The Ultimate List of Preschool Themes

If you’re not sure how to cover some of those important skills and concepts that your preschooler should know, you might want to try using themes.

Preschool themes are a fun way to organize the materials you’d like to cover when teaching your four-year-old. Simply choose a concept like “fast and slow” and tie it into a related theme such as transportation.

Preschool themes also serve as an inspiration for topics to share with your little one. Themes can cover everything from animals and their habitats to classic stories. Every school subject can fit into one theme or another. Just make sure that the activities you choose to go with the theme fit your tot’s ability level.

I have created a list of preschool themes that you can reference when planning your preschooler’s year. They are divided into categories for your convenience. You’ll also find more lists included with some major themes like “weather.” You can either include these topics with the big theme or use them as their own theme. When you add up all of these topics and lists, you’ll find that there are over 250 possible preschool themes listed below. Themes with links will take you to a post with a list of books for that theme that you can read to your child.

Preschool Themes

Learning

• Colors
• Shapes
• Opposites
• Numbers
• Alphabet
• Textures
• Patterns – stripes, polka dots
• Time – day, night, morning, afternoon, evening, bedtime, clocks

Nature

• Seasons – spring, summer, fall, winter
• Weather – rain, snow, wind, sun, clouds, umbrella
• Rainbows
• Biomes – ocean, river, lake, pond, desert, forest, arctic, rainforest, savanna
• Space – sun, moon, stars, planets
• Habitats
• Farm animals – horses, cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, lambs, donkeys, ponies
• Zoo animals – tigers, lions, elephants, zebras, monkeys, gorillas
• Pets – Dogs, cats, mice
• Birds – eagles, parrots, penguins, hawks, songbirds, ducks, geese, owls, swans, eggs
• Insects – bees, butterflies, caterpillars, ants, ladybugs
• Reptiles – lizards, snakes, alligators, crocodiles, turtles
• Amphibians – frogs, salamanders
• Mammals – rabbits, bears, wolves, whales, dolphins, deer, bats, beavers, squirrels
• Crustaceans – crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, shells
• Spiders
• Worms
• Dinosaurs
• Fish
• Trees
• Flowers and other plants – sunflowers, roses
• Rocks
• Sand
• Mud and dirt
• Water

My Family and I

• All about me
• Five senses
• Parts of the body
• Teeth
• Hand washing
• Clothes – hats, shoes, mittens
• Tools
• Babies
• Family
• Manners
• Virtues
• Feelings
• Healthy eating – soup, salad, sandwiches
• Fruits – apples, berries, watermelon
• Vegetables – carrots, corn (popcorn), pumpkins
• Baked goods – bread, cookies, pies

Safety

• Fire safety
• Stranger safety
• Kitchen safety

My Community

• Houses
• Buildings
• Friends and friendship
• Neighbors
• Persons with Disabilities
• Occupations – nurse, doctor, police officer, fire fighter, librarian, teacher, mail carrier
• Transportation – cars, trains, buses, trucks, planes, boats
• Community
• Community helpers
• Construction
• Recycling
• Grocery store
• Bakery
• Library
• Post office
• The farm – scarecrows
• The city
• The country
• People and places around the world – Japan, Australian, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Israel, France, Russia, Africa

History

• Medieval life – kings, queens, castles
• Pilgrims
• The wild west – cowboys, rodeos

Fun

• Circus – clowns, acrobats
• Carnival
• Camping
• Going to the beach
• Sewing and crafts – quilts, buttons
• Gardening
• Picnic
• Tea party
• Fishing
• Sports – baseball, soccer, olympics
• Toys – teddy bears, kites, games, balloons, bubbles, puppets, puzzles

Science

• Magnets
• Robots
• Light and shadows
• STEM/STEAM
• Technology – phones, computers

The Calendar

• Months
• Birthdays
• Ground Hogs Day
• New Years
• Earth Day
• May Day
• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Valentine’s Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
• Easter
• Fourth of July

Religious

• Angels
• God
• Jesus
• Mary
• The Bible
• Biblical stories – the Nativity, Noah’s ark, creation, Jonah and the big fish, Jesus feeds 5000, Jesus and the little children
• Religious items – candles, crosses, crucifix, altar
• Advent
• Lent
• Being a good Christian

Art

• Famous artists – Monet, Da Vinci, Michelangelo
• Types of art – portraits, still life, landscape, drawings
• Art media – markers, crayons, chalk, watercolor, pencil, colored sand, paper

Stories

• Nursery rhymes – “Humpty Dumpty,” “Little Boy Blue,” “Little Miss Muffet,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “Three Little Kittens,” “Pat-a-Cake,” and “Jack and Jill” to name a few
• Fables – “The Lion and the Mouse” and “The Boy and the Wolf”
• Fairy tales – “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Gingerbread Boy,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “The Little Red Hen,” “The Billy Goats Gruff,” “The Three Little Pigs,” “The Ugly Duckling” and others that you like
• Dr. Seuss books
• Eric Carle books
• Beatrix Potter books
• Stone Soup
• The Little Engine That Could
• Winnie-the-Pooh
• Raggedy Ann and Andy books
• Just So Stories

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Many blessings,