- Theme Packs
- Themes
-
Preschool Planning
- Preschool Teachers
Preschool Summer Activities Theme
A Preschool Summer Activities Theme! Yes! Time to relax, go on vacations and plan some laid back preschool lesson plans for your classroom!
You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.
Let the Preschool Summer Activities Theme planning begin!
You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your theme or click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.
Preschool Summer Activities Theme ArtPaper Mache Hot Air Balloon
Materials Needed: For each child-small cardboard box (a tissue box works well) and a round balloon, inflated; newspaper strips (about 3 inches wide), paste made from flour and water, tempera paint, duct tape, twine.
Cover the balloon with strips of newspaper that are wet with the flour/water paste 2 to 3 times. Let dry for several days.
Tie 4 pieces of twine onto the box.
Pop and remove the balloons. The children can now paint their balloon.
When dry, place into their box. Tape the loose ends of the 4 pieces of twine to the paper mache balloon with duct tape.
Hole punch to holes at the top of the balloon shape and tie 2 longer pieces of twine to hand the balloon from the ceiling.
Lemonade Art
Materials Needed: For this preschool summer activities art project, purchase a large quantity of lemons (ask parents to each donate one as well!). Cut them in half before school starts. Let some of them dry slightly and place some others in the refrigerator.
Use the slightly dried lemon halves to print with. Use yellow and pink paint to dip the lemons into and them press onto paper.
Use the leftover lemons to make homemade lemonade with. The children will LOVE squeezing lemons!
Sunflowers
Materials: Large white paper, yellow and brown finger paint, green paper, scissors and glue.
The children dip their hands into yellow paint and place their hand on the white paper. Continue doing this going around in a circle to make the sunflower.
They then use their fingers to make the seeds inside the sunflower by dipping them in brown paint.
Have the children practice using scissors by cutting various shapes and sizes of leaves from green paper.
Also, draw a solid black line on their green paper to cut on to make the stem.
They glue their stem and leaves under their sunflower.
Preschool Summer Activities Theme Block Center IdeasMany teachers have specific themes over the summer such as Ocean, Beach, etc. Add small plastic toys that go along with your theme or just summer items to your block area for this preschool summer activities theme.
Some ideas could be: Sand pails to help carry blocks.
Little, plastic people and fabric squares for being at the beach.
Ocean creature sorters to make and under the sea structure.
Preschool Summer Activities Theme Circle Time IdeasCircle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme!
FINGERPLAYS:
Summer Days
In the summer when days are hot (wipe forehead)
I like to find a shady spot (sit down)
And hardly move, even a tiny bit (sit still--freeze!)
And sit and sit and sit and sit.
Preschool Summer Activities Days!
These are my sunglasses (circle eyes with index fingers and thumbs)
This is my hat (hands on head)
This is the way to fold my hands (fold hands)
Just like that!
Pack the paper plates and napkins (pretend to pack a lunch box or picnic basket)
Don't forget something to eat and drink.
Hot dogs, salad, cake and lemonade--I think pink!
It's fun to go on a picnic!
I really can not wait!
To eat and play and have fun all day.
And get home very late! (Yawn and stretch)
Ice Cream (Flannel story, make pieces in advance).
First we need a cone,
Nice and crunchy.
Then we need some ice cream.
Sweet and yummy.
Scoop them on; stack them on.
Up to the sky.
First come vanilla-cold and sweet.
Then comes chocolate--a delicious treat.
Here's some strawberry.
Orange sherbet, too.
A super big ice cream cone.
Just for you.
Once scoop, two scoops, three scoops, four.
We love ice cream...let's make more!
EXTENSION: Prior to this, ask the children what their favorite flavor of ice cream is. List it next to their names and place on a chart. Give them a "scoop" of flannel in the color that represents their favorite and add it to this poem!
EXTENSION: Follow this activity up with the Ice Melting activity listed below under Sand and Water table.
Ideas to Cook up for your Preschool Summer Activities ThemeCooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific preschool summer activities theme questions while making these fun snacks!
