September | Preschool Themes by Month: Activity Ideas & Book Lists
September Preschool Themes
If you're here for September preschool themes, you're in the right spot! If you need a different preschool theme, check out the different months linked below.
Fun Monthly Preschool Themes
January Preschool Themes
February Preschool Themes
March Preschool Themes
April Preschool Themes
May Preschool Themes
June Preschool Themes
July Preschool Themes
August Preschool Themes
September Preschool Themes
October Preschool Themes
November Preschool Themes
December Preschool Themes
Be Flexible & Follow The Child
When teaching preschoolers, the name of the game is staying relaxed and not feeling pressured to meet arbitrary expectations and fill your day with busy work and lesson plans.
They WILL learn! Follow their lead, and you can't go wrong.
If your little ones are all about drawing, support those fine motor skills!
If your child can't get enough books, devour books and boost their pre-reading skills!
Have a preschooler obsessed with counting or patterns? Dive into math skills!
How about those kids that love to talk? Ask THEM questions! Engage those higher-level thinking skills.
The Importance Of Books & Your Preschool Weekly Themes
Weekly library haul! This preschooler can’t read yet, but she’s passionate about books!
If you were to do nothing other than read mountains of books to your preschooler, that would be enough! While I've included lots of hands-on activities for fine motor skills, their spongey little brains are primed for absorbing language right now.
I've included book lists for suggested reading that go along with the theme. These picture books get preschoolers excited for the learning activities and help reinforce early literacy skills.
I like to sit down with the book lists and request tiles from the library for easy pick-up.
September Preschool Themes: Exploring Nature
Week 1: Leaves
Week 2: Bugs
Week 3: Rocks & Minerals
Week 4: Nighttime
Week 1: Leaves
Letter: Ss
Number: 1
Color: Orange
Shape: Triangle
1. Leaf-Themed Literacy Lesson:
Read-Aloud Book: "Leaf Man" by Lois Ehlert. This book encourages little ones to see the beauty and potential in every leaf they find.
Activity: Have your preschooler imagine their own story about a journey of a falling leaf, encouraging them to draw pictures and dictate the words to you.
2. Leaf-Themed Math Lesson:
Introduce counting and sorting using various types of leaves. Kids can sort the leaves by size, color, or type and then count how many are in each group.
Activity: Create a graph to represent the number of each type of leaf. This helps kids understand basic data representation.
3. Leaf-Themed Science Lesson:
Discuss different types of leaves, why they change colors, and their role in the plant's life cycle. Have real samples for observation.
Activity: Go on a leaf hunt outside. Provide magnifying glasses for close-up observation. Encourage your preschooler to draw and write about the leaves they find.
4. Leaf-Themed Art Lesson:
Explore texture by creating leaf rubbings. Place a leaf under a piece of paper and have the child rub a crayon over it.
Activity: Make leaf prints by painting one side of a leaf and pressing it onto paper.
5. Leaf-Themed Movement Activity
Activity: Have a "leaf dance". Preschoolers can dance around like falling leaves.
6. Leaf-Themed Sensory Bin:
Fill a bin with leaves of various types and colors, acorns, twigs, pine cones, and small shovels. Your preschooler can sort the items, explore their different textures, and even bury and find items in the leaves.
Read-aloud book selections:
Decorations:
Learning Wall: "Fall into Learning"
Posters: "Parts of a Tree," "Types of Trees," "Types of Leaves"
Bring in plants and leaves from nature for tabletop decor
Field Trip Ideas:
Local farms to explore crops, animals, and nature trails.
Nature center for hands-on learning about local flora and fauna.
More Activities:
Make mint tea and taste test other herbal teas
Build a leaf garland with a hole punch and string.
Week 2: Bugs
Letter: Mm
Number: 2
Color: Green
Shape: Oval
1. Bug-Themed Literacy Lesson:
Read-Aloud Book: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Discuss the lifecycle of a butterfly and the concept of metamorphosis.
Activity: Have your preschooler create their own story about a bug's adventure, encouraging them to draw pictures and dictate the words to you.
2. Bug-Themed Math Lesson:
Introduce counting and sorting using plastic bug toys. Preschoolers can sort the bugs by type, color, or size and then count how many are in each group.
Activity: Create a graph to represent the number of each type of bug. This helps kids understand basic data representation.
