Fun and Exciting August Preschool Themes

These fun and exciting August preschool themes are the perfect way to get hands-on with your littles. August is a great month to soak up the sun and hold onto those long summer days. For even more theme ideas, check out our list of ultimate preschool themes!

No matter what August looks like for you, these August themes for preschool are perfect for helping children love learning and make connections across the content areas!

We have August preschool activities for every teacher and learner! Check out the traditional back-to-school themes such as:

• Alphabet Theme
• Numbers Theme
• Shapes Theme
• Colors Theme
• All About Me

We also have some unique themes, like:

• Anna Dewdney Book Study Theme
• Art Theme
• Baking Theme
• Friendship Theme
• Pets Theme
• Rhyming Theme
• Watermelon Theme

We have over 30 themes for you to choose from to make your August themes a hit!

August Learning Themes for Preschoolers

For a handy list of these and other great themes, I’ve made a free printable preschool theme list to help with all your planning! Grab it below!

All About Me Theme

Oh, how preschoolers love to talk about themselves! It’s an ideal theme for the back-to-school season, since All About Me allows students to talk about themselves, their interests, and learn what they share in common with others. This catchy book, I Like Myself, is a great read for encouraging differences and self-love.

Check out some of our favorite activities that are perfect for the beginning of the year and an All About Me theme:

• All about me lesson plans
• All about me songs
• All about me activities
• Tactile name writing practice
• All about me books 
• Simple name craft for preschoolers

Grab the free All About Me poster below to guide your preschoolers as they share how truly unique they are! 

We’ve also got All About Me lesson plans for either preschoolers or toddlers in our preschool store or toddler store! And don’t miss the monthly self-portrait journal, available from Preschool Teacher 101.

Alphabet Theme

Learning the alphabet has never been more fun! Preschoolers will want you to read Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom over and over, sing ABC songs, and do fun activities and games that teach all things from A-Z!

Here are some of our favorite alphabet-themed lessons and activities:

• Alphabet songs
• Name letter board activity
• Alphabet practice with name writing
• Alphabet posters 
• ABC games that teach
• Butterfly alphabet sensory bin

Preschool Teacher 101 has created this adorable Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom lesson plan to help with your ABC planning.

Anna Dewdney Book Study Theme

The Llama Llama books sure are popular among little readers! You’ve most likely run across these kid favorites. These books are a great way to start the school year off right or just brush up on the many social/emotional skills that are highlighted in these books. Llama, Llama, Red Pajama and Llama, Llama Misses Mama are both great choices to help little ones navigate unchartered territory. But let’s be honest, every book Anna Dewdney wrote is a gem that you just can’t go wrong with.

Animals Theme

Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! Preschoolers love learning about new and interesting animals along with animal movements, their habitats, and of course some of the stellar animal books that kids just can’t get enough of! Check out our animal book list for great read-aloud ideas and don’t forget the adorable animal songs for great toe-tapping fun! Find out some of your preschoolers’ favorite animals and go from there. The possibilities are endless!

There are some super fun facts about some really cool animals. Share these animal-tastic facts with your preschoolers as they learn about a wide variety of animals:

• Bear facts for kids
• Giraffe facts for kids
• Narwhal facts for kids
• Sloth facts for kids

Make sure to check out the lovable book Wild Animal Babies written by the creator of Preschool Inspirations! This fact-filled animal book is a must-have for any animal lover! Travel with these wild animals and their babies as we learn the letters of the alphabet, along with interesting facts and charming illustrations. From bobcat to kinkajou, narwhal to umbrellabird, this book will have your little ones learning their ABCs… and animal facts, too! The adorable artwork will have you oohing and ahhing over all 26 animal babies and their mommas.

We’ve also got animal lesson plans geared to both preschoolers and toddlers in our preschool store and toddler store!

