These December preschool themes are a great way to keep your preschoolers excited and engaged during one of the most wonderful times of the year! They are just a sampling of preschool theme ideas from our Ultimate List of Preschool Themes.
We’ve got some extra special themes this month that are perfect for the holiday season! Your students will love:
- Christmas Theme
- Gingerbread Theme
- Jan Brett/The Mitten Theme
- Snow Theme
- Winter Theme
Don’t miss our winter lesson plans and our list of Christmas songs! We also have several more seasonal themes in our winter themes list.
Additionally, we are including some themes that are perfect any time of the year! Don’t miss:
- All About Me Theme
- Colors Theme
- Family Theme
- Mindfulness Theme
- Numbers Theme
- Outer Space Theme
- STEM Theme
- Tree Theme
December Preschool Themes
December, the most wonderful time of the year! And also, the busiest!
Get the best learning activities for 3-5 year olds at your fingertips
Whenever I don’t plan ahead for December, I always feel like I’m in survival mode because there’s just so much to cram in — both in the classroom and at home.
That’s why I love using this December preschool themes list to make sure that each year flows as smoothly as possible, plus all the December preschool activities are super fun!
I’ve made a free printable preschool themes list to help with all your planning! Just fill out your information below and we’ll send it right over!
All About Me Theme
All About Me is a great theme for any time of the year! All About Me allows students to talk about themselves, their interests, and learn what they share in common with others. Make it easy with done-for-you All About Me lesson plans!
We also have some fantastic All About Me themed preschool learning resources:
- Activities for an All About Me theme
- All About Me books
- All About Me songs
- All About Me art activities
- Name writing practice
- Simple name craft
The catchy book, I Like Myself, is a great read for encouraging differences and self-love.
Grab the free All About Me poster below to guide your preschoolers as they share how truly unique they are!
Check out the All About Me Theme lesson plans in our preschool store or toddler store for lots more ideas!
Arctic/Antarctic Theme
Bundle up to learn about the extreme places of the world and the animals that live there. We have tons of great polar bear facts in our list of bear facts for kids! Preschoolers also love learning about the mysterious unicorns of the sea, narwhals! So, be sure to check out our narwhal facts for kids.
This December preschool theme is a fun time to use games and activities with ice. Or find a variety of fun ideas in this Arctic lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.
Christmas Theme
Make lesson plans based on your program’s philosophy. I’ve done Christmas as a faith-based preschool theme, and also as one that incorporated more generic winter themes. Either way you’ll want to sing Christmas songs, and here are some great activities for both!
- Christmas Tree Letter Formation Mats from our store or TPT
- Christmas Tree made with puffy paint
- Candy Canes Science Experiment
- Candy Cane Counting Busy Bag
- Jingle Bells Discovery Bottle
- Jingle Bells Math Station
- Peppermint Slime
- Pom Pom Christmas Tree Ornament
- Christmas Tree Fine Motor Window Activity
We also have a whole list of Christmas crafts for you to enjoy, and tons more preschool Christmas activities!
You’ll want to snag a set of free Christmas-themed 10-frame Counting Mats! Just fill out the info below and we’ll send numbers 1-10 straight over.
If you’re in need of even more great ideas, Preschool Teacher 101 has a great Christmas lesson plan. And don’t miss their adorable Christmas 5 Senses Book!
Christmas Around the World Theme
Learn about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and other cultural holidays around the Christmas season. There are lots of different foods and traditions to discover. Ask the families in your program which holidays they celebrate in December and bring that into the classroom! Preschool Teacher 101 has a comprehensive lesson plan with some amazing ideas.
Colors Theme
A color theme is one of the most beloved preschool themes! Help your preschoolers identify and match colors, learn about primary and secondary, and discover color magic when we mix colors!
Here are some fun and mesmerizing color activities for preschoolers:
- Colored Candy Canes Science Experiment
- Color Sensory Bottle
- Color-Changing Volcano
- Color Songs
- Colored Ice Shapes
- Rainbow Marble Painting Process Art
- Color Mixing with Preschoolers
You can also giggle along with the crayons in The Day the Crayons Quit and learn about how the world is a better place when we have color and joy!
See our color lesson plans in our store for even more ideas!
Cooking Theme
Make bread in a bag, homemade ice cream, or even have an entire dramatic play cookie shop! This is also a perfect time to explore the fun treats that go along with the holidays.
Some of my classes have watched the Polar Express and had hot cocoa or made our own holiday trail mix. We love all of the great hands-on activities over at Planning Playtime.
Family Theme
Family is a perfect preschool theme that can tie into All About Me, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. We love this All About Me and family color sorting game. A family theme is also a great way to help build community and to get to know more about your students.
Get an entire family lesson plan theme from some of our favorite teachers at Preschool Teacher 101.
Gingerbread Theme
Run, run, as fast as you can! Each year in December I love to read some of our favorite gingerbread books, The Gingerbread Baby and The Gingerbread Man and we turn this entire study into its own theme.
This is a great time to provide some fun and festive gingerbread activities:
- Gingerbread letter formation mats from our store or TPT
- Gingerbread slime
- Gingerbread ornament
- Gingerbread man songs
Bring the gingerbread theme into your math center with these themed ten-frame mats! They’re perfect for teaching early number sense skills like one-to-one correspondence and subitizing in a festive and cheerful way. They’re available as a free gift to our e-mail subscribers. Just fill out your information below and we’ll send them right over!
