35+ Summer Preschool Themes and Activities
Do you love the preschool years? I hope you said yes. They are some of the most fun years to teach. Children are interested in everything at this age and love exploring. I enjoyed teaching preschool and kindergarten for several years, and I enjoyed coming up with themed learning units. Hopefully, the summer preschool themes and activities that I share will make it easier for you. That way, you and your children can spend time having fun and enjoying this summer.
Here are over 35 of the best Summer Preschool Themes, lesson plans, activities, and printables. Perfect for weekly or monthly themed learning or unit studies.
Summer Themes for Preschool
35+ Summer Preschool Themes and Activities: Fun Hands-On Learning for Parents and Teachers
Sharing themed activities, crafts, songs, and other fun ideas is one of our favorite things to do. Hopefully, you love the preschool years, or perhaps you are looking for fun ways to keep your child busy while you work with older children. Either way, I hope you find inspiration and a few fun preschool themes for your kids.
Summertime is a great time to focus on preschool themes and activities.
These fun, hands-on learning experiences will keep your little ones engaged and entertained all summer long!
Here, we will share over 35 different Summer Preschool Themes and Activities. We have also included links to 200+ Activities and Lesson Plans for Preschoolers, as well as various printables and resources. So whether you are a parent or teacher, we have something for you!
Summer is a great time to explore new themes and topics with your preschoolers. There are so many fun and exciting things to learn about!
Here are just a few of our favorite Summer Preschool Themes
Preschool Activities
1. Pools
2. Sun
- Make Campfire cookies
- Make s’mores
- Tell stories around the campfire
- Sleep under the stars
- Go fishing or hiking or play a fishing game
- Explore nature
4. Gardens
- Build a sandcastle
- Go on a beach scavenger hunt
- Make homemade ice cream
- Play with Ocean waves sensory bottle, ocean density jar, or sensory bin
- Collect shells and sea glass and enjoy a beach-themed nature table or sensory bin
- Make sand slime
6. Construction
7. Popsicle sticks
8. Surfing
9. Sharks
10. Palm trees
11. Hawaii
- Make an insect hotel
- Go on an insect safari
- Insect Crafts and Activities
- Sort and classify insects
- Read books about insects
- Make bug habitats
- Catch and release bugs
- Observe and record the life cycle of a butterfly
- Read books about bugs
- Bug crafts and activities
13. Sand
14. Watermelons
15. Seahorses
16. Space
17. Pineapples
18. The West
19. Turtles
20. Moon
- Explore tide pools
- Look for dolphins and whales
- Make ocean sensory bins or sensory bags
- Play with ocean slime
- Read ocean themed books
Outdoor Adventure Theme Activities
- Plant a garden
- Go camping or pretend camping (even if it’s setting up a tent inside)
- Build a fort
- Explore the woods and nature
- Climb trees
- Play in the rain
These themes can be explored further with various activities, crafts, and games. We have included some of our favorites if you click the links!
Preschool Toys
Summer Preschool Themes
21. Kites
22. Fish
23. Zoo animals
- Visit a farm or petting zoo and feed the animals
- Put together a farm themed sensory bin
- Gather eggs or take it a step further and hatch baby chicks.
- Plant crops, or at least start with planting a few seeds for beans. Use the seeds and plants for counting and measuring.
- Talk about farm equipment (tractors, harvester, spreaders…) Small world play is great for this.
- Make homemade butter
- Learn about life cycles
- Create Farm themed crafts
25. Flowers
26. Astronauts
27. Flip-flops and bare feet
28. Forest
29. Airplanes
Fruits and Vegetables Theme Activities
- Plant a garden
- Make fruit kabobs, smoothies, a healthy fruit wrap
- Paint with fruits and vegetables
- Sort and classify fruits and vegetables
- Play a game with this free fruit memory game you can download here.
- Read books about fruits and vegetables.
31. S’mores
32. Fish
33. Castles
34. Lemonade
35. Strawberries
36. 4th of July – Science experiment plus a refreshing drink
36. Ocean Animals
Under the Sea Theme Activities
- Visit an aquarium or marine life center
- Make homemade fish food or under the sea snacks
- Observe and record coral reef growth
- Draw or paint underwater scenes
- Sea life puzzles, matching games, fun hands on lesson plan ideas
- Create an under the sea sensory bin or have fun playing in a small pool
Summertime Safety Theme Activities
- Make homemade sunscreen
- Learn about water safety
- Create a family emergency plan
- Read books about summer safety
Summertime Fun Theme Activities
- Attend a baseball game
- Have a picnic
- Go on a nature hike
- Visit the zoo or an animal farm
- Fly kites
- Make homemade pizzas or popsicles
An added idea for your themes is to sign up for Audible, and while the kids are doing activities, have a story playing that relates to your theme.
We hope you enjoy exploring these Summer Preschool Themes and Activities with your little ones! For even more Summer fun, check out the 200+ Lesson Plans for Preschoolers. And don’t forget to download our free printables, too!
Happy Summer!
Your comments and ideas make my day.
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Summer Themes and Activities
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