Our May preschool themes are perfect for engaging your preschooler with fun and hands-on learning! May is one of the busiest months of the entire year, and we want to make your planning and life easier! For even more theme ideas, check out our ultimate list of preschool themes.
If you are feeling weary, take heart with this quote by Edwin Way Teale:
All things are possible in May.
We are cheering you on!
May lesson plans are perfect for coming up with adventures for preschoolers! Here are some that we’ve included:
- Beach, Ocean, or Shells theme
- Bubbles theme
- Ice Cream theme
- Outer space theme
Some themes that are great for any month and especially May are these special themes:
Get the best learning activities for 3-5 year olds at your fingertips
- All About Me theme (a perfect theme for a memory book)
- Eric Carle book theme
- Family theme
- Mindfulness or Yoga theme
- Pet theme
May Preschool Themes
For a handy list of these and other great themes, I’ve made a free printable preschool themes list to help with all your planning! Grab it below!
All About Me Theme
We all know how much young children LOVE to talk about themselves! I LOVE that International Being You Day is on May 22! Use it to your advantage and get them talking and learning about their own special features and attributes, as well as their community. This is the perfect theme to incorporate name recognition, such as tactile name writing practice or this simple name craft. Grab the All About Me poster below to guide your preschoolers as they share how truly unique they are!
Check out the All About Me Theme for either toddlers or preschoolers in our preschool store or toddler store for lots more ideas!
Beach Theme
It’s time to start dreaming of summer! You know what that means… time for the beach! If you live near the beach or coast, a field trip is in order!
No beach close by? No problem! Bring the beach to the classroom with this book, Pete the Cat at the Beach, and some other fun, beachy activities:
For an entire themed unit, check out this amazing preschool beach lesson plan from Preschool Teacher 101!
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 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.
Eric Carle Theme
Did you know the month of May is Get Caught Reading Month? It is a nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read. Eric Carle is the perfect author to spotlight this month! Grab your favorite Eric Carle books and your preschoolers will be captivated for weeks.
Get creative with The Mixed-Up Chameleon and this fun process art activity!
An Eric Carle theme is not complete without reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
We’ve got some great activities to accompany Brown Bear, including a free printable for story stones and lacing cards that practice fine motor skills.
Family Theme
May is a special month for families. May is Family Wellness month, May 15 is International Family Day and May 2nd just happens to be Brothers and Sisters Day. We can’t forget that Mother’s Day falls the 2nd Sunday in May! This makes it the perfect time for exploring relationships with children. Share great family stories like Who’s In My Family and Love Makes a Family during circle time!
Snag an entire family lesson plan theme from Preschool Teacher 101!
Fish Theme
Kids love fish! Most kids are familiar with fish, whether they have one as a pet or have visited an aquarium. This is a fun theme for the end of the school year as we head into summertime.
Get creative with this rainbow fish art project and pair it with the beloved story, The Rainbow Fish.
Swim over to Preschool Teacher 101 for an entire fish lesson plan!
Flowers Theme
We all know the saying, “April showers bring May flowers”. May is the perfect month to bring the beauty of local flowers into the classroom! Lois Ehlert’s book, Planting a Rainbow is the perfect read-aloud for your flower theme. It’s filled with bright colors and an impressive variety of flowers!
Grab some craft supplies and some joyful Spring books and have some flower-tastic fun:
- Flower craft
- Torn paper flowers craft
- Spring Books (many books that mention seeds, planting, flowers, etc.)
For even more flower ideas, we have an entire flower-themed lesson plan in our store!
Ice Cream Theme
Everyone loves this frozen treat! Ice cream is the perfect preschool theme to celebrate summertime! It’s a great time to get crafty in the kitchen with this yummy smelling ice cream scented bubble recipe.
Read a preschool favorite by Mo Willems, Should I Share My Ice Cream?, and have your little ones laughing along with Elephant and Piggie as they learn the importance of sharing and being a good friend.
For some sweet math practice with an ice cream theme, check out the ice cream counting mats in our store! Use them to teach children to count up to 20 and to learn number sense. Ten frame mats are a perfect way to teach subitizing, one-to-one correspondence, and cardinality.
For even more yummy ideas, check out this sweet ice cream lesson plan from Preschool Teacher 101.
