Free Tools & Machines Preschool Lesson Plans
Welcome to your free tools and machines preschool lesson plans! We’ve put together loads of ideas for a Tools & Machines preschool theme, including literacy ideas, art and sensory exploration, plus playful learning and STEM ideas. You can also use these ideas for a construction preschool theme.
Step into the engaging theme of tools and machines, thoughtfully crafted for curious preschoolers.
This preschool theme offers a treasure trove of activities that seamlessly blend learning with play. From literacy and art to sensory activities and STEM projects, each hands-on exploration is designed to ignite creativity and nurture essential skills.
Whether your little ones are busy with toy tools or expressing themselves through art, these activities promise to be both informative and enjoyable. To make it even easier, we’ve included a free downloadable weekly lesson plan at the end of this post, providing everything you need to inspire and captivate your preschoolers.
This set of weekly preschool lesson plans is just one of over 40! Save time searching and invest in the Learn at Home Preschool Lesson Plans Bundle.
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Exploring Tools and Machines in Preschool
You may have a few questions about teaching this preschool theme! Check out these frequently asked questions for how to teach your preschoolers about Tools & Machines.
Learning about tools and machines helps children understand the role of community helpers and enhances their problem-solving and motor skills.
This theme also highlights the work of community helpers in our cities and neighborhoods. Learning about construction workers and their jobs helps our preschoolers learn about the important roles these workers play in our community.
A pretend tool set is a great way to introduce tools to your students. They can use the toy hammer to “nail” golf tees into styrofoam to make letters or shapes. Children also learn about the importance of safety when using tools in dramatic play.
This theme is great for incorporating STEM opportunities like building using screws and a screwdriver, using varying materials to build structures, and using loose parts to create.
Enhance the theme with storybooks, songs about tools, and interactive games that encourage teamwork and creativity in a playful learning environment.
Engaging Preschool Activities for a Tools & Machines Theme
We have hand-selected the most fun and interesting FREE activities for a tools and machine preschool theme! Your preschoolers will be developing fine motor skills, learning to work as a team, and enjoying a hands-on STEM activity that is loads of fun.
Literacy Activities for a Tools & Machines Preschool Theme
Chalk and Rocks Letter Fun – Grab some chalk and head outdoors! If that’s not possible, you can certainly use black paper and prepare rocks ahead of time. Invite your preschooler to gather rocks, acorns, or other nature-based items.
Write a few letters in chalk on the sidewalk and invite your preschooler to make the letter by lining up the rocks on top of the letter. Invite your child to practice writing the letters with chalk as well. Practice saying those letter sounds and letter matching too!
Tool School – Go to YouTube and listen to the story, Tool School by Joan Holub. This book is all about working with your peers and cooperation. Invite your child to imagine what would happen if none of the tools worked together? Do you think they would be able to build the toolbox… or anything? Invite your preschooler to share why cooperation is always important.
Don’t Forget Picture Books!
One of the best ways to teach preschoolers about any theme is by hand-selecting the highest quality picture books! We put together this list of books for a tools & machines theme.
- Buzzeo, Toni (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 16 Pages – 05/05/2015 (Publication Date) – Abrams Appleseed (Publisher)
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Garcia, Emma (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Hands Books, Busy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 41 Pages – 03/30/2022 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
- CORNER, COZY (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 50 Pages – 03/03/2024 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
Math and Science Activities for a Tools & Machines Theme in Preschool
Loose Parts Sort and Count – Grab some loose parts (nuts, screws, beads, rocks, popsicle sticks, etc.) and invite your preschooler to sort in their own way. Invite them to count how many groups they created and share their sorting rule (I sorted this because…).
Count the Golf Tee Hammering – Use up that Styrofoam from your packages with this fine motor and math activity. Invite your preschooler to place a certain number of golf tees in the Styrofoam and use the toy hammer to pound it in! Lining up all those pegs and hammering the head of the tee builds fine motor skills and visual discrimination skills too!
Create a Winding Bucket – With paper towel rolls and some yarn, you can make your own winding bucket to dip into the well! This preschool science activity is so engaging and uses simple materials, so it’s a perfect STEM process.
Playful Preschool Learning Activities for a Tools & Machines Theme
Rock Paper Scissors – Teach your preschooler how to play rock, paper, scissors. Provide practice by playing multiple times. Encourage your preschooler to use that game to solve problems with a friend or decide who gets to go first in a game.