If you need an entire gingerbread lesson plan, we highly recommend this one from Preschool Teacher 101.
Hibernation Theme
Help children learn even more about animals by teaching which animals hibernate and why. Some hibernation animals include bears, bats, hedgehogs, squirrels, groundhogs, and more! Bring in some special cozy blankets and make nap time extra fun.
There are tons of hibernating animals in our list of animal books, including Wild Animal Babies: An Alphabet Book, written by our very own creator of Preschool Inspirations.
A hibernation theme pairs perfectly with our animal lesson plans for either preschoolers or toddlers!
Jan Brett Author Study
Jan Brett and her sweet winter and Christmas-themed books are a great addition to a cold-weather theme! Gingerbread Baby is a must-read every year, and we’ve created an easy ornament craft to go along with it.
If you can’t get enough of the incredible illustrations in Brett’s stories, check out The Three Snow Bears. And of course, don’t miss The Mitten! It’s great for circle time, as part of a winter animals study, or as an entire lesson plan by itself!
Check out Preschool Teacher 101 for a wonderful lesson plan unit on The Mitten.
Mindfulness Theme
The holiday season can have your kids pretty amped up!
Mindfulness is perfect to add to your December preschool themes – it’s a great way to help little ones learn strategies to calm, manage energy levels, and relax when they find themselves wound up.
Here are some mindfulness activities that can help create calm this holiday season:
- How to make sensory bottles
- Calm Down Bottles
- Galaxy Calm Down Jar
- Brain Breaks
- Outdoor Mindfulness Activities (you might need to bundle up this time of year!)
- Yoga Books
- Kids’ Yoga Videos
This is the perfect theme for introducing yoga, and the easiest way is with our FREE animal yoga pack!
If you’ve already got the FREE animal yoga pack and still want more, you can grab these yoga cards in our store!
Numbers Theme
Get children counting and learning the foundational number sense skills with a preschool Numbers theme. There are so many ways to make this fun, like with themed ten-frame mats. This can also be a great time to teach children their phone number.
Check out these awesome activities that teach numbers, counting, and more:
- Jingle Bells Math Activities
- Candy Cane Stripe Counting
- Counting Songs for Preschoolers
- Counting Books
- Rainbow Counting Bear Discovery Bottles
- Math Board Games for Kids
Our friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have some great math centers that are perfect to use all year.
Outer Space Theme
3, 2,1… Blast off! There are so many ways outer space can be a ‘blast’. We’ve got you covered with:
- Space Songs for Kids
- Space Books for Kids
- Night Sky Sensory Bin
- Galaxy Sensory Bottle
- Space-themed Number Writing Practice
Grab our free space ten-frame counting mats for number sense practice that is out of this world!
Sign up below to grab your free copy. Numbers 1-10 are included and there’s a differentiated set for both preschool and pre-k!
If you need an entire space lesson plan, we’ve got you covered in both our preschool store and toddler store.
Snow Theme
If you live in the right part of the world, you might be lucky enough to get an entire season of snow. You can bring some in as a real snow sensory experience and sing lots of winter songs!
No matter what type of winter climate you live in, we’ve got a host of snow-themed activities for you:
- Snowman Letter Formation Mats from our store and TPT
- Melted Snowman Sensory Activity
- Paper Plate Snowman Craft
- Snow-Themed Name Writing Activity
- STEM Toothpick Snowflakes
Our winter ten-frame counting mats are snowflake-themed and perfect for incorporating extra math practice this season. Grab numbers 1-10 by filling out the form below!
No matter where you live, you can get so many great ideas from these Snowflake-themed and Snowman lesson plans from Preschool Teacher 101.
STEM Theme
Add a bit more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to your December with an entire STEM theme! We love weeks with STEM activities, and they’re perfect any time during the year.
- STEAM how-to’s and activity ideas for preschool
- Winter STEAM marshmallow snowflakes
- Easy color-changing volcano activity
- Simple and fun preschool science activities
Get lots more great ideas in this STEM Challenges Bundle from Preschool Teacher 101.
Tree Theme
Pine, oak, maple… no matter the tree type, they are fascinating and beautiful. They are home to so many animals and insects and provide us with so much!
A tree study is full of endless learning… how we use trees to make paper and furniture, as well as the importance of trees for the air we breathe. Of course, during your December preschool teaching, you can include activities about coniferous trees/Christmas trees!
Our friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have even more learning ideas in their tree theme lesson plans.
Winter Theme
Winter is full of excitement with snow, arctic animals, fun holidays and winter sports. There are so many wonderful winter activities for preschoolers!
Supplement your theme with these fantastic winter-themed activities and resources:
- Preschool Winter Learning Activities
- Winter Books for Children
- Winter Songs for Kids
- Observing Nature in Winter
- Winter Counting Mats
- Writing Center Winter Name Tags
- Preschool Winter Themes
- Winter Preschool Lesson Plans
For more winter ideas check out our list of preschool winter themes or snag a whole winter lesson plan in our preschool store or toddler store!
I hope these December preschool themes will help you feel a lot more prepared for the busy holiday season and for your December lesson planning. Happy Holidays!
For even more themes and ideas, visit The Ultimate List of Preschool Themes, or see our library below!
Preschool Themes for the Upcoming Months:
Themes By Season:
- November Preschool Themes You’re Going to Love! - October 12, 2024
- Valentine’s Day Letter Formation Mats - February 4, 2024
- January Preschool Themes You’re Going to Love! - January 1, 2024
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