These June preschool themes are just what you need to keep your little ones entertained, learning, and busy through the long summer days! For even more amazing theme ideas, check out our list of Ultimate Preschool Themes.
Many of us wait all year for the warm months and the endless possibilities of summer play. We have put together some of the most engaging themes to help keep the learning alive, whether your preschoolers are on summer break or still learning alongside you each day. Kick-off summer fun with sun-tastic themes like ice cream, watermelon, and camping. Enjoy outdoor play with sensory bins, art projects, and even sports!
I’ve made a free printable preschool theme list to help with all your planning!
June Preschool Themes
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.
Bubbles Theme
Bubbles = 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
Summer is the perfect time to be outside, observe bugs and insects, and observe their differences. This theme is a huge hit with preschoolers because they love to get up close and use a magnifying glass to examine different kinds of bugs. Play this fun bug game and read Bugs A to Z to learn about all kinds of insects. Don’t forget about the butterflies!
Fly over to our bugs and butterflies unit lesson plan in our store for even more ideas.
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 this fun sensory play recipe that feels just like beach sand. Discover lots of ocean animals in the book Little Kids First Big Ocean Book. After reading about new and interesting ocean animals, make an ocean creature discovery bottle!
Or grab a whole beach lesson plan from Preschool Teacher 101 and make your theme a splash!
Camping Theme
Did you know June 6th is Play Outside day? What a perfect day to go camping! 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.
Cooking Theme
Hang out in the kitchen on those rainy summer days! Experiment with making new recipes like homemade ice cream, plan a yummy snack you can enjoy during tea time, 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
Preschoolers love the farm! Preschoolers love learning about farm animals, how plants grow, and getting up close to big farm equipment. Use farm animals to learn with these fun ten frames! Enjoy this classic book The Big Red Barn and check out our farm book list for even more ideas.
Moo-ve over to our store for an entire farm themed lesson plan.
Father’s Day Theme
Father’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in June. This special holiday is the perfect way to celebrate an important male role model in your preschoolers’ lives. This handprint art is the perfect keepsake and super simple to prep. Get them excited to celebrate Dad with the adorable book, Olive’s Special Father’s Day.
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 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 from Preschool Teacher 101 with these fish lesson plans.
Five Senses Theme
Did you know June 24th is Celebration of the Senses Day? We use our five senses in many ways, every day! Learn about taste, touch, smell, hear, and feel in this fun theme. Read My Five Senses, make a musical sensory bottle, and discover how our five senses teach us about our world.
Visit our store for an entire five senses lesson plan or check out the five senses activities from Planning Playtime.
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, and check out this me on the map craft!
Travel to our store and grab the Around the World lesson plan for extra ideas!
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 June theme since June 5th just happens to be Banana Split Day! The hot weather has us searching for 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.
Get your hands on more tasty ideas in these ice cream activities or in this ice cream themed lesson plan from Preschool Teacher 101.
Mindfulness Theme
Learning to be mindful is an important skill for preschoolers. Since summer is in full swing, take this chance to get out of the heat and head indoors to do some calming, cooling, mindful exercises. This is a perfect theme for introducing yoga, whether through books, kid yoga videos, or printable yoga cards and posters. Incorporate brain breaks to help relax or rejuvenate. Mindfulness can even be used outdoors!
Ocean Theme
June 8th is World Oceans Day so it’s a great time to bring out the ocean books and sea creatures for a fun-filled theme! Have you read Over in the Ocean? It’s a catchy book filled with vibrant clay ocean creatures. Get hands-on with this ocean-themed sensory bin or make these creative sea stars! Play some fun ocean games, or have an ocean-themed read-a-thon! Check out this great ocean book list for more ideas. You can also tie this into a moon theme by discussing tides, currents, and other ocean wonders.
If you need more ocean ideas, we have a sea of ideas in this ocean lesson plan in our store.
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.
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! Read this 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! Bring in some fun music with The Ants Go Marching!
Rain Theme
June is full of rain showers and summer 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 have so many great rainbow resources for your preschoolers… rainbow games, science activities, fine motor practice, sensory play, discovery bottles, process art activities, sight words, crafts, and much more! Here’s a great rainbow story, How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow, that teaches the importance of teamwork and perseverance.
If you need even more rainbow lesson plan ideas, you are in luck because Preschool Teacher 101 has them in their store.
Rainforest Theme
World Rainforest Day is June 22nd which makes it the perfect theme for preschoolers this month. The rainforest is full of unique and interesting animals, bold and vibrant colors, and lush greenery. Read Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme and The Umbrella and help your preschoolers identify the unique creatures.
Get an entire rainforest theme lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.
Seasons Theme
Preschoolers definitely notice when the season/weather starts to change. It’s a great idea to begin with your current season and then lead into the other seasons. This is a great theme for comparing and contrasting the seasons, the weather, temperatures, and more! For activities about each season, check out our winter, spring, summer, and fall activities. Watch and be amazed as a tree goes through the four seasons with this book, Watching the Seasons.
Want more resources for seasons? We have a seasons lesson plan in our store.
Seashell 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.
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.
Summer Theme
We dream of summer all year long. Water play, the sand and the beach, travel, and of course… watermelon! Use those summer pool noodles in a fun new way with this pool noodle name recognition activity! This is the perfect theme for the end of the traditional school year or during the summer months. Learn about all the exciting moments of summer with this perfect read-aloud, And Then Comes Summer.
For more fun summer ideas, check out our summer theme lesson plan in our store.
Transportation Theme
Preschoolers are so intrigued by anything with wheels. Since June 3rd is World Bicycle Day, this is the perfect theme to get little ones excited about things that go! Gather lots of different types of vehicles…land, sea, and air and create a fun sensory bin. 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!
For more ideas, visit our store for an entire transportation lesson plan.
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.
More weather ideas are available in our weather lesson plan in our store.
Watermelon Theme
There is one fruit that screams summertime, you guessed it… watermelon! Watermelon is such a yummy 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 a whole watermelon lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.
Zoo Animals Theme
Going to the zoo is so exciting and a great opportunity to see so many interesting animals! 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.
Find an entire zoo lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.
Themes by the Month
- May Preschool Themes
- April Preschool Themes
- March Preschool Themes
- February Preschool Themes
- January Preschool Themes
- December Preschool Themes
- November Preschool Themes
Themes by Season
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