16+ Construction Activities for Free Preschool Lesson Plans

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Beep, beep, beep–big trucks coming through! Kids of all ages marvel at construction trucks, so these 16+ construction activities for free preschool lesson plans are perfect for learning all about construction sites.

In this post you’ll find preschool lesson plan ideas and activities for a preschool construction theme. Included are hands-on play activities, arts and crafts, and of course…lots of reading and learning. All these lesson planning ideas are typed up in a completely free printable lesson plan at the end of this post!

Free Preschool Construction Theme Lesson Plans

Get your free lesson plans for preschoolers at the end of this post.

Preschoolers are mesmerized by all things construction. From the mega-sized trucks, to the massive piles of dirt and rocks, to the magic of a completed building, construction really is an amazing feat of mankind.

In these preschool lesson plans, your little ones will love scooping up ABC rocks, hammering in pretend nails, and playing in their very own roadwork small world, just to name a few ideas. With lots of play and learning in mind, here are some fabulous resources for planning your preschool construction theme.

FAQ About Teaching a Preschool Construction Theme

What do construction workers do?

Preschoolers usually have a basic understanding of what construction workers do – they build or operate construction trucks. Construction workers have many different types of jobs; some install glass or pipes in the walls for plumbing, some may load and unload building materials, or even work on the roof or deep in the ground.

What do construction workers need to do their job?

Tools, tools, and more tools! Construction workers use all kinds of tools and trucks to help construct a new building. There are lots of special tools used in construction, and those big trucks help get the job done faster. Construction workers also need hard hats to protect their heads, and safety vests to make sure that they are well seen on the construction site.

Why is teaching a construction theme important in preschool?

A construction theme 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.

Important Info About These Construction Lesson Plans

The Learn at Home Preschool Lesson Plans are free lesson plans you can use to teach your preschooler at home.

All the preschool learning activities are quick and easy to set up, designed to save time, requiring hardly any (if any at all) prep and only requires the most basic of household materials. This makes them especially easy for parents to implement…and this makes preschool teachers especially happy, too!

Just glance over the lessons each day, gather the very few materials needed, and you’re ready to go!

But don’t be fooled by the name “at home” preschool lesson plans! These activities work wonderfully in the classroom as well, and if you’re a preschool teacher who is remotely teaching you can send these lesson plans to your student’s parents.

Remember, these preschool lesson plans are free!

Don’t Forget Construction Toys!

Having the right construction themed toys will elevate your preschool construction theme, making learning even more fun. These are some of our favorite construction toys for preschoolers.

Engaging Construction Activities for Preschoolers

This is not a ‘drill’–these construction lesson plans are free and fantastic for your preschoolers! With academic activities embedded in fun and hands-on learning, these construction preschool lesson plans are a perfect addition to your construction theme.

Literacy Activities for a Construction Preschool Theme

Playdough Alphabet Rocks – Using playdough, a plastic knife (or ABC stamps), and toy truck(s), roll some playdough rocks and stamp or write letters on each rock. Invite your preschooler to name the letter and sound as they move the rocks to be hauled off on the truck. You can even practice name spelling or sight words. Create a rock yard on the table as a dumping area. Allow your preschooler to get creative and inventive with their ideas!

Hammer the ABC – Using a toy hammer, a rectangular empty tissue box, and some gold pegs, toy nails, or golf tees, this activity is super engaging and hands-on! Cover the tissue box with a glued piece of paper and write letters of the alphabet on top with a black marker. Encourage your preschooler to hammer the “nails” into the letters that they know at first glance. Offer assistance for any unknown letters.

Don’t Forget Construction Picture Books

I hand-select the best, high-quality picture books to go along with my preschool themes. Here is the book list I love for a construction theme.

Math and Science Activities for a Construction Preschool Theme

Construction Counting – Gather all the construction trucks and make some number cards with the numbers 1-10. Using rocks, scoops of sand or dirt, or even dried pasta or cereal, invite your preschooler to scoop up a certain number of items and return them to the construction site. Double the counting fun by using playdough for rocks. First you have to count the playdough rocks as you make them, and count them again as you dump them.

