Preschool
Theme UnitsResources for EducatorsSpring
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, theme units are, by far, our favorite way to homeschool preschool.
The creativity and versatility that can be created is just unmatched.
Whether your child wants to learn more about light and shadows or you want to take a deeper dive into the world of robots, you can easily do so with a theme unit while still working on all of the major skills and subjects.
Sometimes though, coming up with different thematic units can seem a bit daunting. There are just so many ideas out there, especially when it comes to those spring themes.
That’s exactly why we created these lists of monthly preschool themes!
They’ll point you in the right direction and we’ve even got some activity ideas for several different themes to help get you started.
From there, you simply take them as far as you and your preschoolers would like. While some teachers love utilizing weekly themes, others find that larger monthly themes allow them to dive deeper into the subjects that really capture their students’ attention.
This particular list of May preschool themes should give you plenty of ideas to keep your preschooler engaged and learning all month long!
May Preschool Themes
From shadows and robots to teachers and nurses, there is so much to learn about throughout the month of May.
Whether you’re planning for a home preschool or working year-round in a preschool classroom, you’ll find something for everyone on this list of May preschool themes!
Magnets
If you’re looking for a way to add a little bit of scientific exploration into your days, then look no further than a magnets theme unit! Let your little ones explore what types of materials are magnetic, which ones are not, and what happens when a magnet is introduced into a pile of small metal objects.
This theme unit also creates some excellent opportunities for sensory play as your students experiment with different materials to see which ones are magnetic and which ones aren’t.
Robots
Is your preschooler obsessed with robots? A robot theme unit is absolutely perfect for those little ones that love tinkering with small parts and building things out of random pieces.
You could easily incorporate working on shapes, colors, size sequencing, fine motor skills, and more into a unit like this!
Cinco de Mayo
Spend the first week of May learning about the celebrations and traditions of another culture!
The Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to teach your preschooler about another country while adding some arts and crafts and music into your days.
Mother’s Day
Mothers work hard all year long. So, it only seems right to spend a little bit of time celebrating them and their impact on their children this month.
Whether you’re making them some keepsake crafts, singing them some songs, or simply using the holiday as a jumping off point to learn a little more about families, this is the perfect theme for the month of May.
Memorial Day
A Memorial Day preschool theme is a fantastic way to teach your preschooler about patriotic symbols, the flag, and the men and women of our armed forces and the sacrifices that they have made over the years to protect our country.
It’s also a great way to introduce your preschooler to some patriotic music and a little bit of our nation’s history.
Shadows
Learning about light and shadows is typically one of our favorite themes.
It’s such a fun way to incorporate a little scientific exploration into our days and there are so many fun ways to learn!
Try taking some toys and some paper outside on those warmer days, for example, and placing the toys in such a way that they create shadows on your paper that you can then trace or grab a flashlight and a set of flashlight cards for a fun activity that’ll have your students learning about dinosaurs, animal habitats and more!
Picnics
A staple during the Spring and Summer months, picnics present endless opportunities for learning!
From counting plastic ants or adding real ones to your classroom with an ant farm to taking a field trip and taste testing typical picnic foods or learning to sequence events as you set up for a picnic, the possibilities are endless!
Community Helpers – Teachers
Although the month of May might be the end of the school year for some, it doesn’t mean that we can’t spend a little bit of time learning all about teachers and the awesome job that they do!
With the 7th of May being National Teacher Appreciation Day, it makes this month the perfect time for some fun activities that can help your students learn exactly why teachers are considered community helpers!
Planning ahead? Make sure you check out these preschool theme ideas for June as well!
Community Helpers – Nurses
Another community helper made this month’s list and with May 6 being National Nurses Day, I think you can see why!
Whether you’re setting up a dramatic play area and learning how nurses help the doctors that they work or using the fact that nurses help people, in general, to teach your preschooler about compassion, kindness, and how to treat other people, a theme entirely dedicated to these amazing community helpers is absolutely perfect for the month of May!
Trains
From counting the cars on a passenger train to finding various shapes within them, a preschool train theme is an easy one to put together, but one that your preschooler is going to love!
Build yourself a number line train that you can use to work on a variety of skills like number recognition, counting, and colors, or learn what it’s like to be a train conductor in your dramatic play area. With a little creativity and a few simple materials, this theme could be a blast!
Frogs
As Spring turns to Summer, the tadpoles start turning into frogs.
It’s the perfect time of year to learn a little about these fun little amphibians!
Introduce the concept of life cycles or mimic them with a game of leapfrog to add a fun gross motor element. You could even spend some time outside enjoying nature and water play while you look for some frogs of your own to observe.
