150 Themes for Preschool and Kindergarten: A Complete List

Weather and Seasons

Weather and seasonal themes give children plenty of opportunities to notice changes in the world around them through nature, science, sensory play and everyday observations.

Weather Themes

These themes help children notice and understand everyday changes in the weather through observation, movement, art, and simple science.

• Weather
  Watch the sky, track daily weather and talk and sing about sunshine, rain, wind and clouds while noticing how weather affects everyday life.
• Rain
  Learn about rainy weather through water play, simple science, rain art, movement and hands-on activities.
• Rainbows
  Use rainbows to introduce colour, light and weather through art, colour mixing, songs and simple science activities.
• Wind
  Investigate moving air with pinwheels, streamers, kites and experiments that show what the wind can move.
• Fog
  Talk about mist and foggy weather, make fog-inspired art and try simple demonstrations of how fog forms.
• Sun
  Learn how the sun provides light and warmth, helps plants grow and why sun safety is important.

Fall / Autumn Themes

Autumn brings noticeable changes in colour, weather and nature, making it a rich season for hands-on learning.

• Fall Leaves
  Collect, sort and investigate autumn leaves through art, sensory play, movement and simple nature activities.
• Apples
  Taste, sort, count and investigate apples while using them for cooking, art and simple science activities.
• Pumpkins
  Discover pumpkins through art, sensory play, movement, maths, science and pretend play.
• Harvest
  Learn about crops, seasonal foods and harvest time through stories, sorting, cooking and farm-inspired play.
• Scarecrows
  Find out why scarecrows are used, make simple scarecrow creations and bring the theme into stories, songs and pretend play.

Winter Themes

Winter themes introduce children to colder weather and the ways people and nature adapt to seasonal changes.

• Winter
  Notice signs of winter through seasonal art, sensory play, stories and simple activities about cold weather and changing nature.
• Snow, Ice and Snowmen
  Investigate freezing and melting with ice experiments, snowy sensory play, winter art and real or pretend snowman activities involving counting, shapes and simple science.
• Clouds
  Watch clouds move and change, look for shapes and colours and try simple art and science activities about clouds and weather.
• Mittens and Winter Clothes
  Talk about keeping warm through sorting, matching, dressing activities and pretend play with winter clothing.
• Winter Sports
  Learn about skiing, skating, sledding and other winter sports through movement, pretend play and simple games.
• Gingerbread
  Enjoy a seasonal gingerbread theme with baking, sensory play, gingerbread houses, art and activities inspired by The Gingerbread Man story.

Spring Themes

Spring is a natural time to focus on new growth, changing weather, plants and young animals.

• Spring
  Look for signs of the changing season through nature walks, art, stories and activities about new growth.
• Spring Animals
  Learn about chicks, lambs, bunnies and other young animals through books, songs, movement and pretend play.
• Gardening and Plants
  Plant seeds, care for growing plants and learn what they need through gardening, observation and hands-on activities.
• Seeds, Bulbs and Flowers
  Investigate how plants begin and grow by planting seeds and bulbs, looking closely at flowers and trying simple plant experiments.

Summer Themes

Summer themes lend themselves to outdoor play, water, holidays and relaxed seasonal activities.

• Summer
  Celebrate the season with outdoor play, sunny-day art, pretend holidays and activities inspired by warm weather.
• Beaches
  Bring the seaside into play with sand, shells, beach-themed art and pretend trips to the shore.
• Water Play
  Pour, scoop, spray and experiment with water while building sensory, fine motor and early science skills.
• Camping
  Set up a pretend campsite, build tents, tell stories around a make-believe campfire and enjoy simple nature activities.
• Picnics
  Plan a pretend or real picnic, pack food, set out blankets and practise sharing, conversation and everyday routines.
• Summer Games
  Encourage active play with races, obstacle courses, throwing and catching games and other simple group activities.
• Ice Cream
  Set up a pretend ice cream shop, count scoops, make ice cream art and use the theme for simple maths and imaginative play.

Animals

Animal themes give children opportunities to learn about different species, habitats, life cycles and the ways animals move, grow and survive.