Simple Machines Coloring Pages – Invite your preschoolers to color some simple machines like pulleys and levers. How might these machines be helpful in daily life? How do these machines help at a construction site?
Play Charades – Print these picture-based charade cards and invite the whole family to play. Remember, you can only use your body to model what’s on the card (no talking) so this is a true challenge for a preschooler!
Social-Emotional Activities for a Tools & Machines Preschool Theme
Self Regulation Toolkit – Waiting can be very difficult for toddlers and preschoolers. Invite your preschooler to create a toolkit with items that can help regulate their emotions about waiting and help to entertain themselves.
Invite your preschooler to choose items like coloring pages or stickers, small toys, books, magnetic letters or puzzles, and items that don’t make a lot of noise or contain a ton of pieces. Encourage your child to be responsible for bringing it when going somewhere where they may need to entertain themselves like a restaurant or the doctor’s office.
Calming Toolbox – Create a calming toolbox or a list together to use when emotions are running high, and your child needs a way to settle their big feelings. You can create a list of things to do when you are feeling angry or frustrated, like read a book, throw a ball, hug a stuffed animal, or even close your door to be alone. Adding in some items like a stress ball or a book about emotions can help your child regulate their feelings more independently.
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Product on sale* Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans BundleOriginal price was: $60.00.$22.00Current price is: $22.00.
Just Plain Fun Tools & Machines Activities for Preschoolers
Tool Match-Up– Grab some of your preschooler’s toy tools and paper and a black marker. Trace around the tools and invite your preschooler to match them up. This is great for spatial awareness and such a fun tool activity for preschoolers!
Painting with Tools – This open-ended art activity is great for helping preschoolers explore shapes and interact with colorful paint. Just need a piece of paper, colored tempera paint, and some toy tools.
Tool Treasure Hunt – Place toy tools around the room and invite your preschooler to find the tools. Use the tool terms and positional words to help your preschooler. “I see a wrench under the chair. I see the hammer on the windowsill.” Or place the tools in a sensory bin with dried black beans and some construction vehicles and encourage your preschooler to load the beans and use different tools at the same time!
Get Online Activities for a Tools & Machines Theme
Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the story, I Love Tools by Philemon Sturges. After listening, discuss with your preschooler: How many different kinds of tools were in that story? Let’s go back and count. What tools have you used before? What new tools would you like to use? Can you think of any other tools that were not in this story that a construction worker might use?
Learn Tools for Kids Song and Video– Learn all the tool names and purposes with this fun song and video!
Finger Family Tools – Sing along to this catchy and familiar rhyme adapted to learn about tools!
When to Teach Tools & Machine Preschool Theme
This is the kind of preschool theme that can be taught any time of the year. We like to pair is along with these other preschool themes, too. Here are some lesson plans to go with them.
Make Your Tools & Machines Theme Even Better!
Sometimes (not always), what turns a great preschool theme into an exceptional one is having some extra special materials specific to that theme. These are some of the Tools & Machines toys and activity kits I like to use with my preschoolers.
- Construction-themed playset with realistic drilling action & sounds for preschool pretend play
- Includes 1 drill, 1 tool caddy, 3 interchangeable drill bits with 3 corresponding screws & 2…
- Drills in forward or reverse—just squeeze the handle to activate drill
- 18 PIECE PLAY SET: Includes 18 realistic tools and accessories with a working tape measure,…
- TOOL BOX WITH SNAP LATCHES: Durable tool box with easy to carry handle and two locking snaps, makes…
- PRETEND PLAY: Use plastic versions of real life tools to make pretend home improvements. Build…
- TOY TOOLS: Little tools for big imaginary projects. Surprise your children with this toddler tool…
- TODDLER-SAFE TOOLS: Encourage imaginative play with toddler-safe tools made from durable, soft…
- TODDLER TOOLBOX INCLUDES: Includes saw, hammer, screwdriver, wrench, drill, and toolbox
- [ HANDY TOOLS CASE ] : Including 21pcs Tools Sets + With a handy light weight suitcase, so kids can…
- [REALISTIC TOOL FUNCTIONS] : Everything is fully functional and realistic,Kids love pretend their…
- [CERTIFIED CHILDREN SAFE ] : Meets and exceeds all American toy standards. Your child’s health is a…
Get Your Free Tools & Machines Lesson Plans Here
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I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
