50+ Preschool Themes (with crafts and activities)

I have been teaching Preschool craft classes for many years (with a focus on play-based learning), and I have explored many Preschool themes with my students. I have a ton of wonderful and creative ideas, and I thought it would be helpful to organize them for you (all in one place). So, today I am sharing links to my collection of over 50 Preschool themes (and over 100 crafts and activities). Each link (below) contains several fantastic ideas for engaging crafts and activities, so make sure you "click" on them all.

1) Monsters - These monster crafts and activities are more cute than scary. You can find all the details here.

2) Colours - Preschoolers will love these bright and cheerful "colour" crafts and activities. You can find all the details here.

3) Shapes - Kids will have fun sorting shapes and making fun "shape" crafts. You can find all the details here. 

4) Fall - Nothing says Fall like scarecrows and the colours of changing leaves. Making bird-feeders is also a fun way for Preschoolers to work on fine motor skills and to welcome the season. You can find the details here.

5) Teddy Bear Clinic - Playing "pretend" is always popular with kids, so it is no surprise that this theme is super-popular with Preschoolers. You can find the details here. 

6) Bugs and Insects - Preschoolers will love making these adorable bugs and insect crafts. The bumblebee with moving wings and worm made from Cheerios are too cute! You can find the details here and here.

7) Farm Animals - Preschoolers will love exploring farm life with some cute and cuddling farm animal crafts and activities. You can find the details here.

8) Music - Preschoolers love making noise, and these wonderful music crafts and activities are sure to delight them. You can find the details here and here. 

9) Circus - This theme is always a popular one with Preschoolers. Kids love the elephant and clown puppets... and the clown collar is always a hit. You can find the details here. 

10) Spring - April showers bring May flowers... but these "Spring" crafts and activities are perfect for any time of year. The Spring wreath is great for honing fine motor skills, and the kids will love making it. You can find the details here.

11) Under the Sea - Preschoolers will adore these sweet "under the sea" crafts and activities. The paper bag fish is always a hit with little ones. You can find the details here.

12) Olympics - The Olympics come every four years, but these crafts and activities are perfect any time of year. Kids will love crafting their own Olympic torches and medals. You can find the details here. 

13) Camping - Explore the great outdoors, or get creative inside, with these simple and interactive camping crafts. You can find the details here. 

14) Dr. Seuss - Reading and crafting with Dr. Seuss is always fun. You'll have no problem getting your Preschooler to try these green eggs and ham! You can find the details here. 

15) Princess Tea Party - Tea party are a lot of fun... and they are even better when you make your own crown and accessories. You can find the details here. 

16) Summer - Summer crafts are a great way to bring the sunshine indoors. The painted rocks are simple adorable, and the free paper fan template is fantastic. You can find the details here. 

17) All About Me - Preschoolers love to learning about themselves, and it helps them to build their confidence. These "All About Me" crafts and activities are perfect for little ones who want to explore their personal identities. You can find the details here.

18-27) Numbers - I have 10 full lesson plans for exploring the numbers 1-10. Each number has it's own crafts and activities that kids will love. You can find the details here. 

28-52) Letters - I have 26 full lesson plans for exploring every letter of the alphabet. Each letter has it's own crafts and activities that kids will love. You can find the details here. 

I also have some fun ideas for holiday crafts and activities for Preschoolers.

53) Valentine's Day - These simple Valentine's Day crafts are a perfect way for kids to create their own Valentine's Day gifts and decor. The "love bug" is guaranteed to delight Preschoolers. You can find the details here.

54) St.Patrick's Day - You don't have to be Irish to have fun making St.Patrick's Day crafts. The rainbow necklace is a great way for Preschoolers to practice fine motor skills, and the leprechaun puppet and shamrock hat are both adorable and fun. You can find the details here.

55) Easter - Everyone loves the sweet egg and bunny crafts that kids can make at Easter time. I have a lot of fun options, but I think the free bunny mask template is my favourite. You can find the details here.

56) Canada Day - Creating some patriotic and festive crafts is a wonderful way for Preschoolers to celebrate July 1st. I have several fun Canada Day crafts and activities on my blog, but I love the beaver puppet the most! You can find the details here.

Want to make this adorable beaver puppet? You can find a step by step YouTube video here.

57) Halloween - Preschoolers will be thrilled by (not scared of) these super-cute Halloween crafts. Tearing up paper for the pumpkin craft is a fantastic way for Preschoolers to work on fine motor skills, and the result is adorable! You can find the details here. 