Cool and Green
Ingredients and Items needed: lemonade and blue Kool-aid!
Make fresh lemonade. Add some of a packet of blue Kool-Aid and voila--cool, green refreshing!
Sunshine Snack
Ingredients and items needed: A fresh pineapple and vanilla yogurt (or banana or other flavor!)
Cut off the top of the pineapple and the sides in front of the children! Core it. Slice into rings. The children place a ring on a paper plate and add a scoop or 2 of yogurt on top. You can also add other fruits to the top...strawberries, blueberries, etc. Great fine motor and counting activity!
Home Made Popsicle
Materials needed: different flavors of juice, ice cube trays, craft sticks, measuring spoons, aluminum foil (some teachers use plastic wrap, but I have a difficult time making the slit in the wrap, so I use tin foil!)
Pour the different types of juice into shallow bowls. Have the children choose and then scoop juice into one or more of the compartments of the ice cube tray. Don't worry if it overflows into another compartment, it will then be fruit punch!
When all sections are filled, cover the tray with aluminum foil and then gently insert a craft stick into each section and freeze.
NOTE: There are many products available in the supermarkets and stores for you to use to make these. They are plastic and have the sticks and covers as one piece. Check out your store's preschool summer activities aisle or seasonal aisle. I prefer the "old fashioned" way of making them!
Preschool Summer Activities Theme Ideas to Transform your Dramatic Play AreaBeach Scene
Of course! It is summer! Preschool summer activities always include dramatic play! Add towels, empty sunscreen bottles, umbrella, beach chairs, water bottles and, if you are brave enough, spray bottles with water in them to spray and cool off!
Picnic Time!
Provide picnic items! This will be the most popular preschool summer activities idea in your classroom!
Provide picnic baskets, a blanket, pretend food, a radio/CD player, hats, some pretend plastic ants! Go for it!
Preschool Summer Activities Theme Ideas for your EaselMore Than Just Paining (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!
Going Swimming
Materials Needed: Provide many shades of blue and green for some great ocean or lake pictures!
Preschool Summer Activities Theme Large Group Gamesthat help build the children's muscles while they have fun together!
Sidewalk Chalk Roads
Materials: Side Walk Chalk, ride-one bikes
The children use the chalk to draw lines, roads, stop signs, traffic lights, etc. on the hardtop outside (or on your floor--it will wash up, don't worry!).
They then follow their roads with their bikes or walk on them!
Painting the World
It can get pretty hot outside this time of year. Include lots of water play (and water drinking) as part of your preschool summer activities theme planning!
Materials: Many sand pails filled with water and large brushes (that you'd paint a house with). Let the children paint on the sidewalk with the water!
Get Out of the Rain
Have a race to get out of the rain! Talk to the children about the type of summer weather your area has. We tend to have lightening storms and a lot of rain.
Bring outside a drum or a bell or other instrument. The children should "run to the dry place" when they hear the instrument. The "dry place" may be a blanket you've laid out or a specific area of the playground.
Preschool Summer Activities Theme Ideas for Your Preschool LibraryBook Suggestions for the Library
The following books may be found at your local library. You can purchase them through Amazon by clicking the title links.
(I LOVE Amazon, and some of the links below will take you to the Amazon website. If you do choose to purchase yours through Amazon, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit! )
A Summery Saturday Morning (Picture Puffin Books) by Margaret Mahy
Carl's Summer Vacation by Alexandra Day
How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Dragonfly Books) by Mark Teague
Mouse's First Summer (Classic Board Books) by Lauren Thompson
The Night Before Summer Camp by Natasha Wing
The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow
Summer (Four Seasons) by Nuria Roca
The Summer Visitors by Karel Hayes
Ready for Summer (Ready For... (Tundra Books) by Marthe Jocelyn
Waterby Frank Asch
Preschool Summer Activities to help your preschoolers develop math skills and those small muscles in their hands!Sea Shells
Provide a very large variety of sea shells for the children to sort and count. Provide different preschool summer activities themed containers to sort into such as large clam shells, small beach pails, etc.
