These July preschool themes are full of fun and active play, new experiences, and include the perfect book ideas to fit any topic! For even more amazing theme ideas, check out our ultimate list of preschool themes!
July begins by celebrating Independence Day with patriotic parades, fireworks, and cookouts filled with tasty treats and time spent with family and friends. It’s the perfect time to watch nature with a keen eye, explore the open outdoors, and learn something new! These July preschool activities will have your preschoolers getting up close and personal as they create, bake, and stay busy with these spot-on summertime themes!
Here are some of the fantastic themes you’ll find here that are perfect for July and all things summer:
- Beach, Ocean & Seashells
- Bubbles
- Camping
- Fish
- Ice Cream
- Patriotic
- Picnic
- Summer
Here are some of the exciting themes we’ve rounded up that are great in summer or anytime of the year:
- All About Me
- Animals
- Bugs & Insects
- Chocolate
- Geography
- Mindfulness
- Pets
- Rainbows
- Transportation
I’ve even made a free printable preschool theme list to help with all your planning!
Get the best learning activities for 3-5 year olds at your fingertips
July Preschool Themes
All About Me Theme
Children, much like adults, love to talk about themselves! Children can learn about their own features and attributes, as well as their community. Make it easy with done-for-you all about me lesson plans!
This is an easy place to incorporate name recognition and all about me activities. Here are some of your favorites:
Grab the free All About Me poster below to guide your preschoolers as they share how truly unique they are!
Don’t miss the monthly self-portrait journal, available from Preschool Teacher 101! We’ve also got all about me lesson plans for either preschoolers or toddlers in our preschool store or toddler store!
Animals Theme
The world is your oyster here (possibly literally!) So much to choose from: mimic animal movements, learn about habitats, read some of the million books starring animals, listen to rare animal sounds, or make a craft! There’s even lots of amazing animal songs! You can start with your class’s favorite animal and go from there.
Don’t miss the adorable book Wild Animal Babies written by the creator of Preschool Inspirations! This beautiful animal book is a must-have for your bookshelf! Journey through the wild animal alphabet and learn about new and unique animals. From bobcat to kinkajou, narwhal to umbrellabird, this book will have your little ones learning their ABCs… and animal facts, too! Did you know jackrabbits use their jumbo-sized ears to cool off in the hot desert? Or that rhinoceros calves roll in the mud to protect their skin? 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!
Balls Theme
Big or small, preschoolers love playing with balls! It’s the perfect gross motor activity to get outside and kick, throw, and bounce balls. Check out The Ball Book to discover all kinds of rolling balls, even ones you may not have thought of! Make ball art, have a ball bouncing competition, and race different balls down a slide to see which is fastest! A theme on balls is a rolling good time! See more fun ball ideas in our list of free preschool games.
Bounce over to Preschool Teacher 101 for an entire ball lesson plan.
Beach Theme
We dream all year of warm weather and beach days! If you are fortunate enough to live by the water, nothing beats exploring the beach in all its beauty. If not, you can bring the beach to you with fun hands-on activities and books!
Splash on in and check out a few of our favorites:
Head on over to Preschool Teacher 101 and grab a whole beach lesson plan and make your theme a swimming success!
Bubbles Theme
Bubbles = perfect summer fun! They mesmerize kids of all ages and preschoolers especially find them fascinating! Blow big or small bubbles, add paint to them, put them in your sensory table… the ideas are endless! Read Bubble Trouble and imagine what happens when the baby gets caught inside a bubble! Sprinkle in some STEM with a kitchen sink bubble explosion.
Check out Preschool Teacher 101 for an entire bubbles lesson plan.
Bugs and Insects Theme
Buzz on in for some insect-themed fun! This is one of the most popular preschool theme studies because children are fascinated with and love to explore bugs! Captivate their attention with bug observation, games, and fun facts! Your preschoolers will beee so intrigued by it all!
For tons of other bug and insect learning activities, fly over to check out the lesson plans in our preschool store and toddler store!
