Sweet Summer Themes for Preschool

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Prepare for a fantastic selection of summer preschool themes to spice up your Learn At Home preschool lesson plans!

During the long days of summer, we can explore a ton of exciting themes to enrich preschool learning. From the wonders of the beach and ocean to the magic of camping and outdoor adventures, there’s no shortage of engaging topics that will spark curiosity and foster a love for exploration.

summer preschool themes | what t teach in summer | collage for a child eating watermelon, ice cream, child playing in sprinkler, camping, and child smiling underwater

Our Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans are designed to be convenient and easy to implement, utilizing simple household materials. This user-friendly approach makes them an ideal choice for both parents and teachers, whether they’re engaging with children at home or in the classroom setting.

These summer preschool themes also pair beautifully with our Daily Lessons in Literacy and Math Preschool Curriculum.

What to Teach in Summer Time

Summer is the perfect time to engage preschoolers and take the learning outside! I have a plethora of hands-on activities that celebrate the joys of the season.

Summer themes like beach adventures, camping, and under-the-sea explorations add excitement and enthusiasm to their learning journey. These interactive activities not only keep children engaged but also foster their creativity, critical thinking, and social skills.

Whether it’s splashing in water play, creating colorful summer crafts, or going on nature scavenger hunts, these hands-on preschool activities for summer provide the perfect platform for little learners to explore and grow in a fun and meaningful way.

Preschool Theme Ideas

It’s awesome to have preschool theme ideas for all the seasons. Check out the following posts for curated lists of preschool themes based on the time of year.

For more details on why I advocate for thematic learning, this article about thematic lesson plans is a must-read.

Preschool Themes

Summer Preschool Themes

Summer theme can be a broad preschool theme and you might find yourself wondering what to teach in a summer theme in preschool. There are tons and tons of smaller theme ideas that fit well. Here are some ideas.

Summer Theme Preschool Activities

Get ready to celebrate the long summer days with a variety of exciting themes that enrich preschool learning.

Dive into beach adventures where children can explore seashells, build sandcastles, and learn about ocean habitats. Engage their imaginations with camping-themed activities, where they can pretend to roast marshmallows around a pretend campfire and learn about nature.

Take their learning to the great outdoors with nature walks and scavenger hunts, discovering the wonders of the natural world. With summer themes like water play and under-the-sea explorations, children can cool off and learn about marine life at the same time.

These hands-on preschool activities for summer make learning an exciting and interactive experience, fostering a love for exploration and discovery. Let’s make the most of the sunny season with these summer learning activities!

Summer Math Activities for Preschoolers

Lemonade More & Less Counting

Introduce basic addition and subtraction skills to preschoolers with this simple “more and less” math activity. With a strawberry lemonade theme, these counting mats seamlessly complement your summer preschool lesson plans.

Lemonade More and Less Math Activity

Watermelon Counting Puzzles

Make practicing counting to 12 fun with these free watermelon printables. This watermelon activity is a quick and easy way to sneak in some summer math while having fun. 

Summer Number Identification Worksheets for Preschool

During the summer, preschoolers and kindergarteners have a great opportunity to strengthen their number identification and counting skills. This versatile “searching for sunglasses” worksheet is a fantastic choice, especially for kids who enjoy coloring!

Summer Number Recognition Worksheets for Preschoolers

Summer Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers

Sunglasses Theme Alphabet Matching

Having a wealth of summer alphabet activities will keep your preschoolers engaged in practicing and recalling letter names and sounds, preparing them for kindergarten. These printable sunglasses alphabet matching cards facilitate letter recognition and beginning sound skills.

Sunglasses Summer Alphabet Activities

Alphabet Ice Cube Sensory Play

Summertime is finally here! This week has been hot and humid so I thought a fun ice activity would be the perfect way to cool off! Alphabet Ice Cube Sensory Play is a simple sensory play idea that is great for preschoolers and older kids!

Summer Theme Beginning Sound Clip Cards

As summer arrives, the learning doesn’t have to stop for preschoolers! Ensure your little one is all set for kindergarten in the fall with these engaging summer-themed beginning sound activities. These activities beautifully complement your preschool phonics lesson plans and will keep your child on track for a successful transition to kindergarten!