Mindfulness Theme
World Meditation Day is May 21st and it’s a fun theme to introduce yoga. Helping children learn to be more calm, intentional, and aware of their moods is a great transition to emotions and self-care. Be sure to grab the free animal yoga pack below for some calming animal poses that your preschoolers will love!
Yoga and mindfulness activities such as brain breaks are not only calming, they also help promote gross motor development and mental clarity.
Check out these fantastically calming mindfulness activities that we just adore:
- Kids’ yoga videos
- Brain breaks for kids
- Outdoor mindfulness activities for kids
- Must-read kids’ yoga books
If you’ve already got the FREE animal yoga pack and still want more, you can grab these yoga cards in our store!
Mother’s Day Theme
One thing is for sure, moms are pretty special! Since we celebrate moms during the month of May, check out these great DIY homemade gifts for mom. What mom wouldn’t love a handprint art keepsake?
However, celebrating mom is of course about more than just arts and crafts! It’s a great time to stop and appreciate a mother’s dedication and love. This classic story, Are You My Mother? by Dr. Seuss is a great read-aloud that acknowledges the special bond children share with their moms.
Nursery Rhymes Theme
Did you know that National Mother Goose Day falls on May 1st? These nursery rhymes are actually super educational as they are a tried and true way to teach rhythm, rhyme, and new vocabulary. Nursery rhymes also help improve memory and oral language!
May is the perfect month to incorporate classic nursery rhymes, as May 1st is Mother Goose Day! We have put together a list of the best nursery rhymes for children.
Check out these great resources for all things nursery rhymes:
Ocean Theme
An ocean theme is perfect for the end of the school year! It holds the promise of long summer days and cool water. We’ve got a whole list of ocean-themed activities for preschool! Bring the ocean into the classroom with some beautiful sea creature-themed books, A House for Hermit Crab and Commotion in the Ocean.
Swim into lots of learning fun with these ocean-tastic activities:
- Ocean-themed sensory bin
- DIY sea stars
- Ocean games
- Ocean activities
- Ocean books
- Baby shark song videos (da da da da da da)
If you need more ocean ideas, we have a sea of ideas in this ocean lesson plan available in our store.
Outer Space Theme
Learning about space is a real blast! Preschoolers naturally gravitate to the amazing elements of space including the moon, stars, and planets. Set up a night sky sensory bin and watch your preschoolers create their own little galaxy!
Check out these other outer space activities that are out of this world!
- Galaxy calming bottle
- Space-themed number writing practice
- Constellation activities
- Oreo phases of the moon
If you’re looking for even more space ideas, blast over to grab the space lesson plan from our store.
Pets Theme
Pets is a great theme year-round! 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.
Be sure to grab our free Pet Clip Cards below. Not only are these adorable, but they are also a great way for preschoolers to practice counting and number sense skills.
Our friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have a pets lesson plan in their store for planning the perfect pet theme.
Shells Theme
Finding unique shells at the beach is so fascinating! This theme ties in perfectly to the ocean or beach theme or is great all by itself. Get your preschoolers excited about shells with this counting seashell book, Seashells by the Seashore. Or play a fun math game using shells!
Find even more ideas in this shell lesson plan from our friends at Preschool Teacher 101.
Summer Theme
Summer is almost here! Mmmmm….enjoy a glass of lemonade on National Lemonade Day on May 7th to kick off the warm weather. Find a new purpose for those pool noodles with this pool noodle name recognition activity and other great pool noodle hacks and learning activities! Check out this great circle-time book, Then Comes Summer, and get your preschoolers excited for the summer months to come.
This theme is ideal for the end of the traditional school year or to engage preschoolers throughout the summer months. We have lots of FUN ideas for those long, magical summer days ahead:
- Summer activities for preschool
- Kids’ summer songs
- Best summer preschool themes
- DIY PVC pipe sprinkler and slide
- Lemonade-scented playdough
Grab even more summer ideas from our summer lesson plan in our store.
These May preschool activities are a great way to save you time by helping you plan your month. We hope you and your preschoolers love these fun activities as school years wind down and everyone gears up for summer learning and fun!
For even more themes and ideas, visit The Ultimate List of Preschool Themes, or see our library below!
Themes by Month
- June Preschool Themes
- July Preschool Themes
- 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
Themes by Season
- Magnet Town STEM Activity - February 8, 2025
- Gingerbread Books for Kids - December 3, 2024
- Pumpkin Letter Formation Mats - October 1, 2024
I really love everything that was shared !!!!!