Camping Theme
Camping is the perfect way to build memories, disconnect from technology, all while diving into outdoor fun! Spend the whole day outside…set up a tent or fort made with blankets or sheets. Read these great camping books in your tent, Llama Llama Loves Camping or Pete the Cat Goes Camping. Make yummy s’mores and pull out a flashlight to explore the night. Too hot or rainy to camp outside? Turn your indoor dramatic play area into a campground.
Or get lots more ideas with these camping lesson plans from Preschool Teacher 101.
Chocolate Theme
Mmmm…everyone loves chocolate and it sure sounds like a delicious summer theme! Tie it into camping and s’ mores or celebrate Chocolate Day on July 7th with some fun chocolate treats, like these easy healthy fudgsicles! Learn how chocolate is made, melt it or bake with it…the options are endless and will have your preschoolers begging for more sweet activities.
Jump over to Preschool Teacher 101 for a tasty chocolate lesson plan.
Cooking Theme
Hang out in the kitchen on those rainy summer days! Bake some tasty cookies on July 9th for National Sugar Cookie Day or some yummy blueberry muffins on July 11 for National Blueberry Muffin Day! Experiment with making new recipes like homemade ice cream, plan a yummy snack you can enjoy during teatime, or experiment with anything else that gets kids excited about the kitchen. 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.
Enjoy all the great cooking activities over at Planning Playtime.
Farm Theme
Everyone loves life down on the farm, which is why it is one of the most beloved preschool themes! Farms are great for sensory activities and learning about animals through books, songs and activities. You can even use farm animals as a gateway to math with our fun farm-themed math resources.
Mooove on in for some farm fun with these awesome resources:
Be sure to grab these darling farm finger puppets to help make your farm stories, songs and activities even more farm-tastic!
Grab a done-for-you farm lesson plan in our preschool store or toddler store.
Fish Theme
Fish are such interesting animals! They come in all shapes and sizes and live in all types of water. The childhood favorite book The Rainbow Fish is a cherished one and teaches us how to be a good friend. After reading, make your own Rainbow Fish with this rainbow fish art project.
Grab a whole sea of ideas with these fish lesson plans from the great teachers over at Preschool Teacher 101.
Geography Theme
Learning about new places is a great theme for summertime. Preschoolers love to share their travels and the places they have visited. This theme lends itself to learning about new, faraway places and discovering all the features of a map! The book Me on the Map is perfect for helping preschoolers see where they live on a map. Check out this me on the map craft to go along with it.
Travel to our store and grab the Around the World lesson plan for lots of ideas with an international flair!
Hot and Cold Theme
What better season to experiment with hot and cold than summer? These hot summer days are perfect for diving into ice and frozen fun! Your preschoolers will love playing with ice and watching ice melt in this ice cube melt experiment. Get hands-on and make colored ice shapes. Pour warm water onto frozen ice and see what happens! It’s also easy to incorporate weather into this theme since summer can be so hot.
Ice Cream Theme
We all scream for ice cream! It is the perfect theme for this month since July is National Ice Cream Month! What a great time to try new ice cream flavors while enjoying something cool and refreshing. Get your preschoolers excited about this theme with a sprinkles ice cream writing tray! Or make some ice cream scented bubbles.
Incorporate ice cream into your math center with ice cream ten frame counting mats!
Ten frame mats are a perfect way to teach subitizing, one-to-one correspondence, and cardinality.
They are perfect to use with mini erasers, gems, seasonal manipulatives, or anything you have that your little learners would be interested in.
Get your hands on more tasty ideas in these ice cream activities from Planning Playtime or in this ice cream themed lesson plan from Preschool Teacher 101.
Mindfulness Theme
Learning how to be calmer, manage energy levels, and find relaxation is so helpful for preschoolers who are always managing big emotions. This is the perfect theme for introducing yoga, and the easiest way is with our FREE animal yoga pack!
Incorporate brain breaks and use books and videos to share yoga with your preschoolers. Check out our awesome mindfulness resources and activities:
If you’ve already got the FREE animal yoga pack and still want more, you can grab these yoga cards in our store!
For even more great mindfulness and emotional learning opportunities, check out the emotions lesson plan from Preschool Teacher 101.