Art Theme

Preschoolers love art! Whether it is painting a picture or coloring with markers, little kids (and adults too!) love the freedom of expressing themselves. Introduce wonderful artists, amazing illustrators like Eric Carle or Mo Willems, or use an art theme as a fantastic way to explore color and texture. All these process art activities, including the Mixed-Up Chameleon and rainbow marble art, are a super way to get kids excited about art and to use their creative thinking skills.

Back to School Theme

Teachers and preschoolers alike can’t wait for the first day! Whether you are heading to school or preschool-ing from home, this theme is a perfect opportunity to go over class rules, routines, the schedule, and to see what the classroom offers. It’s also a great time to show off your centers and introduce an age-appropriate visual calendar! And of course, you have to read all those adorable back to school stories!

Grab all the ideas you need in this back to school lesson plan from Planning Playtime.

Baking Theme

There is nothing better than a warm cookie fresh out of the oven. Why not celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day on August 4th by getting in the kitchen and stirring up some yummy cookie dough? Preschoolers LOVE to help in the kitchen and it’s a great opportunity to experiment with new recipes and engage little hands! Read Mr. Cookie Baker and learn all the steps to making delicious cookies! Snuggle up with Stir, Crack, Whisk, Bake, and enjoy this interactive baking story.

We love these baking supplies for preschoolers!

Enjoy all the great baking activities over at Planning Playtime.

Bear Theme

Kids absolutely adore all things bears…and teddy bears! One of our very favorite books is of course Brown Bear, What Do You See?. It is a story with a delightful predictable pattern and adorable pictures that help teach colors.

Hurry and add these fun bear activities to your home or classroom before all the bears go off to hibernate:

• Brown bear lacing activity
• Bear hunt and other movement songs
• Counting bears discovery bottle
• Bear facts for kids

And of course, don’t forget our favorite…. a teddy bear picnic!

Our clever friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have a super fun bear hunt-themed lesson plan that’s sure to be a hit!

Bee Theme

On August 15 we celebrate National Honey Bee Awareness Day. Bees are one of the hardest working animals on the planet! They help take care of some of our most important plants and flowers and ensure that our fruits and vegetables get pollinated. Read why bees are so important to our ecosystem with this book, The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter. This torn paper flower craft is also an easy tie-in as you talk about these busy helpers.

For tons of other bug and insect learning activities, fly over to check out the lesson plans in our preschool store and toddler store!

Bubbles Theme

Bubbles are a fun activity for any age! Big or small, there is so much to do with bubbles! Make bubble paint art, put them in a sensory table…the ideas are endless. Young kiddos never tire of bubbles! During our bubble theme, I love reading The Rainbow Fish and having the kiddos find all the bubbles in the beautiful illustrations. Bubble Trouble is also a favorite book for this theme, and I guarantee you will get lots of smiles and giggles with this silly story!

Sprinkle in some STEM with a kitchen sink bubble explosion and check out our other magically bubbly activities here:

• Bubble sensory table
• Soap foam sensory cupcake station
• Ice cream scented bubble recipe

Check out Preschool Teacher 101 for an entire bubbles lesson plan.

Camping Theme

August is a great month to do some camping, pretend, or in real life! The first day of August is National Campfire Day, so get those marshmallows ready! You can even make your own pretend campfire using orange and red tissue paper with a few paper towel tubes… time to get cozy and read some camping books as you sit by the pretend fire.

Build a tent with some blankets inside or spend the whole day outside. Don’t forget to make s’ mores…National S’ mores Day is on August 10th! Check out these great camping books as you read in your tent, Llama Llama Loves Camping or Pete the Cat Goes Camping.

Or get lots more ideas with these camping lesson plans from Preschool Teacher 101.

Colors Theme

Practicing with colors is a great way to begin a new year! Identify colors, learn about primary and secondary, and use this color sensory bottle to find out what happens when they mix. Use color songs to make learning fun! Get your preschoolers stoked about science when you set up a color-changing volcano, too!

See our color lesson plans in our store for even more ideas!

