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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I love this list of preschool themes! I’ve always enjoyed teaching my children through unit studies, and any of these themes would result in better retention of knowledge, when centered around an interesting topic.
I love themes too! And you are so right about retention. Anything fun and interesting sticks so much better in children’s minds.
I would love to see a theme on disabilities. I cannot find one anywhere!
What I wonderful idea! I added it in. Thanks.
thank you for the list, I am restructuring, so these themes came at the right time.
Glad it helped you out!
Great list
Glad you like it and I hope it helps you out.