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Western Theme for Preschool
A Western Theme for Preschool! Yippee Ki Yo Ki Yay! This page includes preschool lesson plans, activities and Interest Learning Center ideas for your Preschool Classroom!
You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.
Let the 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.
Western Theme Art
Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me!
Materials Needed: Fly swatters, large paper, paint
Dip the fly swatters in a shallow tray of paint OR use brushes to paint the swatter different colors and then swat on paper!
Yes, this is a GREAT outdoor activity!
Paper Bag Vests
Materials needed: large grocery paper bags, scissors, items to decorate with (paint, arts/crafts supplies, glue).
In advance, prepare the bags:
Open the bag. Cut a the bottom out. Cut bag open by cutting from the opening to the bottom on one side. Cut armholes.
The opening will be the front.
The children decorate their vests!
Lasso Art
Materials needed: Different pieces of robe and string of varying thicknesses, paint, shallow trays, paper.
The children drag the rope or string through paint and then drag on their paper.
Boots
Materials needed: A stencil of a boot (or precut boots for younger children), markers, scissors, sequins, arts/crafts supplies, glue
The children trace a boot onto a large piece of paper.
They use arts/craft supplies (pom poms, sequins, yarn, etc.) to glue on and decorate their boot.
EXTENSION: Ask each child to tell a story of what they would do if they were a cowboy or cowgirl. Write down their story and display under their book for a great Bulletin Board display!
Western Theme Block Center Ideas
Campfire Cowfolk
Provide paper towel tubes, sticks and tissue paper and small stones. Let the children build their own campfire when they come here each day.
Also provide toy cows, horses, craft sticks for fencing, etc. You might also add some Lincoln Logs for house building.
Western Theme Circle Time
Circle 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!
Lasso Time
Lassos to catch cattle, sheep, etc.
Just let the children manipulate the rope. This is a great fine and gross motor development activity.
Place the ropes in the discovery area for the children to practice with more during the week.
Rhyme Time
In advance, create a cube (using a cube template or using a square box and taping pictures and words on each side).
Place words with pictures such as: hat, boot, snack, cook, ride, hay
A child rolls the cube and says the picture word on the top. What word can they think of that rhymes with that word? Can they make up a word?
KWL: Cowboys and Cowgirls
KWL stands for "Know, Want to Know, Learned".
Make a large chart that has these three columns. Label the chart something like: The West or Cowboys and Cowgirls
Under the "K" column, list what they know! Ask the children what they know about this topic and write it down.
Under the "W" column, list any questions they have or what they want to know. Example: What do cowboys and cowgirls eat out on the range? What kind of music do they listen to? etc.
Explore those questions throughout your theme.
When you have completed your theme, come back to the chart together and fill out the "L" section: What did they learn that they did not know in the beginning?
Western Theme Cooking Ideas
Cooking 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 themed questions while making these fun snacks!
Trail Mix
Set up items to make a trail mix today (of course, be aware of allergies).
Place each item in its own bowl with a spoon or scoop.
The children go from item to item and scoop some into a ziplock baggie.
Suggested items: raisins, dried fruit, pretzels, mini marshmallows, Chex cereal.
EXTENSION: Create picture cards with numbers to let the children know how many scoops or spoonfuls of each item to place in their baggies.
Chuck Wagon Stew
For this activity, you can have the children bring in an ingredient: A cooked potato; a cooked carrot; 1 stalk of celery, can of vegetable or chicken broth, onion, etc.
Have the children place their ingredient into a crock-pot.
Turn on and enjoy for a snack.
Or, you can purchase vegetable soup. I've had vegetarians in the class for several years, however, if you do not, you could make a beef stew.
Or, make both!
Western Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area
Chuck Wagon
Completely theme your dramatic play area with this theme!
Provide a saw horse and add a saddle or place a saddle on a chair or bale of hay for the children to sit on.
Time them! Pretend they are riding a horse and must stay on for 8 seconds.
Provide hats, boots, jeans, plaid shirts, chaps, bales of hay (if no environmental allergies), stuffed horses, cows, etc.; sleeping bag, mess kit; CD player with a Roy Rogers CD.
Some items I LOVE for this theme for the classroom are:
Roy Rogers Music!A stainless steel mess kit for the kids to use in Dramatic Play.
Also, I love this "autograph" horse. The children can print their names on this horse. You can use this horse for so many things:
Use the horse as your Circle Time mascot throughout the year.
Send the horse home with a different child each weekend. Also send a journal. The family works together adding a page to the horse's adventure journal!