58) Thanksgiving - Preschoolers will be thankful for these adorable Thanksgiving crafts. How cute is the tissue paper turkey??? You can find the details here.

59) Christmas - Creating Christmas crafts is a lot of fun for kids, and it's a great way to celebrate the season. The simple holiday crafts on my blog are simple to make and are perfect for Preschoolers. You can find the details here. 

60) Beauty and the Beast tea party - This is such a special theme. Snacks can be tailored, decor can be added, and the kids can keep busy with some fantastic simple tea party crafts. I love the rocking tea pot, but you can find all the details here.

Being creative is a fun way for kids to learn and gain confidence. I hope you enjoy exploring all my crafts and activities with your children or Preschool class. 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You may also like these alphabet crafts and activities.

Monster Crafts for Preschoolers

I teach weekly craft classes with a group of Preschoolers, and each week we have a new theme. One of my favourite themes is "Monsters". My 3-5 year old kids love making monsters out of paper and playdough, so today I am sharing some of my favourite Monster crafts for Preschoolers.

How cute are these playdough monsters? My preschoolers made them from playdough, googly eyes, and bits of pipe cleaner.

And don't you love these monster bookmarks? I drew monsters on strips of cardstock, and I added some curling ribbon to the top. Then, the kids coloured the monster and glued on googly eyes.

Making a monster from a paper plate is also easy. The kids coloured the plate, and glued on googly eyes. Then, we added strips of paper folded "accordion" style.

And finally, check out this monster puppet. I drew a simple monster shape on a piece of card stock and cut it out. The kids coloured it, added a giant eye, and decorated it with polk-a-dot stickers. We finished the puppet by taping a craft stick to the back.

I think these monster crafts for Preschoolers are adorable, don't you? There is nothing scary about these fun crafts for kids!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Preschool Theme: Shapes

I teach a craft class for Preschoolers once a week, and I also have a simple theme to make the class cohesive. One of the themes I start with is "shapes". It's a simple theme, but it's a great one for the Preschoolers. Below, I am sharing some "shape" crafts and activities that kids will love.

Books for Shape Theme:

The Maid, the Mouse, and the Odd-shaped House by Paul O. Zelinsky

Circle Dogs by Kevin Henkes

Circles, Stars, and Squares by Jane Brocket

Round is a Pancake by Joan Sullivan Baranski

Press Here by Herve Tullet - my favourite!

Activities for Shape Theme:

Sort foam shapes into containers.

Bean bag toss onto pieces of paper with shapes on them.

Sort cars into parking spots… by shape.

Each child gets a card with a shape, they name things that are that shape, and the other children try to guess the shape.

Stick skewers into playdough and place “round” Cheerios onto the skewers.

Fish for shapes (using paper clips on the fish and magnets on the rods).

Play a matching game with shapes on the cards.

Crafts for Shape Theme:

Make a shape book.

Make a door hanger covered in foam “shape” stickers.

Make a “shape” name puzzle.

Make shape monsters.

Cover a shape with stickers.
Make a pig using shapes

Don't you just love these fantastic "shape" crafts and activities. I absolutely LOVE the shape pig with a curly tail made from a pipe cleaner!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Teddy Bear Clinic Crafts and Activities

There is nothing more fun than crafting and pretending with Preschoolers, and hosting a "teddy bear clinic" is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Recently, I had a "teddy bear clinic" theme for my weekly Preschool class, and today I am sharing the details of our Teddy Bear Clinic crafts and activities.

As the kids arrived with their stuffed animals / patients, we filled out a patient info form together. You can download the patient info worksheet here.

Then, the kids spent some time "examining" all of their stuffed animals/ patients.

You can even make the kids pretend lab coats from old white t-shirts. No sewing required!

After we were finished playing, the kids got started on some fun doctor crafts. Check out this adorable paper doctor's bag. I cut out the bags from black construction paper, and the kids coloured the crosses, and glued all the medical supplies to the inside of the bag.

We also made a little doctor coat craft. The kids had fun gluing all the items to the white coat.

Do you know a little one that would enjoy an afternoon playing "teddy bear clinic"? Or perhaps you have a preschool class that would have fun with this theme?

These teddy bear clinic crafts and activities are easy to plan and do with Preschoolers. I love the doctor bag, but it's all super-cute, don't you think?

♥ Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Music Crafts and Activities for Kids

Crafting with Preschoolers is a lot of fun... especially when the crafts centre around a fun theme. I love the idea of spending an afternoon making music crafts with little ones. So, today I am sharing three of my favourite music crafts to make with Preschoolers.

