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You are here: Home / Themes / A Year’s Worth of the Best Toddler and Preschool Themes

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A Year’s Worth of the Best Toddler and Preschool Themes

July 2, 2017 by Sheryl Cooper

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Inside: Looking for the best toddler and preschool themes you can do in your classroom or at home? This collection is filled with playful learning activities for year-round fun. Free printable list included!

Are you like I was, searching for themes that will work with toddlers and preschoolers? Do you have stacks of notes with ideas but not sure where to go next?

Take a deep breath. I am hoping to help you with this collection of preschool themes.

In this post I am sharing a year’s worth of themes that teachers can use in the classroom or at home.

I’ve organized these preschool themes by month, but the more general themes can be used any time of the year. These are just suggestions.

So get out your planners and pencil in some of these ideas!

 

Bonus! I’ve created a printable list of themes as a handy resource. Scroll down towards the bottom of this post to find it!

best toddler and preschool themes

 

 

I am often asked how long each of my themes are. We used to do a theme a week but realized that usually didn’t allow enough time for thorough exploration.

Today, most of our themes are at least 2 weeks, sometimes longer.

As I get to know my students, I learn more about their interests. In addition to the planned themes, I will also add activities that connect to these interests.

The themes that are shown below are simply suggestions. Pick and choose which ones you feel would be a good fit for your classroom environment.

A Year’s Worth of the Best Preschool Themes

Under some of the theme titles I have included lesson plans you can purchase. Some I have helped create, and others were written by my early childhood educator friends.

Also included under some of the titles are links to more resources, such as classroom photos and video tours. Simply click on them to get a better idea of how we used these themes in our classroom.

Some of these themes I have not (yet) included in our classroom curriculum, but they were shared in our Teaching Toddlers and Preschoolers Facebook Group.

Please note that it’s important to keep the age and learning levels of your children in mind when selecting themes. Some of these themes are more appropriate for older preschoolers. For this reason, I’ve provided a variety of ideas for each season. 

Table of Contents

  • SEPTEMBER
    • All About Me
    • Shapes and Colors
    • Family and Friends
    • Fairy Tales
  • OCTOBER
    • Fall
    • Apples
    • Pumpkins
    • Spiders
    • Bats
    • Forest 
    • Farm
    • Halloween
  • NOVEMBER
    • Leaves and Pinecones  
    • Five Senses
    • Thanksgiving
    • Nutrition
  • DECEMBER
    • Jingle Bells
    • Gingerbread
    • Christmas
  • JANUARY
    • Winter
    • Snow and Ice
    • Hibernation
    • Arctic Animals
    • Penguins
    • Opposites
    • Day and Night
    • Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • FEBRUARY
    • Feelings/Emotions
    • Valentines
    •  Presidents’ Day
    • Community Helpers
    • Around the World
  • MARCH
    • Dr. Seuss
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Rainbows
    • Dinosaurs
  • APRIL
    • Spring
    • Spring and Easter
    • Spring Animals
    • Bugs and Butterflies
    • Gardening
    • Worms
    • Frogs
    • Birds
    • Weather
    • Recycling/Earth Day
    • Pets
  • MAY
    • Transportation
    • Construction
    • Space
    • Deserts
    • Zoo
    • Bees
  • SUMMER
    • Summer
    • Beach
    • Water
    • 4th of July
    • Bubbles
    • Camping
    • Watermelon
    •  Ice Cream
  • 👉 Download this free list of themes as a handy resource:
  • //
  • Toddler and Preschool Activity Plans
  • FREE CIRCLE TIME PLANNER!

SEPTEMBER

Related: Classroom Ideas for Back to School

All About Me

  • Preschool All About Me Lesson Plans
  • Toddler All About Me Lesson Plans
  • 30+ All About Me Theme Activities

Shapes and Colors

  • Preschool Color Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour

Family and Friends

  • Preschool Friends Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Family Lesson Plans
  • 20+ Preschool Friendship Activities
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year – Year #3,Week #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year – Year #3, Week #2

Fairy Tales

  • Preschool Fairy Tale Lesson Plans

OCTOBER

Fall

  • Toddler Fall Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Fall Lesson Plans

Apples

  • Preschool Apples Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2

Pumpkins

  • Preschool Pumpkin Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3 (combined with Apple Theme)

Spiders

  • Preschool Spider Lesson Plans
  • Learning About Spiders
  • Classroom Video Tour

Bats

  • Preschool Bats Lesson Plans
  • 20 Bat Activities

Forest 

  • Preschool Forest Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour

Farm

  • Preschool Farm Lesson Plans
  • Toddler Farm Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3, Week #1

Halloween

NOVEMBER

Leaves and Pinecones  

  • Preschool Leaves Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Tour Video Year #1
  • Classroom Tour Video Year #2
  • Classroom Tour Video Year #3
  • Classroom Tour Video Year #4

Five Senses

  • Preschool Five Senses Lesson Plans
  • Toddler Five Senses Lesson Plans
  • Five senses Activities

Thanksgiving

  • Preschool Thanksgiving Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3

Nutrition

DECEMBER

Related: Hands-On Ideas for Your December Themes

Jingle Bells

  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour

Gingerbread

  • Preschool Gingerbread Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #4

Christmas

  • Preschool Christmas Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour, Week #1, Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour, Week #2, Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour, Week #2, Year #3.