Emotions and Feelings Theme

As teachers and parents, some of the most important skills we teach are how to best manage our own emotional needs and recognize how others feel. This preschool theme is great for developing that social/emotional awareness and can be a great start to the beginning of the school year. Set up these calming glitter jars and other sensory tools to help young students learn to find comfort and express their needs. The Color Monster gets big feelings and confusing thoughts too, and it might just be the perfect book to read for this theme!

There are lots of ideas in this emotions themed lesson plan unit from Preschool Teacher 101.

Family Theme

Talking about our family is such an inviting topic for young children. This theme ties in perfectly into All About Me, as well! The Family Book is the perfect read-aloud to complement a family theme as it is full of colorful art and a lesson in how families are different and wonderful.

Grab an entire family lesson plan theme from the amazing Preschool Teacher 101!

Farm Theme

A farm theme is one of the most beloved preschool themes! Farms are great for all kinds of hands-on and sensory fun! It’s a great theme to learn about all kinds of animals and also easy to tie in math concepts.  

Check out some of our favorite farm activities that you will keep your preschoolers smiling until the cows come home:

• Little Red Hen sensory activity
• Farm songs
• Farm books
• Counting mats with a farm theme
• Farm animal ten-frames

Moo-ve over to our preschool store or toddler store for an entire farm themed lesson plan.

Fine Motor Theme

Preschoolers need strong hand muscles to help them learn to write, zip and button their clothes, draw and paint, and of course, use utensils to eat! Building these skills in the classroom can be so exciting and fun! We have tons of fine motor activities to share with you. One standard that we always recommend is having sensory play/sensory tables available regularly for your preschoolers.  We also love using all sorts of fingerplays, which are great to help preschoolers with fine motor coordination.

• Fine motor skills activities for preschoolers
• Fine motor practice for preschoolers
• Open-ended fine motor practice.
• Fall alphabet fine motor activity

We also love playdough mats for sensory and fine motor play. Playdough is one of the gold standards of the sensory and fine motor worlds, and your preschoolers will basically never tire of it!

Friendship Theme

This is an ideal theme for the month of August as we head back into the traditional school year this month or next. It also serves as a great refresher theme to help your preschoolers learn friendship skills, how to navigate problems with friends, and building those important life skills! Celebrate the joy of friendship on August 2nd for National Friendship Day! Sending friendship letters is a great tie-in to this theme, as well as a wonderful way to practice writing and name recognition. We love using friendship books during this time!

Snag an entire friendship theme lesson plan from Preschool Teacher 101 to get even more great ideas.

Kindness Theme

Being kind is not always easy, especially when you are in preschool! Using a kindness theme helps to integrate kindness in multiple ways. Using songs, like hello songs, teaches young children the importance of kindness, gratitude, and appreciation. The earlier they learn, the easier it will be for them to spread kindness throughout their life. Reading kindness books is a great way to enjoy adorable new characters while learning critical life skills. We also love to teach kindness with the Kindness Elves.

Mindfulness Theme

Learning how to be calmer, manage energy levels, and find relaxation is so helpful for preschoolers who are always managing big emotions. With August 15 being Relaxation Day, it’s the perfect time to start learning ways to slow down and breathe deeply! This is the perfect theme for introducing yoga, and the easiest way is with our FREE animal yoga pack. Be sure to grab yours below!

You can also check out our awesome mindfulness resources to help your preschoolers stay calm and centered:

• Yoga books
• Kids’ yoga videos
• Brain breaks
• Outdoor mindfulness activities

Music Theme

Turn on music in any preschool classroom and you will have all eyes on you! Music is one of the best ways to teach children. In fact, it’s been proven that music actually makes children smarter! Learn about new instruments, dance, dance, dance, or learn about different musicians and composers.

Using music throughout the day is ideal; to say hello or goodbye, during circle time, to transition from one activity to another, and to introduce or reinforce new concepts.

Check out some of our favorite songs for preschoolers:

• Hello songs
• Goodbye songs
• Songs for circle time
• Songs that teach new concepts
• Ultimate guide of preschool songs

For a printable list of great kids’ songs to always have on hand, fill out the form below.