Ocean Theme
An ocean theme is such an exciting part of any preschool curriculum, especially if you are teaching preschoolers in summertime! Glistening sand, crashing waves, unique ocean creatures…there is so much to be in awe of when it comes to the ocean. You can also tie this into your moon theme by discussing tides, currents, and other ocean phenomena. Incorporate the theme in your math center with these ocean animal counting mats.
We have so many ocean activities, books and songs for you to be excited about. Check them out here:
- Preschool ocean activities
- Ocean-themed sensory bin
- Ocean sensory bottles
- Books about the ocean
- Songs about the ocean
- DIY sea stars
An ocean theme is also a fun time to talk about pirates!! Preschool Teacher 101 has a pirate lesson plan available, and don’t miss our list of pirate songs!
If you need more ocean ideas, we have a sea of ideas in the ocean lesson plans in our preschool store and toddler store.
Patriotic Theme
“There ain’t no doubt I love this land…” Learning about this great land is a perfect July theme! Those of us in the United States celebrate Independence Day on July 4th so this month is full of opportunity to learn about what makes America unique. This can include learning about the flag, national anthem or songs, coins, American traditions, or other important symbols. You don’t want to miss out on this adorable book, Corduroy’s Fourth of July, for a fun patriotic adventure!
Check out the red, white, and blue American lesson plan at Preschool Teacher 101.
Pets Theme
Kids love spending time with their pets so why not make it a fun preschool theme? Preschoolers love their pets and love to talk about them even more! Incorporate the hilarious book The Pigeon Wants a Puppy as a read-aloud and have your little ones giggling with delight! Your preschoolers will certainly relate to a dog and cat theme! Or go a little out of the box and have your children make their own pet spider.
Help your preschoolers practice their counting and number recognition skills with these adorable pet clip cards. They will have a howling good time!
Our friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have a pets lesson plan in their store for planning the perfect pet theme.
Picnic Theme
Everyone loves a picnic! There is something magical about eating somewhere new! Don’t forget to bring along the hot dogs because July is National Hot Dog Month! Enjoy the perfect book, Let’s Have a Picnic, and get creative as you set up a picnic with your preschoolers! Or bring your teddy bears along and enjoy The Teddy Bears’ Picnic!
Rain Theme
Summertime is full of rain showers and seasonal storms. Plan a theme around playing in the rain and learning where rain comes from. This theme ties perfectly into the changing weather and how rain nourishes the Earth. Get artsy with this cute rain cloud suncatcher craft! Or go on a rainy day adventure with Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm!
Need an entire rain lesson plan? Preschool Teacher 101 has made this wonderful rain themed lesson plan.
Rainbows Theme
Rainbows are so magical! Preschoolers LOVE rainbows and there are so many fun possibilities for learning. We love teaching through stories, and one of our favorites is How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow, which teaches the importance of teamwork and perseverance.
We have so many great rainbow resources for your preschoolers. Be sure to add all of these colorful activities to your prism of learning:
- Super fun rainbow science activities
- Name train rainbow activity
- Amazing rainbow discovery bottles
- Rainbow counting bears discovery bottles
- Process art- rainbow marble painting
- Rainbow sight words
- Pipecleaner rainbow craft
- Rainbow activities and games
If you need even more rainbow lesson plan ideas, you are in luck because Preschool Teacher 101 has them in their store.
Seasons Theme
Preschoolers definitely notice when the season/weather starts to change. When doing a seasons unit of study, it’s best to begin with your current season and then lead into the other seasons. This is a great theme for comparing and contrasting the seasons, weather, temperatures, and more!
Watch and be amazed as a tree goes through the four seasons with this book, Watching the Seasons.
You don’t want to miss our season-specific themes and activities. These are packed with learning, discovery and fun for every season:
- Summer preschool themes
- Fall preschool themes
- Winter preschool activities
- Spring preschool activities
Find done-for-you lesson plans for each season in the seasons bundle in our preschool store.
Sharks Theme
Sharks are such interesting creatures…from their rows and rows of teeth to their powerful status in the ocean, there is much to learn about them! There is even a whole week dedicated to sharks every year in late summer, which is a perfect time for a shark theme! Read this shark-y twist on a classic tale, The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark! Plus, it’s also a great week to work on Baby Shark songs and preschoolers LOVE Baby Shark!
