Looking for May themes for preschool? May is a great month for exploring new themes and topics related to spring with your preschoolers.
With warmer weather and longer days, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors and learn about the plants and animals that come to life during this season. You can plan nature walks, plant seeds, and talk about the life cycle of butterflies and other insects.
Springtime In the Garden: May Themes for Preschool
Fine Motor Activities for May
All About Flowers
Flowers are one of nature’s most captivating creations, making them an ideal focus for preschoolers in the spring. Start by introducing the basic parts of a flower like petals, stem, leaves, and roots.
- Colors: Flowers come in a vibrant array of hues. Have children go on a “color hunt” to find flowers in different shades like red roses, yellow daffodils, purple irises, etc. You can reinforce color recognition along with exploring flowers’ rich diversity.
- Scents: Engage preschoolers’ sense of smell by bringing in fragrant flowers like lilacs, carnations, or hyacinths. See if they can identify the different floral aromas and describe what they remind them of.
- Forms: From daisies to tulips to sunflowers, flowers exhibit a variety of shapes, sizes and petal patterns. Let children examine real flowers or flower pictures up close to appreciate their intricate details.
- Life Cycle: Use diagrams, stories and hands-on planting to teach the life cycle of a flower from seed to sprout to blossom. Watching a flower grow can instill care and patience.
- Discuss how flowers play vital roles for other living things – providing food for animals like hummingbirds and bees who assist in pollination. You could even make bird feeders or bee houses!
- Celebrate flowers through art like making prints with real flowers, crafting tissue paper flowers, or painting flower pots to take home a flowering plant.
At the Strawberry Patch
Add strawberries to your list of fun preschool themes for May! There’s nothing quite like juicy, ripe strawberries to herald the arrival of spring. This bright red fruit can engage all of preschoolers’ senses while teaching valuable lessons.
- Introduce preschoolers to the strawberry plant itself. Show them what the green leaves, white flowers, and red berries look like in the plant’s growth cycle. Let them explore the different textures and scents.
- Strawberries provide a perfect opportunity to reinforce color recognition skills for the color red. See how many other red fruits, objects, etc. preschoolers can name and find examples of.
- Let preschoolers use their sense of taste and touch by mashing up strawberries into a sweet puree. Observe how the texture changes as they blend the berries. Try strawberry recipes and snacks.
- Go on a field trip to a pick-your-own strawberry farm or patch. Letting them hunt for and pluck the ripe berries themselves creates a multi-sensory, memorable experience.
Planting and Gardening
Gardening is a great way to teach preschoolers about nature and the environment. You can start by discussing the different types of plants and how they grow. You can also talk about the importance of soil, water, and sunlight for the growth of plants. Organize a planting activity. Provide the children with seeds, soil, and pots, and let them plant their own seeds. This activity will help them develop their fine motor skills and teach them responsibility as they take care of their plants.
Animals and Habitats Preschool Themes for May
On the Farm
Spring is a busy time on the farm, making it a perfect theme for preschoolers. You can teach them about the different types of farms (e.g., dairy, crop, livestock) and the various animals and crops commonly found on each.
- Farm Animals: Children love learning about farm animals like cows, pigs, chickens, horses, and sheep. Read stories, sing songs, and make crafts featuring these furry and feathered friends. You could even bring in toy farm animal figures or puppets for interactive storytelling.
- A Day in the Life: Discuss the daily routines and chores on a farm, such as milking cows, collecting eggs, feeding animals, and tending to crops. This can help children understand where their food comes from and the hard work involved.
- Farm Machinery: Farms rely on special equipment like tractors, combines, and plows. Let preschoolers’ imaginations run wild as they pretend to operate these big machines, make vehicle sounds, or create their own out of cardboard boxes.
- Farm to Table: Incorporate lessons on healthy eating by discussing the journey food takes from being planted/raised on a farm to arriving at the grocery store or on our plates at home. You could even do a farm-themed cooking activity.
- Field Trips: If possible, plan a field trip to a local farm, petting zoo, or even a farmer’s market. Seeing farm life firsthand can make a lasting impression and create cherished memories.
By exploring the farm theme, preschoolers can develop a greater appreciation for agriculture, healthy foods, and the environments that sustain plants and animals alike.
All About Bugs!
Insects and spiders are important members of the animal kingdom, and they have unique features and characteristics. You can teach your preschoolers about the different types of insects and spiders and their habitats. You can also discuss the role that insects and spiders play in the ecosystem.
- Introduce preschoolers to the world of insects and arachnids through up-close observations using magnifying glasses or bug viewers.
- Go on a bug hunt around the playground, garden or park, and observe bugs in their natural habitats.
- Read engaging stories and sing songs about different bugs like ladybugs, caterpillars, ants, and fireflies.
- Compare and contrast the body parts of bugs, discussing how many legs they have, whether they have antennae or wings.
- Create bug crafts like paper bag puppets, egg carton critters, or clothespin butterflies to reinforce learning.
- Set up an ant farm or butterfly garden to witness metamorphosis and life cycles firsthand.
- Discuss the importance of bugs in the ecosystem, such as bees pollinating flowers and ladybugs eating harmful pests.
- Lead activities distinguishing insects from arachnids (like spiders) based on body characteristics.
- Use movement and music to act out various bug behaviors like crawling, flying, wiggling their antennae.
- Have preschoolers practice sorting and categorizing different types of plastic bug models or figurines.
