Ideas for Farm Lesson Plans for Preschool

Looking for fun farm activities for your preschoolers? We’ve got you covered with these free farm lesson plans for preschoolers! We know how busy early childhood educators are, so we’ve packed these lesson plans with everything you need to make your life easier.

Get ready for tons of practical tips, engaging activity ideas, and even a sample weekly plan to help you create fantastic farm-themed lessons. From sensory bins overflowing with dried corn and beans to irresistibly cute farm animal art projects, we’ve got you covered. This means less prep time for you and a farm-tastic learning experience for your preschoolers!

Farms are an ideal topic for preschool learning. Because they’re a common sight in the US, most preschoolers have some familiarity with them. Even city dwellers are usually just a short drive from farmland. This existing knowledge gives preschoolers a head start, allowing them to make deeper connections as they learn.

This themes provides children with deeper understanding of nature, where food comes from, and the animals that play such important roles in our daily lives.

Farm lesson plans engage children with real-world concepts through fun, hands-on, and age-appropriate activities. Whether it’s pretending to be farmers, planting seeds, or exploring life cycles, these lessons will help your little learners understand what it’s like to be down on the farm! 

Here at Stay at Home Educator, we provide tips, activity ideas, and a weekly plan to help you create a meaningful themed lesson plans for your preschoolers. Be sure to check out our Learn at Home Lesson Plans Bundle, which has 46+ weeks of incredible thematic lesson plans that your preschoolers are sure to love!

Benefits of Teaching a Farm Theme in Preschool

Picture this: your preschoolers immersed in the sights and sounds of a bustling farm, where sunshine warms the fields and animals roam free. Farm-themed lessons offer a unique opportunity for preschoolers to immerse themselves in the special world of farming. Teaching preschoolers about farms isn’t just fun—it’s incredibly beneficial for them. Here’s why:

• Connects to Everyday Life: Farm themes introduce children to where food comes from and the important role farms play in our lives. They’ll learn about the journey from farm to table, making connections to the meals they enjoy every day.
• Encourages Curiosity About Nature: Exploring farm life strengthens the appreciation for animals, plants, and the environment. Preschoolers become curious about how cows give milk, chickens lay eggs, and plants grow from tiny seeds into fruits and vegetables.
• Develops Vocabulary and Communication: Farm-related themes introduce new words like “tractor,” “barn,” and “harvest,” expanding preschoolers’ language and communication skills. This helps them describe what they see and learn during farm-themed activities.
• Supports Math and Science Skills: Counting animals, measuring crops, and exploring life cycles integrate math and science into playful learning. These activities teach basic concepts while also focusing on problem-solving and observational skills. 
• Promotes Hands-On Learning: Farm activities such as planting seeds, exploring textures, and pretend play engage children’s senses and motor skills. These tactile experiences make learning more relevant and fun.
• Builds Social Skills: Role-playing as farmers or farm animals encourages cooperation and teamwork. Children practice sharing, taking turns, and working together, which builds important social skills.

Possible Topics to Include in Farm Lesson Plans

When it comes to farm-themed lesson plans, the possible topics are as vast as the open fields themselves. Get ready to embark on a delightful journey down on the farm!

Here are some possible topics you may include during your farm theme:

Farm Animals: Introduce preschoolers to friendly farm animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals, and teach them about their roles in the farm. Highlight how these animals provide food and other resources.

Crops and Harvest: Engage your little farmers in the excitement of harvest season! Explore the fruits, vegetables, and grains grown on farms. Children can learn about planting, harvesting, and the importance of eating fresh, healthy food. 

Farm Machinery: Introduce farm equipment like tractors, plows, and combines. Explain how these machines help farmers work efficiently.

Life Cycles: Discuss the growth of plants from seeds to harvest and the life cycles of animals. Your preschoolers will be thrilled to explore the life cycles of plants by doing some planting and care-taking. This will help them learn how seeds grow into delicious fruits and vegetables in a very hands-on way!

Farm Jobs: Teach children about the roles of farmers, farmhands, and other workers. Highlight the teamwork required to run a farm. It is important for children to understand that running a farm is not a one-person job, it takes hard work and teamwork. This is a great opportunity for role play and imaginative play!

The Seasons of Farming: Explain how farms change with the seasons, from planting in spring to harvesting in the fall. Our preschoolers can learn how farmers adapt to different weather conditions.

Where Food Comes From: Connect farm activities to everyday meals by discussing how foods like milk, eggs, and vegetables make their way to the kitchen. This is an exciting way to teach our children about the sources that help bring food from farm to table.

Farm Safety: Teach preschoolers about staying safe around animals, tools, and farm equipment. This is especially important for children who might visit a real farm.