I love this xylophone craft, and it is a super-easy paper craft. Using different colours and sizes of paper, kids can easily use glue and scissors to make this fun craft. Just add some pom poms to a couple of craft sticks, and kids will love "pretending" to play this colourful musical instrument.

Jingle bells are another simple crafting option. Kids can practice their fine motor skills by stringing bells onto an pipe cleaner and then turning it into a "jingle bracelet".

And who doesn't love a good paper towel roll craft? Creating a kazoo from a paper towel roll couldn't be easier. Colour a paper towel roll, use a hole punch to make a hole near the top, attach a piece of wax paper to the top, and secure it with an elastic. The kids can make a fun kazoo sound by humming into it. It takes some practice, but it is a lot of fun!

You can also make rain stick from a paper towel role by twisting up a piece of tin foil, placing the tin foil inside the roll, and sealing both ends with wax paper and elastics.

Do you like crafting with preschoolers? Music crafts are fantastic, and you can always end the day with a good dance party... and who doesn't love a good dance party?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Birthday Letter to my Middle Son on his 11th Birthday

My boys' baby books did not get filled out (due to the fact that I had three boys in three and a half years), so when they were little, I started writing letters to them on their birthdays. My hope is that the letters will capture the unique things about their personalities that I never want to forget. Today, I am sharing the birthday letter I wrote for my middle son on his 11th birthday.

My sweet and spunky boy,

As you move too quickly toward your teenage years, I remember your adorable baby face, your crazy toddler hair and the kind boy are you right now. You draw people in with your easy-going personality, and I could not be more proud to be your mother. Here are a few things that make you the special boy that you are:

• You are friends with everyone. (You get invited to more birthday parties than anyone I have ever met.) People love to be around you, and you love to surround yourself with people.
• You have a smile that lights up your face, and you always have a twinkle in your eye. I think it's my favourite thing about you.
• You love to be moving. You enjoy hockey, golf, softball, tag, man-tracker, riding your bike, and more!
• You love playing hockey with your team, and you love playing street hockey with your brothers.
• Listening to music is one of your favourite things to do. You make great playlists, and you know the words to a lot of songs.
• You are really smart, and you enjoy figuring things out and building things. You love LEGO.
• You take your time with everything. It takes you forever to do your homework... but when you are done, it is perfect. You also take a long time to transition to a new activity. "Just a few more minutes" is one of your favourite lines! lol
• You love to cuddle. When I went on class trips with you this year, you weren't at all embarrassed to sit with me and give me hugs. I hope I have a few more years before you don't want to be seen with me! :-)

You can be very stubborn, and when you set your mind to something, it is not easy to change it... but although it can drive me crazy, it is a quality that I know will serve you well in life. I love you (and your sweet smile and perfect hugs) more than I can express in words. 

Love,

Mom

xoxo

"All About Me" Preschool Crafts

I teach a weekly preschool craft class, and each week we make crafts related to a different theme. Today, I am sharing some wonderful crafts related to the theme: "All About Me". Everyone wants to feel like they are the centre of attention sometimes, right? That's why this is such a great theme for Preschoolers.

Isn't this name rocket cute? The child can glue on all the pieces and add star stickers to create a starry night. It would look great on a black piece of paper too.

And this self portrait with a popsicle stick frame is adorable! A grown up can help the child put the frame together, and then the child can draw a picture and decorate the frame with jewel stickers.

This mirror craft is also great. Have the child colour the mirror, glue on a tin foil centre, and glue on his/her picture. Cute, right?

And, when you are done crafting, "show and tell" is the perfect activity to do with the kids. Getting kids to share info about themselves is wonderful for their self esteem, and because of this, "All About Me" is a great preschool theme.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Insect and Bug Crafts Preschoolers will LOVE

Crafting around themes is always fun for preschoolers, and I love making crafts that become things to play with too. Today, I am sharing some of my favourite insect and bug crafts for Preschoolers.

Check out these three cute crafts. You could make a paper lady bug with heart shaped dots. You could also string a button and a bunch of Cheerios onto a pipe cleaner to make a little worm. Or you could make a colourful butterfly puppet with some paper taped to a craft stick and covered with scrunched up squares of tissue paper.

I like this butterfly too. The craft stick glued to the top allows the wings of the butterfly to be bent so it looks like it is flying. Cute, right?