As with any sorting activity, give them time to just explore the shells for several days. They will be fascinated by the different shapes and colors.
Add paper cut into ocean shapes or other shells that you have programmed by putting numbers on each one. Encourage the children to count that many shells onto the paper you've cut out.
Fans
Show the children how to fold paper into fans. The accordion folds do not need to be very narrow, wide folds work also! They will have fun making their own fans!
EXTENSION: You could also add stickers and markers for the children to decorate their fans.
Preschool Summer Activities Theme Music and Movement
Ideas to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!Celebrate-Summer is Here
Bring out all your musical instruments and have a Happy Summer celebration! Perhaps a parade outside!
Preschool Summer Activities for your Sand and Water Table!Boating!
Materials: Water! Plastic boats, 2 one liter bottles filled with water.
Place the water bottles at one end of the water table in the water. They should stand up due to their weight. If not, fill them with sand and cover.
Tie some string from one bottle to the other to resemble a finish line.
The children stand at the opposite end of the water table and place their boat on the water. They blow to move the boat to the other side of the table!
Beach Time
Add different beach items to your sand table. Include little, plastic people, little plastic dogs, small pieces of fabric for blankets or towels, small bowl with water for the ocean, little umbrellas, etc.
Or, add sand toys such as sifters, shovels, pails, water wheels, etc.
Preschool Summer Activities Science Ideas
for your Preschool Scientists in Training!Sea Shells
Materials: Bring in lots and lots of shells from the beach (or you can purchase them at a teacher store or craft store). The kids love to check them out, guess what used to live in them, etc.
EXTENSION: Add books about shelled fish at your science table.
Sunflower Investigation
Materials: Real sunflowers, tweezers, muffin tins
Let the children use the tweezers to pull the seeds off and place them into muffin tins. They can count or sort them. This is a great activity to do before the Sunflower Art project above in the art section!
Writing Activity Ideas for your Preschool Summer Activities ThemeBeach Scene
Materials Needed: markers, crayons or colored pencils; foam pieces that are summer or beach themed or stencils that are themed.
The children create their own summer theme. Encourage them to talk to you about what they like to do in the summer. Write down their stories to post with with pictures.
Miscellaneous Ideas for your Preschool Summer Activities ThemeField Trips
A Word about Safety First
Taking summer field trips can be tricky. Although the beach sounds fun, I'm not a big supporter of bringing a large group to a beach, pond or lake.
There is too much potential for injury and far too many people there to keep track of the group. If you do decide to do this, plan, plan, plan and once your plans are in place, review your plans again.
Have an intense meeting with your chaperones to ensure that they know what their responsibilities are, who they are responsible for etc.
In addition, check your state regulations and don't just leave this up to your director. YOU are the one taking the trip so YOU need to know the rules!
The regulations may require that you have your own certified life guard with you on the trip. Check it out and be safe.
Library
Don't forget your public library! Call them to see what preschool summer activities they may have going on. Most libraries have a summer program in place of their school year programming. Much of their programming is geared for elementary aged children. So call ahead and find out if they can do something age appropriate with your preschoolers with some type of summer theme!
Return to Preschool Plan-It Home Page
Hey there! Welcome to Preschool Plan It! I’m Cheryl, a preschool teacher of over 20 years.
I KNOW, I know, you spend hours of time developing your preschool themes, activities and preschool lesson plans each week. You are commited to planning preschool themes and activities that are engaging hands-on, interactive, fun AND meet the goal of supporting each child’s level of growth and development.
I am commited to providing you, the preschool teacher, with everything you need to develop preschool lesson plans and preschool activities for your classroom all in one place!
READ MORE
Join My Free Preschool Teacher Tips Newsletter
You’ll receive a weekly email with planning tips and teaching ideas.
You'll also receive (on the 1st of each month) a free theme starter pack with some printables and activity ideas to get you started planning a theme!Join Now and Get Your First Theme Right Away!
- Preschool Teachers