Western Theme Ideas for your Easel--
More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)
The Sheriff's in Town
Provide pre-cut sheriff badge shapes OR for older children, a badge stencil.
They trace the stencil onto the easel paper.
They paint to create their own badge. (provide silver and gold paint as well!).
When dry, they cut out and display!
Western Theme Large Group Games
that help build their muscles while they have fun together
Stick Horse Barrel Racing
We used cones, limbo sticks with paper bag horse faces on them
The children "ride" the horse going around the cones from one end of the room to the other.
You can also use the long wrapping paper cardboard tubes as the horse sticks.
Horse Shoes
Use the plastic, children's version of a horseshoe game!
Potato Sack Races
The children hold these sacks up to their hips and hop across the space. We have used these inside on tumbling mats (softens the fall!).
Western Theme Ideas for Your Library
Book Suggestions for the Library
(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! )
Armadillo Rodeoby Jan Brett
The Cowboy ABC by Chris L. Demarest
Do Cowboys Ride Bikes? by Kathy Tucker
Pecos Bill by Steven Kellogg
Shoo Fly! by Iza TrapaniWestern Theme Activities to help your Preschoolers Develop Those Small Muscles in Their Hands and Their Math Skills!
Knot Tying
Use the ropes and string you used in the Circle Time activity for Knot Tying.
Also, provide shoe laces and bandannas for the children to practice tying knots!
Fly Sorting
Find plastic fly (and other bug) sorters along with several bowls for the children to sort, seriate by size and classify.
Extend it by placing numbers on the bowls. The children place the corresponding number of flies/bugs into each bowl.
Boot Match
Print and decorate many pairs of boots.
Have the children match the boots; use the boots as a memory game by placing them face down and lifting up 2 at a time to find matches.
Western Theme Music and Movement Activities and Ideas to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!
Parachute Sing and Fly!
Place some plastic fly sorters or stuffed animal bugs (or what ever you have) and sing the Shoo Fly song (words to the song are below).
When you all sing "Shoo fly" you all shake the parachute up to get the items off the parachute.
As your fly collectors gather what flew off, the rest of you slowly move the parachute while singing the rest of the verse.
Assign a cowboy or cowgirl to be the one to collect them so that all the children don't run for them!
Shoo fly (shake parachute up)
Don't bother me (sing this slowly as fly collectors gather what flew off and toss them back onto the parachute).
Shoo fly
Don't bother me.
Shoo fly
Don't bother me.
For I belong to somebody.
(For the next part, the children lightly shake the chute, but not enough for the flies to fly off).
I feel, I feel, I feel.
I feel like a morning star.
I feel, I feel, I feel.
I feel like a morning star.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........SHOO FLY!
Don't bother me.
Shoo fly.
Don't bother me.
Shoo fly.
Don't bother me.
For I belong to somebody!
Walk, Gallop, Run
Play music and encourage the children to walk, gallop or run!
When you stop the music. They freeze. You then tell them "Now we are going to gallop". Then start the music.
SONGS
Shoo Fly
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
For I belong to somebody.
I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star,
I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star.
Oh, shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
For I belong to somebody.
Oh Susanna
Oh, I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee
Goin' to Lou'siana, my true love for to see
Oh Susanna! Oh don't you cry for me!
For I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee
It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was dry
The sun so hot I froze to death, Susanna don't you cry
Oh Susanna! Oh don't you cry for me!
For I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee
You Are My Sunshine
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamt I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head, and I cried
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
Western Theme Activities for Your Sand and Water Table!
Corn Husking
Provide fresh corn, still in the husks! Have the children husk corn!
EXTENSION: Use the leaves to paint with.
Use the cobs to cook and eat for snack.
Use the cobs to paint with!
The Range
In your sand table, provide sand, cowboy/cowgirl people, plastic horses, plastic fences, plastic trees, bowls of water (for the horses), etc.
Western Theme Science Activities--for your Preschool Scientists in Training!
Cactus
Grow and care for cactus in your classroom. Provide many books as well. I love this one called Cactuses! by Hope Aicher.
Create Your Own Cactus
Materials: Provide cucumbers, toothpicks and googly eyes!
Writing Activity Ideas for Your Western Theme!
Wanted Posters
Find a "wanted" poster template online.
Print and add each child's picture.
The children print their own name on it.
Have them describe themselves and list it on the poster.
Example: Joella
Wanted for: wonderful jokes, artist
VARIATION: Rather than gluing their picture on, have the children draw a picture of themselves!
Go to Preschool Plan It's 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!
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