Summer Theme Beginning Sound Activities

Free Summer Lesson Plans for Preschoolers

Discover our selection of free summer lesson plans, thoughtfully curated for preschoolers.

Engage young minds with summer activities centered around the wonders of summer, from beach adventures to camping fun and exploring nature. Let their creativity bloom with arts and crafts projects and hands-on gardening activities.

Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, these resources will bring a refreshing variety to your preschooler’s theme lesson plans throughout the summer season. What’s more, these summer preschool themes seamlessly complement our Daily Lessons in Literacy and Math Preschool Curriculum.

Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans Summer Themes

These free preschool lesson plans can be enjoyed anytime of the year, but are at their best in the summer! Try any of these summer themes for preschool. Your preschoolers are sure to love these summer activities!

Free Fourth of July Preschool Lesson Plans

Red, white, and blue…plus fireworks, too! Get ready to use this patriotic preschool theme to celebrate the beautiful USA.

Here you’ll find book ideas, art and craft activities, along with literacy, math, and social-emotional learning fun! All presented in these week-long 4th of July preschool lesson plans.

Free Camping Theme Preschool Lesson Plans

It’s time to embark on a camping journey! A camping preschool theme is an exciting and interesting way to teach preschoolers about nature, downtime, and of course camping favorites, like s’mores and songs.

Download these free camping lesson plans for preschoolers and make planning for your camping theme a breeze!

Free Day & Night Preschool Lesson Plans

Day or night, we’ve got you covered! We’ve collected loads of ideas for a day and night preschool theme, including book ideas, crafts and sensory investigation, and math and science fun.

These lesson-planning ideas make it so much fun to learn about the magic that happens when the Earth moves around the sun. You’ll find these free day and night preschool lesson plans in a free download at the end of the post.

Free Desert Preschool Lesson Plans

Off to the desert we go!

We’ve got you covered with loads of ideas for a desert preschool theme, including book ideas, art and sensory exploration, and math and science fun. You’ll find the whole bundle of ideas at the end of this post in a download of free desert preschool lesson plans.

Free Preschool Lesson Plans for an Ice Cream Theme

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream! An ice cream preschool theme is the perfect theme for science exploration and a great way to cool down on a hot day. See all the free preschool lesson plan ideas here.

Free Mice Preschool Lesson Plans

Squeak, squeak! The beauty of this mouse preschool theme is that there are loads of fun ways to incorporate these little creatures in lots of fictional ways with no real hands-on involvement. 

Get free mice theme lesson plans in this post.

Free Ocean Theme Lesson Plans for Preschoolers

Sun, salt, sand…it’s that time of the year when the ocean is on our minds! These free ocean theme lesson plans for preschoolers are full of ways to bring the ocean to your preschoolers, and all in tidy printable ocean-themed lesson plans.

Here you’ll find 16+ ideas for an ocean preschool theme.

Free Pirate Preschool Lesson Plans

Arrr, matey!

A preschool pirate theme is a kid (and adult) favorite! From gold and treasure to pirate ships and maps, these free pirate preschool lesson plans truly have it all.

Plus, these FREE pirate preschool lesson plans help make planning for your pirate theme fun and easy and won’t leave you feeling like walking the plank.

Free Robots Preschool Lesson Plans

Beep. Beep. Boop. That’s robot language for you’ve got to see these amazing activity ideas in our free robot preschool lesson plans!

Your robot preschool theme is going to be all charged up with picture book suggestions, arts and crafts, plus math and science fun. 

Free Summer Theme Preschool Lesson Plans

Lemonade, tank tops, and water play…summertime is here to stay! This fun summer preschool theme is a fantastic start to summertime fun and will perfectly complement your sunny summer activities for preschool. If you’re looking for some summer lesson plans for preschool, you are certainly in the right place!

Free Water Fun Preschool Lesson Plans

Water, water, everywhere! This preschool theme is a great way to beat the summer heat and soak up the water fun! It includes plenty of preschool water table activities, and even more! A water preschool theme is a fantastic introduction to summertime and will perfectly complement your ocean, beach, or sea life activities for preschool.

Free Preschool Lesson Plans for a Watermelon Theme

A watermelon preschool theme is one in a melon! This summery theme is an exciting way to kick off warmer weather. Download these free watermelon preschool lesson plans and jump into this sweet theme!