Birds
Birds are one of our favorite preschool themes for May. They are some of nature’s most fascinating and accessible creatures for preschoolers to observe and learn about. From colorful feathers to unique songs, birds offer countless opportunities for engaging lessons and activities.
- Set up a birdfeeder or birdbath outside a classroom window and have children watch for visiting birds. Use guide books to identify different species.
- Go on a nature walk or field trip to look and listen for birds in their habitats. Bring binoculars for preschoolers to get an up-close view.
- Make bird feeders out of pinecones or recycled materials and hang them outdoors.
- Do a fun “feather analysis” to examine the different shapes, colors and patterns of various feathers.
- Learn about bird calls and songs, trying to mimic different chirps and trills.
- Create bird-themed art like footprint birds, paper bag bird puppets, or nesting dolls out of wooden eggs.
- Discuss bird life cycles from egg to hatchling to adult, perhaps having children track a bird nest over time or even incubating and hatching eggs in the classroom!
Frogs and Tadpoles
Frogs and their fascinating life cycle from tadpole to adult make for a ribbit-ing educational theme for preschoolers in May! These cold-blooded creatures open doors to exploring pond habitats, discovering metamorphosis, and having fun with lots of croaking.
- If possible, obtain and set up a tadpole tank or habitat to watch their amazing transformation over time.
- Use videos or pictures to illustrate the metamorphosis stages from egg, to tadpole, to froglet, to adult frog.
- Go on a nature walk near a pond or wetland area to look and listen for frogs in their environment.
- Make frog and tadpole crafts like paper cup frogs, paper plate tadpoles, or frog life cycle stamps.
- Discuss what makes a frog an amphibian and compare its characteristics to reptiles, mammals, etc.
Life in Ponds and Wetlands
Photo: Hands-on Kids Activities
Ponds and wetlands are teeming with incredible life and make for fascinating outdoor classrooms. These aquatic ecosystems offer numerous opportunities to teach preschoolers about plants, animals, and environmental preservation.
- Read books about different pond creatures like fish, turtles, beavers, ducks, dragonflies, and more.
- Take a field trip to a local pond or wetland area to observe the sights, smells, and sounds firsthand. Bring dip nets to catch-and-release aquatic critters.
- Set up a classroom aquarium or terrarium to re-create a mini pond habitat to study up close.
- Make arts and crafts depicting life in a pond, such as toilet paper roll turtles, paper bag fish puppets, or egg carton dragonflies.
- Use buckets or bins filled with dirt, rocks, and water to model how wetlands filter and clean water.
- Discuss the different types of plants found in wetland areas like cattails, lilypads, rushes, etc.
- Learn how ponds and wetlands provide homes for many species and why it’s important to protect these ecosystems.
Life in the Rainforest
Photo: Hands-on Kids Activities
Another great May preschool theme is Rainforests! This incredible biome, spanning regions like the Amazon, offers an abundance of plants, animals, and indigenous cultures to explore.
- Read stories set in the rainforest like “The Great Kapok Tree” or folk tales from the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon region.
- Discuss the incredible biodiversity of the rainforest – how many species of insects, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians live there.
- Introduce the concept of the rainforest “layers” from emergent trees to the forest floor and the creatures found in each.
- Talk about rainforest products we use like bananas, coffee, chocolate, rubber and why it’s vital to protect these habitats.
- Play “Camouflage” by having kids try to disguise themselves as rainforest animals using classroom materials.
- If possible, take a field trip to a local botanic garden’s rainforest exhibit area.
Celebrations and Observances for May Themes
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a holiday that celebrates mothers and mother figures. You can can read books about different types of families and help your preschoolers make special gifts for a special adult, such as handmade cards, picture frames, or flower arrangements.
- Read stories that highlight diverse family structures and depict parental love coming in many forms.
- Make a classroom book titled “What I Love About My Family” with each child’s page expressing appreciation.
- Discuss the different roles parents and caregivers play, focusing on the love and hard work they provide.
- Cook or bake together as a class, making a sweet treat to gift or share with special adults.
- Hold a tea-party where the children can each invite a loved one to attend.
Adapting Mother’s Day activities allows you to create a warm, inclusive environment that honors and appreciates the manifold caregivers who nurture our preschoolers.
Preschool Graduation
May is also the month when many preschools hold graduation ceremonies. You can celebrate your preschoolers’ accomplishments by having a graduation ceremony of your own. You can make graduation caps and gowns, take graduation photos, and have a graduation party with special treats and activities.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is also a time to recognize and celebrate the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Incorporate stories, music, art, and other activities that highlight the diversity within these communities.
- Read children’s books featuring stories, folktales, or imagery from Asian and Pacific Island cultures and traditions.
- Invite parents, family members or community members to share aspects of their AAPI heritage like food, dance, language, music, crafts, etc.
- Make simple crafts representing Asian/Pacific art forms like origami, Chinese calligraphy, Hawaiian lei making, or Maori weaving.
- Learn some basic vocabulary words and phrases in languages like Mandarin, Hindi, Tagalog, Hawaiian, Samoan, and more.
- Cook or taste test different Asian/Pacific cuisines and discuss the cultural significance of certain dishes or ingredients.
- Incorporate movement by teaching traditional Asian dances or games.
- Discuss the geography and locations of Asian and Pacific Island nations, finding them on a map or globe.
- Explore notable Asian American and Pacific Islander figures who have made impactful contributions across various fields.
- Share pictures and items that provide a visual representation of the beautiful diversity within AAPI cultures.
Inside the Hands-On Kids Activities Club
If you are a member of HOKA, you can find the following May resources in the seasonal section!