And finally, how adorable is this little snake made from paper straw beads? Kids can practice scissors skills cutting up beads, and then they can practice their fine motor skills stringing the beads onto a piece of pipe cleaner. A button head at the end of the pipe cleaner will allow the kids to string the beads without having them fall off.

Don't you just love these insect and bug themed crafts for Preschoolers? I especially love the little paper straw bead snake.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Birthday Letter for My Youngest Son (on his 9th birthday)

Every year, I write "birthday letters" to my boys on their special days. My hope is to compile the letters together and give them a book on their 18th birthdays. Today, my "baby" boy turns 9. Time is going by much too quickly, but I am holding on tight and enjoying the adventure. Here is my birthday letter to my sweet third born son on his 9th birthday.

My dearest "baby" boy,

Both of your brothers came into the world two weeks early, and you came two weeks late. I think that from the start you were taking your time and making sure you were comfortable before you made your entrance into the world. Now, as you turn 9, you are still taking your time getting comfortable with new social situations, but with each passing year, I can see your confidence growing, and I am very proud of you. You are special in sooooo many ways, but here are a few examples:

• You ask the best questions. You have a unique way of looking at the world, you have a wonderful sense of curiosity, and you are constantly quietly observing everything around you.
• You are funny. You are always making us laugh with your silly ways and crazy dance moves.
• You love playing ice hockey with your team and playing street hockey with your brothers. Your street hockey goalie gear is one of your prized possessions.
• You love being outside with your brothers playing softball, tag, golf, man-tracker, and soccer. You also love riding your bike.
• Your favourite colour is green, you love to watch the Disney channel, and you would eat nothing but crackers if I let you. (Multi-grain wheat thins are your favourite!)
• You love your big blanket, soft songs and being read to in a soft voice.
• You get cranky when you are over-tired or anxious... but you have a kind heart and give great cuddles.

I love you to the moon and back my sweet boy, and I hope your 9th year is the best one yet!

Love,

Mom

xoxo

Embrace the Mess

The best childhood activities involve physical activity, exploring and creating, and... making a mess. As parents, we like to have things neat and organized, but somethings we need to let go. So, my advice for today is let the kids...

Build the fort.

Play hockey in the kitchen (with "boards" they make with all their toy bins).

Build a road from a roll of paper, and let the kids take out all their cars and trucks.

Or have a huge water fight in the yard.

Today, embrace the laughter, joy and mess.

Tomorrow, you can clean the house. Childhood passes much too quickly.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Summer Hockey Fun... our review of the GONGSHOW Sauceoff Party Set

Recently, my boys were given the opportunity to try out (and review) some fantastic games from GONGSHOW*. All three of my boys are passionate about hockey, so during our summer break from the rink, they were excited to try out a couple of fun outdoor hockey games. You can read our review of the SAUCEOFF Party Set below.

The Sauceoff Party Set comes with two games (which you can also buy separately). They both fit in a canvas bag that can easily be taken to the beach, backyard, tailgate party, campground, or cottage.

The first game we tried was the inflatable Saucer King Kit. This game includes a blow up net and floating pucks. (Two shooting pads are included with the party set, but if you are only purchasing the inflatable Saucer King Kit, you'll need to purchase a shooting pad if you don't already have one.) My boys had a lot fun with this game in the pool, and they are looking forward to taking it to the beach soon.

My boys also tried the SAUCEOFF game set. At first glance, it looks like a bean bag toss, but it is so much more than that. The game comes with two game boards, two mini shooting pads, 8 GONGSHOW floater pucks (4 per team), 4 bean bag pucks, 1 canvas carrying case, 1 replacement mesh and rope, and a booklet explaining how to play the game.

My boys have been playing this game every day since they got it. You can play it alone, with two players, or with two teams of two. When you play with two teams of two, the players can help their teammates by "tipping" the pucks into the nets. (There is also an option to play with bean bags instead of the plastic pucks.)

My boys (and my husband) have been playing this game in the backyard, but it is highly portable, so I know we will be taking it to the beach, the cottage, and camping. It's perfect for all ages.

If you have a hockey-lover in your house, I highly recommend these fun games. The SAUCEOFF party set comes with everything you need to play both games, and if you have never purchased from GONGSHOW before, you can save 10% with this link: SAVE 10%.

Have you tried either of these games? What did you think? My boys are definitely fans!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


*Disclosure - I was given the GONGSHOW Sauceoff Party Set for free in exchange for my honest review of the product. As always, the views expressed on this blog are 100% my own... and my boys genuinely love these games.