JANUARY

Related: Big Collection of January Themes Ideas

Winter

  • Toddler Winter Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Winter Lesson Plans

Snow and Ice

  • Preschool Arctic Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Snowflakes Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3

Hibernation

  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3

Arctic Animals

  • Classroom Video Tour

Penguins

  • Preschool Penguin Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2

Opposites

Day and Night

  • Learning About Day and Night
  • Classroom Set Up

Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • 24 Martin Luther King Jr. Activities
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Activities for Kids

FEBRUARY

Related: Ideas for February Themes

Feelings/Emotions

  • Preschool Emotions Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Video Tour (Includes Valentine’s)

Valentines

  • Preschool Hearts Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3

 Presidents’ Day

  • Presidents’ Day Activities and Printables
  • Presidents’ Day Theme for Preschool

Community Helpers

  • Preschool Community Helpers Lesson Plans
  • Toddler Community Helpers Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2

Around the World

  • Preschool Around the World Lesson Plans
  • How to Teach Preschoolers About Their World

MARCH

Related: Ideas for March Themes

Dr. Seuss

  • Classroom Tour Video
  • Dr. Seuss Activities

St. Patrick’s Day

  • Preschool St. Patrick’s Day Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Tour Year #2

Rainbows

  • Preschool Rainbow Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3

Dinosaurs

  • Toddler Dinosaur Theme Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Dinosaur Theme Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Tour Video

APRIL

Related: Big Collection of April Theme Ideas

Spring

  • Toddler Spring Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Spring Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Video Tour Year (Includes Pond)

Spring and Easter

Note: If Easter is in March, we move this unit to that month.

  • Preschool Easter Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Eggs Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2

Spring Animals

  • Toddler Animals Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour

Bugs and Butterflies

  • Toddler Bugs and Butterflies Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Bugs and Butterflies Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour (Bugs) Year#1
  • Classroom Video Tour (Butterflies) Year #1

Gardening

  • Preschool Flowers and Trees Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2 (includes Bugs)

Worms

  • Preschool Worms Lesson Plans

Frogs

  • Preschool Frogs Lesson Plans
  • 15 Frog Activities
  • Classroom Video Tour

Birds

  • Preschool Birds Lesson Plans

Weather

  • Preschool Weather Lesson Plans
  • 30+ Preschool Weather Activities

Recycling/Earth Day

  • Preschool Earth Day Lesson Plans
  • Preschool Earth Day Activities

Pets

  • Preschool Pets Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2

MAY

Related: Big Collection of May Theme Ideas

Transportation

  • Preschool Transportation Theme Lesson Plans
  • Toddler Transportation Theme Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #1
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #2
  • Classroom Video Tour Year #3

Construction

  • Preschool Construction Theme Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Video Tour Year

Space

  • Preschool Space Theme Lesson Plans
  • 15 Space Activities

Deserts

Zoo

  • Preschool Zoo Lesson Plans

Bees

  • Bee Themed Activities

SUMMER

Summer

  • Preschool Summer Lesson Plans
  • Toddler Summer Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Video Tour Year

Beach

  • Preschool Ocean Lesson Plans
  • Toddler Under the Sea Lesson Plans
  • Classroom Set Up
  • Classroom Video Tour

Water

  • Preschool Water Lesson Plans

Sharks

Sun

Sand

4th of July

  • Preschool America Lesson Plans
  • 4th of July Crafts

Bubbles

  • Preschool Bubbles Lesson Plans

Camping

  • Preschool Camping Lesson Plans

Pools

Watermelon

  • Preschool Watermelon Lesson Plans

 Ice Cream

  • Preschool Ice Cream Lesson Plans

 

👉 Download this free list of themes as a handy resource:

free toddler and preschool themes printable list

 

You can find more teacher posts in this collection.

 

 

best toddler and preschool themes

 

 

 


 

Toddler and Preschool Activity Plans

Looking for an entire year’s worth of learning activities? We’ve done the work for you!

I have helped create each of these packets, along with a team of talented educators and homeschoolers.

Easy to follow activity plans include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners.

Every theme comes with recommended reading lists, songs, material lists, and more.

Click on the graphics below for more details.

Toddlers (18 – 36 months):

toddler lesson plans

Preschool (3 – 5 Years):

preschool lesson plans

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Filed Under: Curriculum, preschool, Teachers, Themes, Toddlers Tagged With: back to school, preschool, printable, teachers, themes, toddlers

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

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