilting, Weaving and Sewing
This theme introduces kids to the world of textiles.
Teach kids to appreciate the art of making snfd mending with simple activities like weaving paper, exploring different fabrics, or creating a class “quilt” by gluing snipped/torn papers or fabric scraps.
Invite a visitor or go on a field trip to see quilting, weaving, or sewing in action if possible.
44. Tools
The “Tools” theme allows kids to learn about the objects that help us build and fix things, as well as the wide assortment of tools that each occupation or home relies on every day.
Activities might include a tool matching game, building simple projects, or learning how different tools work, sparking an interest in how things are made.
45. Oceans, Lakes, Ponds and Rivers
In this theme, compare and contrast the different bodies of water through books and songs. Children love to share their own experiences with boating or fishing.
Kids can explore water habitats, create water-themed art, or learn about the animals that live in these environments.
You might combine this theme with that of water animals and fish.
Here are 26 fun ocean activities for preschoolers.
46. Water Cycle
The “Water Cycle” theme helps kids understand how water moves through our world.
Simple experiments, creating a water cycle poster, or acting out the stages of the water cycle can make this complex concept fun and accessible.
47. Beaches
The “Beaches” theme brings the shore to the classroom.
Activities like creating sand art, learning about seashells, or building sandcastles help kids explore what makes beaches special, bringing a bit of summer fun into learning.
48. Earth, Soil, Sand and Mud!
This is a fun theme to get kids outside and dirty while learning about science concepts as they explore what happens when water is added to earth, soil and sand.
You can also combine this with the gardening theme, in which kids discover what types of earth grow the best crops and how much water they need to add on a regular basis.
49. Fire Safety
The “Fire Safety” theme teaches kids important safety lessons.
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.
50. Hot and Cold
The “Hot and Cold” 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.
51. Winter
The “Winter” theme lets kids explore the chilly season.
Activities like making paper snowflakes, building a snowman (even indoors), or learning about how animals stay warm in winter can make the cold season feel magical and cozy.
52. 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.
53. Summer
The “Summer” theme brings the warmth and fun of the season into the classroom.
Activities could include creating sun art, having a pretend beach day, or learning about summer foods, making it a sunny and cheerful theme.
54. Fall/Autumn
The “Fall/Autumn” theme is perfect for exploring the beauty of changing leaves.
Kids can collect leaves for crafts, learn about harvest time, or explore the colours and smells of autumn, making this season come alive in the classroom.
Here is a great collection of songs about the weather and seasons.
55. Rain
The “Rain” theme helps kids appreciate the wonders of water from the sky.
Rain activities like making rain sticks, creating watercolour art, or learning about the water cycle can make rainy days full of learning and creativity.
Have a “rain party” with raincoats and boots, frolicking in either a real gentle rain or “rain” made with sprinklers!
56. Fog
The “Fog” theme introduces 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”.
57. Rainbows
The “Rainbows” theme is a colourful way to explore light and weather.
Kids can create rainbow art, learn about the science behind rainbows, learn rainbow songs, or go on a rainbow hunt, making learning about colours and light fun and vibrant.
58. Snow and Hail
The “Snow and Hail” theme brings the wonder of winter weather into the classroom.
Activities like making snowflakes, experimenting with ice, or learning about different types of precipitation make this theme chilly and educational.
59. Wind
The “Wind” theme lets kids explore the invisible force of nature.
Activities could include making pinwheels, flying kites, or learning about how wind affects weather, making science feel interactive and dynamic.
60. The 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.
61. Trees
The “Trees” theme celebrates the giants of the plant world.
Kids can explore different types of trees, make tree bark rubbings, or learn about the life cycle of a tree, fostering a love for nature and the environment.
Fallen leaves lend themselves nicely to different kinds of art projects, like leaf rubbings and paint stamping.
62. Gardening
The “Gardening” theme gets kids excited about growing their own plants.
Simple gardening activities might include planting seeds, creating a class garden, or learning about how plants grow, making this theme hands-on and nurturing.
63. Flowers
The “Flowers” theme is perfect for exploring the beauty of nature.
Kids can learn about different types of flowers, create flower art, or even press flowers. Different kinds of sorting activities work well with a flower theme.
The well-known science experiment with carnations in water with food colouring is always a favourite to see how flowers take in water to grow.
64. Seeds, Bulbs and Corms
This theme dives into the beginnings of plant life.
Kids can plant seeds, observe how bulbs grow, or explore different types of seeds and corms, making the magic of growth and gardening come to life.
65. Rocks and Fossils
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 Earth science hands-on and fascinating.
The topic of fossils can also lead to a dinosaur theme.
66. Measurement/Big and Little
The “Measurement” theme helps kids understand size and scale.
Kids can measure in non-standard ways without relying on rulers or tape measures. They enjoy measuring things or distances with their own footprints, paperclips strung together or building blocks in a row.
This is also a good time for comparisons and opposites: short/tall, wide/narrow, big/little, heavy/light.
Here are some hands-on measurement activities for kids.
67. “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.
68. Superheroes
The “Superheroes” 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, making this theme empowering and fun.
Dramatic play lends itself well to this theme through puppets and dress-up clothes and costumes.
69. Unicorns
The “Unicorns” theme taps into the magic and fantasy that kids love.