Stop Sign Design –  Using a piece of white paper, draw an octagon to make a stop sign. Invite your preschooler to cut along the 8 lines and glue red torn paper to the stop sign (this adds a fine motor element). Try this with various traffic and construction signs. What other shapes do you see on the road? Feel free to take a drive and gather ideas!

Construction Tower Build STEM– Grab any building blocks (Lego, Duplo, MegaBloks) and invite your preschooler to build a city or neighborhood. What plans will they make before building? Can you draw them out on a piece of paper the same way a draftsman would draw up plans? Use painter’s or electrical tape to make roads on the floor, too.

These construction activities for preschoolers are really low-prep!

Playful Learning Activities for a Construction Theme in Preschool

Pipe Cleaner Building  – Using pipe cleaners, encourage your preschooler to build a structure or make a design, shapes, letters, numbers, etc. Allow this activity to be open-ended and a time for exploration. This is one of my favorite ways to introduce a construction theme to my preschoolers–with a simple invitation to play!

Touch and Feel Box – Grab various items with different textures (dry pasta, washcloth, plastic spoon, toys, bubble wrap, etc.) from around the house and place them in an empty tissue box or paper bag. Invite your preschooler to put their hand in the box/bag and try to identify what the item is just by touch.

Color Walk – Gather sheets of construction paper and tape them down in a path all through the house. Can he/she walk from one room to the next by stepping only on certain colors? When we work on a construction site, there are clear places to walk so we can stay safe around all that heavy equipment.

Social-Emotional Activities for a Construction Preschool Theme

Managing (Construction) Problems – Go to YouTube and listen to the story My Truck is Stuck by Kevin Lewis. The man with the truck encounters a big problem: his truck is stuck and it won’t move one inch more! Fortunately, he finds lots of big helpers to help tow his truck, but it’s still stuck! Discuss with your preschooler how all those vehicles chose to stop and help instead of driving on by. Ask your preschooler, “How could you help someone at school, at the library, in the store, if they needed help? What can a preschooler do to help someone?”

Construction Movement – Learning to recognize when your body needs to move for better focus is a critical life skill. Noticing when your preschooler needs a mental break and requires gross motor movement provides an opportunity to help them recognize that they need to speak up and share what they need. Help little ones advocate for themselves with these construction movement cards. Spin like a cement mixer, stretch like a crane, and dip like a dump truck!

Just Plain Fun Activities for a Construction Preschool Activities

Moving Parts Digger – Learn about all the parts of a digger with this fun craft! Simply print, cut, and assemble! This digger uses brads to make the bucket and arms move and dig. Print on cardstock paper for durability.

Roadwork Small World – Using sand, toy construction vehicles, and a clear bin, set up an area for the trucks to dig, work, and construct. If you have the book Roadwork by Sally Sutton, include it in your sensory bin for some rhyming construction verses.


Construction Art – By cutting shapes out of construction paper, invite your preschooler to construct a building of their choice. Will they create a skyscraper or a school? A house or a fire station? What shapes do they need to create their construction masterpiece?

Try these 16+ construction activities for preschoolers in your construction theme preschool lesson plans.

Get Online Activities for a Construction Preschool Theme

Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the book Let’s Meet a Construction Worker by Bridget Heos. After listening, restart the video and reread it one page at a time. Ask your preschooler to share any new words they heard that they want to know more about (carpenter, architect, electricity, masons, recycled, solar panels, energy, etc.).


Construction Car Wash – Help all those muddy vehicles get scrubbed and clean again! This is always a preschool favorite!


Construction Truck Song – This song is perfect for introducing big construction vehicles and watching them while they are busy at work!

Get Your FREE Preschool Construction Lesson Plans Here

Want to include these play-based construction themed activities in your lesson plans? No problem. I’ve made a printable for you. Just fill out the form below and get the PDF sent to your inbox!

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