Numbers Theme

Counting can be as easy as 1,2,3! Get children counting and learning the foundational number sense skills with a preschool numbers theme. There are so many ways to make numbers and counting fun. This can also be a great time to teach children their phone number. Incorporate some fun counting books like How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? or the classic book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

Get your kids counting 1,2,3 and beyond with a variety of fun activities:

• Counting books
• Ten-frame mats
• Counting songs
• Ladybug counting activity

Nursery Rhymes Theme

Research shows that little ones who learn Nursery Rhymes have an easier time grasping phonics, rhyming, and early reading skills. Nursery Rhymes are a classic and fun way to encourage reading, rhyming, plus some of the rhymes are downright silly! Your preschoolers will love this nursery rhyme sorting activity! Grab some engaging Nursery Rhyme books…like this pop-up book full of all the classic rhymes and fun illustrations.

Pets Theme

A pet theme is great anytime in the year! Pets are so special to us and children love to play, interact, and be big helpers with their pets. Create a dramatic play area with a pet clinic or pet store to get your preschoolers excited about their new pet theme!

Read The Pigeon Wants a Puppy for some extra silly giggles, and check out our other books and resources for a fun pets theme:

• Books about pets
• Animal songs
• Count and clip cards

Our friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have a pets lesson plan in their store for planning the perfect pet theme. And for some pet-themed learning, don’t miss our pet count and clip cards! They’re free when you fill out the form below.

Picnic Theme

Did you know that August is National Picnic Month? Picnics are so much fun and a great way to get outside and change up the day! Bring your stuffed animals along and set up the food, because this picnic is going to be great! I love bringing awesome summer-themed books to enjoy during picnic time. Watch out for the ants though…. maybe singing The Ants Go Marching will keep them at bay!

Rhyming Theme

Roses are red, violets are blue, rhyming is special and so are you! A whole theme dedicated to rhyming is sure to be a hit. Rhyming is also an important pre-reading skill that helps lead to future reading success. Some of our favorite ways to teach rhyming skills is through stories, songs, fingerplays, and hands-on activities.

We wanted to share our favorites with you:

• Rhyming stories
• Rhyming songs
• Nursery rhymes
• Fingerplays that rhyme
• Preschool rhyming activities
• Rhyming cards for preschoolers

Shapes Theme

Round or square, shapes are everywhere! Preschoolers love not only learning shapes but also looking for shapes in the world around them. Shapes are the perfect start for teaching math or incorporating literature and science. This preschool theme is a great time to pull out those pattern blocks or Korxx blocks (strong and great for toddlers!) and dive into some fun shape practice!

Transportation Theme

Things that go are always a big hit with little kids. Read some great books to learn all the different modes of transportation including, This Is How We Do It, and Little Kids First Big Book of Things That Go. This theme is perfect for incorporating sensory play by making a bin with all the different modes of transportation. Throw in some fun transportation games too!

Fly over to our preschool store or toddler store for transportation lesson plans.

Watermelon

Yummy, juicy watermelon is a summertime favorite! August 3rd is National Watermelon Day so why not grab a watermelon, cut it open, and get to learning! Use the seeds for awesome counting activities, read The Watermelon Seed, or plant some seeds and watch them grow!

Grab a whole watermelon lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.

We hope these August preschool themes help guide your planning and give you some great learning ideas! For even more themes and ideas, visit The Ultimate List of Preschool Themes, or see our library below!

Themes by the Month

• September Preschool Themes
• October Preschool Themes
• November Preschool Themes
• December Preschool Themes
• January Preschool Themes
• February Preschool Themes
• March Preschool Themes
• April Preschool Themes
• May Preschool Themes
• June Preschool Themes
• July Preschool Themes

Themes by Season

• Summer Preschool Themes
• Spring Preschool Themes
• Fall Preschool Themes
• Winter Preschool Themes