Activities might include unicorn crafts, creating a rainbow unicorn world, or reading magical unicorn stories, bringing a touch of whimsy to learning.
70. Books, Authors and Libraries
The “Books, Authors, and Libraries” theme fosters a love for reading and storytelling.
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.
71. Fairy Tales
The “Fairy Tales” theme brings classic stories to life.
Kids can act out their favourite tales, create fairy tale crafts, or even write their own versions of classic stories, making this theme magical and full of imagination.
If you want, you could address the fact that some fairy tales feel a bit scary because they were originally written for adults.
Read your kids these delightfully funny fairy tale poems.
72. 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.
73. Poetry
The “Poetry” theme encourages kids to play with words and sounds.
They can create their own simple poems, explore different types of poetry, or even perform their poems, making literacy expressive and creative.
Read the fairy tale poems and poems about books mentioned above.
74. Drama and Plays
The “Drama and Plays” theme allows kids to step into different roles and stories.
They can create simple plays and dress up to act them out, use puppets for storytelling, or even design their own stage, making this theme both theatrical and interactive.
75. 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.
Puppets can be combined with a plays/drama theme, but they are also easy to explore as the main focus.
76. Artists
The “Artists” theme introduces kids to the world of creativity and expression.
They can explore famous artists, create their own masterpieces, or experiment with different art mediums, fostering a love for art and imagination.
An in-person or virtual visit to a museum demonstrates for kids the prestige related to works of art.
77. Museums
The “Museums” theme brings the wonder of exploration and discovery into the classroom.
Kids can create their own mini-museum, learn about different types of museums, or take a virtual tour, making learning about history, art, and science interactive and exciting.
Take advantage of local museums, large and small, to inform kids about geographical areas, famous people, art, science and history. Some areas are lucky enough to have children’s museums, which house hands-on activities for kids.
78. Inventors
The “Inventors” theme inspires kids to think creatively and problem-solve.
Activities might include learning about famous inventors, creating their own inventions, or exploring how everyday items were invented, sparking curiosity and innovation.
79. Composers
The “Composers” theme introduces kids to the magic of music creation.
They can learn about famous composers, create their own simple compositions, or explore different instruments, making music both educational and fun.
This theme makes a perfect lead-in for the music and dance theme.
80. Music and Dance
The “Music and Dance” theme gets 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.
81. Photography
The “Photography” theme lets kids explore the world through a lens.
They can create their own photo stories, learn about famous photographers, or take pictures of their surroundings, helping them see the world from different perspectives.
82. Our Country
The “Our Country” theme helps kids learn about their nation’s culture, history, and symbols.
Activities might include creating a class flag, learning about national holidays, or exploring landmarks, fostering a sense of pride and belonging.
83. Geography
The “Geography” theme takes kids on a journey around the world.
They can explore maps, learn about different countries, or even create their own globe, making geography an adventure in discovery.
84. 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.
Set aside a special day for the kids’ stuffed “wild” animals to join in the fun.
85. Jobs/Occupations/Professions
The “Occupations” theme introduces kids to different career paths.
Activities could include role-playing different jobs, learning about the tools professionals use, or inviting guest speakers.
Kids enjoy making “I Can Be…” books that focus on jobs and professions they could pursue later in life.
86. 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, making science tangible and fun.
Children love to observe whipping cream turning into butter through shaking, as well.
87. 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.
88. Technology and Media
The “Technology and Media” theme introduces kids to the tools of the modern world.
They can explore how technology works, create simple digital art, or learn about the impact of media, making this theme both relevant and engaging.
89. Engineering
The “Engineering” theme encourages problem-solving and building skills.
Kids can design and build structures, explore how things work, or create simple machines, fostering creativity and logical thinking.
90. 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.
91. 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.
92. 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.
93. Our World
The “Our World” theme broadens kids’ understanding of the planet.
They can explore different cultures, learn about global landmarks, or create art inspired by different countries, fostering a sense of global awareness and appreciation.
94. Leaders
The “Leaders” theme teaches kids about important figures in history and their impact.
Activities might include learning about famous leaders, discussing what makes a good leader, or role-playing leadership scenarios, helping kids understand the qualities of leadership.
95. Peace
The “Peace” theme promotes kindness, cooperation, and understanding.
Kids can participate in peace-themed art projects, read stories about peaceful problem-solving, or learn about peace symbols, encouraging a harmonious and caring environment.
96. The Environment and The Three R’s
The “Environment and The Three R’s” theme teaches kids about reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Activities might include sorting recyclables, creating art from recycled materials, or learning about how to care for the planet, fostering environmental responsibility.
97. Space, Planets and Astronauts
The “Space, Planets, and Astronauts” 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.
A field trip to the planetarium can bring space even closer to young eyes.
98. History
The “History” theme introduces kids to the stories of the past.
They can explore different historical events, learn about famous figures, or create timelines, helping them understand how the past shapes the present.
Share your personal history with children and then urge them to do the same through pictures and oral stories.
99. 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 recognized reptiles.
100. The Future
The “Future” theme encourages kids to imagine what’s next.
They can create art of future inventions, discuss what they want to be when they grow up or explore futuristic technology, making this theme both imaginative and forward-thinking.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of themes for preschool 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.