Shells Theme
Seashells come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The summer months are perfect for teaching preschoolers about where shells come from, what creatures live inside, and the names of some common shells. The story Seashells by the Seashore is perfect for introducing young children to the animals that make and live inside each shell.
Grab more ideas in this shell lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.
Space Theme
Welcome young explorers to a universe of wonder and discovery! Hop on a space-themed adventure to celebrate National Moon Day, which falls on July 20th. So, gather your spacesuits and telescopes, because the universe awaits! Check below for our outer space counting mats for out of this world math practice and check out our space preschool books and space songs.
Plus, our friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have an entire space unit for preschoolers!
Sports Theme
Being involved in sports, whether on an organized team or just for fun, is such a wonderful way to encourage health and fitness! This preschool theme is so loved because young children love learning new games and they certainly love to move! Get your little ones excited about active play with these fun stories- Pete the Cat: Play Ball and Froggy Plays Soccer.
Your sports theme is the perfect time to play fun active games. Active games help teach preschoolers a lot of important skills including gross motor, taking turns, working cooperatively, and that being active is fun and healthy for our bodies. Check out our post, “Free Preschool Games”. It is jam-packed with all kinds of games that your preschoolers will love!
Summer Theme
Summer is full of fun! Pools, beaches, vacations, and cool treats make this an especially fun season for young children. This is a great theme for the end of the traditional school year or during the summer months. Plus, you’ll love our list of summer books to kickstart summer reading!
We’ve got a ton of fun activities to help beat those dog days of summer. Check these out and keep your preschoolers learning, exploring and having fun…all summer long:
- Summer preschool activities
- Summer preschool themes
- Summer sensory play
- Pool noodle learning hacks
- Pool noodle name recognition activity
- Lemonade scented playdough
- Healthy fudgsicles
You can check out our super summer lesson plans in both our preschool store and our toddler store.
Transportation Theme
Preschoolers are so intrigued by anything with wheels. Learning about different modes of transportation is perfect during the summer months. Many families travel to new places and go on summer vacations in planes, trains, and automobiles!
During your transportation theme, you can gather lots of different types of vehicles…land, sea, and air and create a fun sensory bin. You can also make roadways, train tracks, etc. for kids to use with the different types of vehicles. Incorporate some fun transportation games or read the Little Kids First Big Book of Things That Go to learn about the special features of each vehicle!
Get an entire transportation lesson plan in our preschool store or toddler store.
Watermelon Theme
If there is one fruit that screams summertime, it is…you guessed it… watermelon! Watermelon is such a refreshing fruit, filled with black seeds, perfect for planting or using for science or math activities. But what happens if you swallow a watermelon seed? Find out in this adorable book, The Watermelon Seed.
Grab some fun watermelon activities in the watermelon lesson plan from our friends over at Preschool Teacher 101!
Weather Theme
Summertime sure provides us with lots of weather! Preschoolers can be frightened of various types of weather, so this theme is perfect for helping them see the beauty of mother nature.
Grab the book All About Weather: A First Weather Book for Kids and help your little ones better understand how different types of weather occur. Plan special activities for each type of weather… sunshine, rain, snow, etc. And don’t miss our weather songs which are perfect for circle time!
Get more weather ideas in the weather lesson plan in both our preschool store and toddler store.
Zoo Animals Theme
Going to the zoo is so exciting and a great opportunity to learn about so many interesting animals! Since July 1st is American Zoo Day, heading to see new animals is a great way to beat the heat! This theme also ties in perfectly with an animal or habitat theme. Read the adorable zoo books The View at the Zoo and Night, Night Zoo, and help your preschoolers wish sweet dreams to their favorite animals.
Here are some great animal activities and facts to share with your preschoolers:
Find an entire zoo lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.
We sure hope these July preschool activities help you plan your summertime learning! For even more themes and ideas, visit The Ultimate List of Preschool Themes, or see our library below!
Themes by the Month
- August Preschool Themes
- 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
Themes by Season
- Magnet Town STEM Activity - February 8, 2025
- Gingerbread Books for Kids - December 3, 2024
- Pumpkin Letter Formation Mats - October 1, 2024
This is a great list. I love the idea of watermelon as a theme. Totally going to use that one.