5+ May Preschool Themes and Ideas to Celebrate Spring
May is a month brimming with possibilities for little learners, a time when the world outside blooms and introducing change in the weather is super easy, because the weather in often beautiful, so we spend more time outside. From the buzz of bees in the budding flowers to the gentle waves on a beach, May's preschool themes and ideas are not just about academic learning but about connecting with the world.
This month is the month where educational themes for kids like Mother's Day and Brothers and Sisters Day remind us of the importance of family, while Preschool Bubbles Theme and Preschool Flower Lessons introduce the wonders of nature and science and encourages us to get outside. It's about learning in a way that feels like play. My favorite way to learn!
The Vibrant Variety of May Preschool Themes
May is the perfect month to talk about colors, emotions, getting outside after a long winter, and learning opportunities all rolled into one vibrant month.
Learn about all the diversity of life under the sea with a captivating ocean theme or the fun of construction (which makes sitting in traffic much more fun). Of course, there is always an opportunity to learn about Mindfulness for Kids, teaching them the art of presence and emotional balance.
Ocean Theme: A Splash of Fun
With the warming up weather, it's the perfect time to talk about the beach and of course the ocean. It's a great time to plan out a beach trip if you live close enough. And if you don't, we have lots of ocean themed preschool activities. Here are a few of my favorites to get you started.
I love using this ocean diorama set to talk about ecosystems in the ocean. I print it off in black and white, so we can spend time coloring and talking about the ocean bottom, beach, and everything in between.
Picture them exploring the wonders of the ocean, learning about marine life, and even discussing the importance of water conservation—all through hands-on activities and ocean themed books that feel more like playtime than classroom time.
By the time they're done, they'll be little beach experts with a newfound respect for our oceans. Let's make learning an adventure this May, with a Beach Theme that'll have them riding the waves of knowledge!
Mindfulness and Well-Being for the Young Mind
It's never too early (or late!) to talk about mindfulness with our children.
Feelings Posters with Sharks is a great way to get started with talking out feelings. I've noticed a lot of time we just need to have a name for that feeling.
Mindfulness isn't just a buzzword, it's a pathway to emotional well-being that will follow our preschoolers into the rest of their lives as emotionally regulated humans.
Plus, it's so adorable seeing our little ones with that serene look on their face, taking deep breaths, and feeling the rise and fall of their bellies while they hug their plushies.
Spring Flower Theme in May
The old adage goes “April Showers bring May flowers” so it only makes sense that we talk about flowers in May!
My son said in preschool he wanted to be a flower waterer when he grew up.
With spring flowers comes spring insects, and we love bees in our house. Whenever we see them, we always say thank you for your service little bee. Preschoolers love making little crafts, so we have loads of spring animal paper crafts. They're great for working on scissor skills.
Celebrating Love and Family
May is the month of Mother's Day, so it's the perfect time to talk about families. This is perfect for littles who might not have mothers, or who have a complicated relationship that we might choose not to focus on.
Most years we have a milkshakes with moms type event at the preschool, but other years we keep it very open and call it Family Day, and they can bring anyone they want.
Pick and choose what works best for your class, or your children. This can change from year to year, and class to class. You know what is best.
May is perfect time to introduce those themes that foster a strong sense of love and family in our preschooler's hearts. Mother's Day Preschool activities give us a chance to open little hearts to the joy of expressing gratitude and love.
They love to craft a handmade card or a simple, yet heartwarming gift, and moms love receiving them. These activities aren’t just crafts; they're a preschooler's first steps in saying ‘Thank you' and ‘I love you' in their own unique way.
Add in a family theme into your curriculum helps them appreciate for the bond they share with their family members. Just like us, our littles love talking about who their family members are, and some favorite things about them.
Mother's Day Preschool Theme
In the United States, Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May, and most of us are still in preschool during this time, so it's a great end of the school year activity to add to your classroom.
It doesn't just have to be their mother, they can also celebrate aunts, grandmas, and all the special women in their lives.
As a mom, I always look forward to the gifts and crafts my children give me, so I love to make sure we do something thoughtful each year.
I try to do a Mother's Day writing activity, and moms love seeing the sweet responses we get from them. It's really adorable. You can write them yourself, or have the students write them out.
My students love Mother's Day bingo cards as an activity the Friday before Mother's Day.
Another great activity is lovely handprint cards? I love this set because it also has a “recipe” card, so students can talk about how to make their mom, like a cup of love, 1/2 cup of patience, and adorable ideas they can use in their own recipe cards. You'll also get a spot for their thumbprint and handprint. I love giving this craft to moms!
Handprint crafts are simple to create and so meaningful to moms. Have kids press their handprints onto colorful paper, and voilà, a personal touch that moms will surely cherish. Pair it with a sweet poem or a message that we'll craft together in class to make moms feel extra special.
Need help with the poem? Try this:
Here's my little handprint
so you can recall
how tiny I once was
when my hand was this small.
Happy Mother's Day
Next on our list of heartfelt activities is designing customized picture frames. Let the kids unleash their creativity with paints, glitter, and stickers to make a frame that's as unique as their love. Insert their happiest photo with mom, and it's ready to melt hearts. If they don't have a picture, take one at pick up or drop off one morning.
Engaging in these activities not only fills the room with smiles and laughter but also instills in the children the beautiful values of love, gratitude, and family bonding.
Welcoming Summer with Exciting Themes
I don't know many children who don't love summer. The warmer weather, the endless hours outside and the adventures. Most love being out of school too.
May is the perfect time to introduce summer because the weather is just begging us to go outside and celebrate.
We usually start with bubbles. There are so many different ways to create and manipulate bubbles, so kids are always excited to bring them into the classroom . . . but we prefer to have them outside the classroom.
The warm weather is a great time to talk about ice cream as well. Tasting, creating, and all the fun that comes with ice cream is a no brainer for most preschoolers.
Summer Fruits and Veggies
I love talking about food with kids, mostly because they LOVE to tell me about everything that they eat.
They're always amazed when we talk about how some food is grown on the ground, like watermelons, and you can make your own food in your backyard garden or at local farms.
Creating a colorful and healthy lunch with a fun printable activity is a fun way to get kids to talk about what they're eating, foods they want to try, or introducing them to new and exciting additions to their lunch menus.
Bubbles: Popping with Fun and Learning
I love going outside and blowing bubbles with my kids, but did you know there are lots of other ways to talk about bubbles in your preschool classroom?
Bubbles are a fantastic educational tool, and is fun to play with and interact with. You can use bubbles to talk about surface tension (why does the bubble pop on my hand, but not on the grass?), color mixing (add food dye to the bubbles!) shapes (create your own bubble wands of different shapes!) and more. You can even use a hula hoop to make a GIANT bubble.
The best part is the minimal setup and materials, and the boundless learning and fun when bubbles are involved.
Ice Cream Adventures
You'd be surprised at all the learning involved in ice cream. If you think about them like we think about apples in the fall, you'll open yourself up to lots of different learning opportunities.
Similar to apples, start with a taste test. Explore different flavors and textures. Try out chocolate, vanilla, or something more exotic like
Start with a simple taste test to explore the different flavors and textures. Whether it's chocolate, vanilla, or something more exotic like mango, it's a perfect opportunity for sensory play and vocabulary building.
Share your favorites and let them share theirs. Trust me, it'll be the sweetest conversation you'll have!
But why stop at tasting? Let's churn up the excitement with an activity on making ice cream. It's easier than you think and a magical experience for the kids.
They'll learn the science behind freezing and mixing, all while working together to create a delicious treat.
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