• Pets
  Learn about common pets, their needs and how to care for them through stories, pretend veterinary play and discussions about pets children know or would like to have. 
• Animal Habitats
  Match animals to their homes and compare habitats such as forests, deserts, oceans and polar regions.
• Farm Animals
  Learn about cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and other farm animals through stories, songs, pretend play and hands-on activities.
• Wild, Zoo and Safari Animals
  Discover wild animals through books, animal movement, masks, pretend safaris and discussions about where different species live.
• Animals of Our Country
  Learn about animals found locally or within your country through nature walks, books, pictures and simple wildlife activities.
• Ocean and Under the Sea
  Discover fish, sea mammals and other ocean creatures through sensory play, art, movement, stories and simple science activities.
• Insects, Spiders and Bugs
  Observe small creatures, compare their features and learn about the important roles insects and other minibeasts play in nature.
• Caterpillars and Butterflies
  Follow the butterfly life cycle through stories, sequencing, art and, where possible, observing caterpillars as they change.
• Birds
  Learn about feathers, nests, eggs and different types of birds through observation, nature walks, art and simple bird activities.
• Nocturnal Animals
  Discover animals that are active at night, such as bats, owls and hedgehogs, through stories, movement, science and pretend play.
• Dinosaurs
  Bring prehistoric animals to life through fossil digs, dinosaur footprints, movement, small-world play and learning about different species.
• Polar Animals
  Learn how animals survive in the cold, including polar bears in the Arctic and penguins in Antarctica, through stories, sensory play and simple science.
• Woodland Animals and Hibernation
  Learn about forest animals, seasonal changes and how some animals prepare for and survive the winter.
• Reptiles
  Meet snakes, lizards, turtles and other reptiles while comparing their habitats, body coverings, movement and life cycles.
• Frogs
  Follow the frog life cycle through stories, sequencing, small-world play and activities about how frogs grow and live.
• Bears
  Learn about different kinds of bears, where they live and how they behave through stories, movement, art and nature activities.
• Bees
  Discover bees, hives and pollination through flower activities, movement, stories and simple observations of how bees help plants.

Transportation Themes

Transportation themes introduce children to different ways people and goods travel by land, air and water.

• Transportation
  Discover different ways people and goods move from place to place with “things that go” such as cars, trucks, trains, boats and airplanes.
• Cars & Trucks
  Learn about wheels, roads and different road vehicles through construction play, toy-car activities and pretend journeys.
• Airplanes
  Talk about air travel, airports and flying while making paper planes, role-playing journeys and investigating what helps things fly.
• Boats
  Build and test simple boats, investigate floating and sinking and learn about different ways people travel on water.
• Trains
  Build tracks, create pretend train journeys and learn how trains carry people and goods from place to place.

Holidays and Celebrations

These themes introduce children to special days, family traditions and celebrations observed in different communities and cultures throughout the year.

• 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
  Celebrate mothers, caregivers and other special people through handmade cards, art, songs and simple appreciation activities.
• Father’s Day
  Celebrate fathers, grandfathers, caregivers and special grown-ups through cards, crafts, songs and family-themed activities.
• New Year’s – 1 January
  Welcome the new year with countdowns, fireworks art and simple discussions about New Year traditions.
• Lunar New Year – January or February; date varies
  Learn about Lunar New Year traditions through stories, music, red decorations, lanterns and celebrations of family and new beginnings.
• Valentine’s Day – 14 February
  Focus on friendship and kindness with hearts, cards, stories and simple activities about caring for others.
• Holi – Festival of Colours (date varies)
  Introduce the Festival of Colours through colourful art, stories and activities inspired by this Hindu celebration of spring.
• St. Patrick’s Day – 17 March
  Discover Irish culture and traditions through music, movement, shamrocks, stories and festive art.
• Easter – March or April; date varies
  Learn about this Christian celebration through stories, Easter traditions, eggs and seasonal activities connected with spring and new life.
• Eid al-Fitr – date varies each year
  Learn about the celebration marking the end of Ramadan through stories, food traditions, family and giving.
• Earth Day – 22 April
  Encourage care for the planet through recycling, planting, nature walks and simple environmental activities.
• Eid al-Adha – date varies each year
  Introduce themes of generosity, family and community through stories, discussion and simple activities.
• Bastille Day / French National Day – 14 July
  Introduce French culture through music, food, landmarks and art inspired by the colours of the French flag.
• Diwali – Festival of Lights – October or November; date varies
  Learn about the Festival of Lights through diyas, rangoli-inspired art, stories and traditions centred on light and celebration.
• Halloween – 31 October
  Enjoy dress-up, pumpkins, art, movement, games and other not-too-spooky Halloween activities.
• Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Night – 5 November
  Mark this UK tradition with fireworks-inspired art, simple science and discussions about fire safety.
• Thanksgiving – second Monday in October in Canada; fourth Thursday in November in the US
  Focus on gratitude, family and seasonal traditions through art, stories, music, pretend play and shared activities.
• Hanukkah – November or December; date varies
  Learn about the Jewish Festival of Lights through stories, menorahs, dreidels and family traditions.
• St. Nicholas Day – 6 December
  Learn about this Christian feast day and traditions centred on St. Nicholas, giving and kindness.
• St. Lucia’s Day – 13 December
  Discover this Christian festival of light, celebrated particularly in Scandinavia, through stories, songs and candle- or lantern-inspired art.
• Christmas – 25 December
  Celebrate this Christian holiday through songs, stories, decorations, giving and seasonal activities such as baking gingerbread and making festive art.
• Kwanzaa – 26 December – 1 January
  Introduce this African American cultural celebration through stories, music, art and its themes of family, community and heritage.