Farm-Themed Activity Ideas for Preschool 

Farm-themed activities are a fantastic way to bring the magic of the countryside right into your home or classroom. We’ve hand-picked a wide variety of engaging activities that explore the wonders of farms.

Here are some of our favorite preschool farm activities:

• Animal Matching Game: Play different types of farm animal matching games or card games. Your preschoolers will delight in these games while learning about different types of farm animals.
• Seed Planting: Let children plant seeds in small pots or garden beds and observe their growth over time. This hands-on activity teaches patience and responsibility. 
• Farm Small World Play: Create a farm small world with miniature farm animals, crops, barns, farm machinery, burlap or hay and anything else that fits into your farm theme. This is an incredible opportunity for imaginative play in a farm world.
• Farm Animal Songs: Sing classics like “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” to engage preschoolers with music while reinforcing farm animal vocabulary. 
• Barnyard Dramatic Play: Set up a pretend play area with animal costumes, hay bales, and toy barns. Children can act out farm scenarios and create their own stories. 
• Counting Farm Animals: Use toy animals or animal-themed manipulatives to practice counting and simple addition or subtraction on some adorable farm-themed ten frame counting mats.
• Egg Carton Sorting: Provide children with an egg carton and items to sort by color or size. This activity builds fine motor skills and introduces sorting concepts.
• Storytime: Read books like Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown or Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. Bonus if you can add some farm animal puppets or stuffies for some extra fun during story time!
• Farm-Themed Sensory Bin: Fill a bin with dried corn, toy animals, and small tractors. Children will enjoy exploring textures and pretending to be farmers. 

Sample Weekly Schedule for Farm Lesson Plans

Want a week packed with fun and learning? Here’s a sample weekly schedule of farm-themed activities you can enjoy with your preschoolers.

Monday: Introduction to the Farm

• Introduce the farm theme with a fun farm storybook.
• Play a farm animal matching game.
• Discuss the importance of farms and brainstorm what preschoolers already know about them.

Tuesday: Growing Things on the Farm

• Plant seeds and talk about the different crops grown on farms.
• Teach children about the basic needs of plants (water, sunlight, etc.) and how farmers care for them.

Wednesday: Farm Equipment

• Explore tractors and other farm equipment through art projects and play.
• Discuss how machinery helps farmers work more efficiently.

Thursday: Farm Role-Play

• Set up a dramatic play area where children can role-play as farmers and farm animals. Encourage your preschoolers to have teamwork like real farmers.
• Create a farm small world and encourage creative storytelling.

Friday: Farm Fun Review

• Recap the week’s learning with farm-themed songs.
• Do a farm animal counting activity.
• Create a farm-related craft, like paper plate animals.
• End the day by discussing what the children enjoyed most about learning about farms.

FAQs About Preschool Farm Lesson Plans

Here are some frequently asked questions to help you create a fun and educational farm experience for your little learners:

Why are farm themes important in preschool?

Farm themes are a fantastic way to connect preschoolers with nature, where their food comes from, and the animals around them. These themes support hands-on, sensory learning and build foundational skills for future science and social studies lessons.

What are some easy farm activities for preschoolers?

Simple activities can be the most engaging! Try planting seeds together, matching animals to their sounds, or creating a farm-themed sensory bin. Storytelling and songs are also wonderful ways to make learning interactive and fun.

How can I include math and science in farm lesson plans?

Weave math and science into your farm theme with activities like counting farm animals, measuring plant growth, and exploring animal life cycles. These activities encourage observation, critical thinking, and a love of learning.

What books are great for a farm theme?

Classic children’s books like Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, and The Little Red Hen are excellent choices. They introduce important concepts like teamwork, responsibility, and where food comes from.

How can I make the farm theme more interactive?

Keep kids engaged by incorporating role-play (pretending to be farmers or animals!), hands-on crafts, and sensory bins. These activities encourage imagination and make learning come alive.

Can I teach a farm theme without access to a real farm?

Definitely! You can bring the farm to your classroom with videos, pictures, books, and pretend play. Virtual farm tours and resources from your local community can also be incredibly helpful.

How can I involve families in farm-themed learning?

Extend the learning home by sending simple activities, like planting seeds together or reading farm-related books. Families can also talk about where their food comes from during mealtimes.

Moooove on in for some farm-themed fun! Farm lesson plans for preschoolers offer a meaningful way to teach your little ones about nature, animals, and where their food comes from, all while building important skills.

Your preschoolers will want to party ’til the cows come home during this farm-tastic theme! A farm theme offers the ultimate in hands-on, sensory and imaginative play opportunities. It is packed with tons of real-world learning and of course, FUN. We think this may just become a favorite theme for you and your preschoolers. Happy Farming!