30+ preschool classroom themes with free printables

Hey preschool teachers: Need help with preschool themes for your classroom? Well, you came to the right place! We have a selection of activities grouped by preschool theme to help you plan next preschool theme or come up with new theme ideas.

These activities include dramatic play, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes. These activities are a lot of fun and were thought out to promote learning outcomes across different domains.

Some of the most popular preschool themes include outer space, a dinosaur theme, a beach theme, a farm theme, the solar system, the five senses, or seasonal or holiday themes, such as a winter theme.

Preschool themes help early childhood educators to plan ahead for a variety of activities and know exactly what they are trying to help the children learn. Planning age-appropriate activities around preschool themes also helps to keep parents in the loop, as they will know in advance what topic will be explored in the classroom.

These activities are created by early childhood educators just like you, and there’s something for everyone. Our activity database is updated weekly with fresh content and new themes year-round. Make sure to come back often to check what’s new!

Activities by preschool theme

If you already have some great ideas for preschool themes but you need a few more learning activities to fill it out or you want to make sure you have your core subjects covered, check out the examples below.

All about me

These activities will help preschoolers to learn more about themselves and the others. This can help them to form their own identity while developing more empathy for others at the same time.

Animals

Get crafty and explore animals of all sizes with your children. From small bugs to huge dinosaurs, there’s something for everyone.

Beach

Children love playing in the sand! It’s such a versatile material to build and explore. These beach activities will help you bring the beach fun to your classroom.

Bugs

You might disagree with them, but preschoolers love insects! These activities will help them explore the natural world of ladybugs, bees, butterflies and more!

Christmas

Discover new Christmas crafts to add to your repertoire this holiday season. We’ve designed these easy to create Christmas activities that require a short list of supplies, and a lot of creativity! These fun projects are sure to get your children excited about the holidays!

Clouds

With these fun activities, your preschoolers will finally be able to touch the clouds. Each activity will explore a different aspect of the clouds, from their different shapes to their fluffiness.

Dinosaurs

Explore these dinosaur activities to spark curiosity. These resources will help you teach children more about the earth, life, and the natural world.

Feelings and emotions

Every feeling is valid and okay to feel! The important part is learning that you can feel that way, but you don’t need to stay that way. These activities will open doors to meaningful conversation about emotions!

Fall

Children might be disappointed that the warmer weather is gone, but there’s so much to explore in the fall! These activities will help them look forward to the cozy season.

Fish

These activities will make a splash in your classroom, while working on fine motor skills, letter recognition, hand-eye coordination and much more!

Ice cream

Did you hear the scoop? These ice cream activities are just perfect for your preschool. Colorful and fun, featuring everyone’s favorite dessert.

Moon

These preschool activities will help your children learn more about the moon, our only natural satellite. Teach them about the phases of the moon, its craters, and so much more!

Ocean

These fun activities use everyday household items to teach children all about layers of the ocean, salt water, and marine animals.

Rainbow

Children love to explore the bright world of colors from the moment they are capable of seeing them. These crafts are perfect to teach your preschoolers about colors from red to violet, and everything in between.

Science

Children are naturally curious and are intrigued by science experiments. These activities are a ton of fun and help promote their cognitive development.

Space

In its infinity, the space is still fairly mysterious to adults, so it’s easy to understand why it is so fascinating to young children. Indulge their curiosity with these fun crafts.

Sports

These activities use the mind and the body at the same time, allowing children to learn while having fun. They are inspired by traditional sports that children love, from soccer to basketball.

Spring

Spring is the favorite season of many, and it is the perfect theme for plenty of preschool crafts. Check these activities prepared by early childhood educators for inspiration.

Summer

Children love the summer. They can be outside more and explore everything nature has to offer. These activities are perfect for some water fun and learning more about the season.

Sun

These preschool activities will help your children learn more about the sun, and how it affects their daily life. They are perfect for summer time, or for any sunny days throughout the year.

Transportation

Kids are fascinated by the many different transportation methods, whether it be buses or cars, planes or ships. To sustain their fascination, we’ve designed these easy to create activities that require a short list of supplies, and a lot of creativity!

Water

Playing with water is always fun for children, especially on warmer days. These activities use only simple materials that you can find around the house.

Weather

These preschool activities will help your children to explore the weather in many different ways. Whether they enjoy sunny weather or prefer a rainy day, there’s something for everyone.

Preschool activities by domain or skill

Cognitive development

Cognitive development is important for knowledge growth, as it focuses on how children process their surroundings and solve problems.

Emotional development

The emotional domain allows children to express themselves, recognize their own feelings and those of others, and develop ways to manage their emotions.

Language and literacy

This domain refers to the interactions children have with literacy materials. Early literacy provides opportunities for educators to talk with children about print materials, and for children to develop reading and writing skills. 

Fine motor and gross motor

The physical domain focuses on the development of a child’s body. Physical skills are important for growth, physical coordination, and the movement of the body.

Social skills

The social domain includes social interaction with others, getting along with others, turn-taking, participation and cooperation. This is a great space to explore a community helpers theme, where kids learn about doctors, firefighters, garbage collectors, and other jobs that inspire tons of fun learning activities.

Sensory activities

Sensory play establishes a foundation for preschoolers to be able to work towards more complex tasks, strengthens language development, improves problem-solving skills and supports cognitive growth.