Nature and Science

Nature and science themes encourage children to investigate, observe, compare and ask questions about the world around them.

• Day and Night
  Compare daytime and nighttime through sky art, daily routines, shadows and discussions about animals that are active at different times.
• Space, Planets and Astronauts
  Learn about planets, rockets and astronauts through pretend space travel, art, stories and simple activities about the solar system.
• Environment and Recycling
  Introduce the Three Rs — reduce, reuse and recycle — through sorting activities, reused-material art and simple ways children can help care for the environment.
• Water Cycle and Water Conservation
  Learn where rain comes from, how water moves through the environment and why saving water is important through simple demonstrations and activities.
• Ponds, Lakes and Rivers
  Compare different freshwater habitats and learn about the plants and animals that live in and around them.
• Soil, Sand and Mud
  Dig, pour, mix and investigate natural materials while noticing how soil and sand change when water is added.
• Life Cycles
  Follow how living things grow and change through familiar examples such as butterflies, frogs, plants and chickens.
• 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.
• Rainforests
  Discover the plants, animals and wet climate of rainforests through stories, small-world play, art and simple habitat activities.
• Deserts
  Learn about dry desert habitats, cacti and the animals that survive there through sensory play, stories and simple science.
• Rocks and Fossils
  Collect and compare rocks, look for patterns and textures and introduce fossils as clues about plants and animals from long ago.
• Science
  Encourage curiosity with simple experiments involving predicting, observing, testing and talking about what happens.
• Solids, Liquids and Gases
  Introduce states of matter through familiar materials such as ice and water and simple demonstrations of melting, freezing and changing states.
• Hot and Cold
  Compare temperatures through safe hands-on experiments, sorting activities and discussions about weather, clothing and everyday objects.
• Bubbles
  Blow, chase and investigate bubbles while noticing their shape, colours, movement and what makes them pop.
• Magnets
  Test different objects to find out what magnets attract, experiment with magnetic movement and make simple discoveries about magnetism.
• Robots
  Build robots from recycled materials, investigate how robots move and work, and try simple coding or sequencing activities that develop problem-solving skills.

Basic Concepts and Skills

These themes turn early concepts such as colours, shapes, numbers, letters and measurement into hands-on learning through play.

• Colours and Colour Mixing
  Learn about colours through sorting, matching, painting and simple colour-mixing experiments.
• Shapes
  Recognise and name shapes through hunts, building, sorting, art and everyday objects.
• Numbers and Counting
  Build early number skills through counting games, songs and hands-on activities with everyday objects.
• Everyday Maths
  Notice maths in daily life through counting, comparing, sharing, sorting and talking about size, quantity and position.
• Alphabet and Letters
  Become familiar with letters and their sounds through songs, games, matching and playful literacy activities.
• Opposites 
  Learn concepts such as big and small, fast and slow, hot and cold, and up and down through movement, stories and play.
• Measurement
  Compare length, height, weight and capacity using blocks, string, containers and other simple measuring tools.
• Patterns
  Notice, copy and create simple repeating patterns using colours, shapes, movements, sounds and everyday objects.
• Symmetry
  Discover symmetry through mirrors, folding, paint prints, blocks and other simple art and construction activities.