3. Bug-Themed Science Lesson:
Discuss different types of bugs, their habitats, and their roles in the ecosystem. You could even bring in real bugs for observation!
Activity: Go on a bug hunt outside. Provide magnifying glasses for close-up observation. Encourage your preschooler to draw and write about the bugs they find.
4. Bug-Themed Art Lesson:
Explore symmetry by creating butterfly paintings. Fold a piece of paper in half, have the child paint one side, then fold it over to create a symmetrical design.
Activity: Make bug sculptures out of clay or play dough. Kids can add pipe cleaners for legs, googly eyes, and other decorations.
5. Bug-Themed Movement Activity:
Play "Bug Simon Says". Give commands like, "Simon says crawl like a caterpillar," or, "Simon says flutter like a butterfly."
Activity: Have a "bug race". Preschoolers can choose a bug to imitate and race from one end of the room to the other.
6. Bug-Themed Sensory Bin:
Fill a bin with dirt, plastic bugs, leaves, twigs, and small shovels or tweezers. Kids can dig for bugs, sort them, count them, and explore the texture of the dirt and leaves.
Read-aloud book selections:
Decorations:
Learning Wall: "Bugs & Plants"
Posters: "Parts of a Bug," "Lifecycle of a Butterfly," "Types of Flowers"
Bring in flowers from nature, an ant farm, or images of bugs for tabletop decor
Field Trip Ideas:
Local zoo or butterfly exhibit to learn about different types of insects, their habitats, and the life cycle.
Botanical garden to explore different types of plants and flowers.
Week 3: Rocks & Minerals
Letter: Aa
Number: 3
Color: Black
Shape: Rectangle
1. Rock-Themed Literacy Lesson:
Read-Aloud Book: "If You Find a Rock" by Peggy Christian. This book encourages children to see the beauty and potential in every rock they find.
Activity: Have children imagine their own story about finding a special rock, encouraging them to draw pictures and dictate the words to you.
2. Rock-Themed Math Lesson:
Introduce counting and sorting using various types of rocks. Children can sort the rocks by size, color, or type and then count how many are in each group.
Activity: Create a graph to represent the number of each type of rock. This helps children understand basic data representation.
3. Rock-Themed Science Lesson:
Discuss different types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic), how they're formed, and where they can be found. If possible, bring in real samples for observation!
Activity: Go on a rock hunt outside. Provide magnifying glasses for close-up observation. Encourage children to draw and write about the rocks they find.
4. Rock-Themed Art Lesson:
Explore texture by creating rock rubbings. Place a piece of paper over a rock and have the child rub a crayon over it.
Activity: Paint rocks with different designs or turn them into characters or animals with paint and googly eyes.
5. Rock-Themed Movement Activity:
Play "Rock, Pebble, Boulder". This is similar to "Duck, Duck, Goose" but with rock-themed words.
Activity: Have a "rock lifting contest". Children can try to lift different sizes of rocks (ensure they are safe and manageable) to understand the concept of heavy and light.
6. Rock-Themed Sensory Bin:
Fill a bin with sand, various types of rocks and minerals, small shovels, and sieves. Children can dig for rocks, sort them, rinse them in water, and explore their different textures and properties.
Read-aloud book selections:
Decorations:
Learning Wall: "Rockin' Out"
Posters: "Types of Rocks," "Properties of Minerals," "Uses for Rocks"
Bring in rocks and minerals from nature for tabletop decor
Field Trip Ideas:
Local natural history museum to explore rocks and minerals.
Nature trails to collect different types of rocks and observe the environment.
Week 4: Nighttime
Letter: Tt
Number: 4
Color: Yellow
Shape: Star
1. Night Sky-Themed Literacy Lesson:
Read-Aloud Book: "There's No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System" by Tish Rabe. This book introduces children to the planets and other celestial bodies.
Activity: Have children imagine their own story about a trip to the moon or a planet, encouraging them to draw pictures and dictate the words to you.
2. Night Sky-Themed Math Lesson:
Introduce counting and sorting using star and moon stickers or cut-outs. Children can sort by size or color and then count how many are in each group.
Activity: Create a graph to represent the number of each type of celestial body. This helps children understand basic data representation.
3. Night Sky-Themed Science Lesson:
Discuss different celestial bodies (stars, moon, planets) and their characteristics. If possible, look at the night sky using a telescope!
Activity: Make a model of the solar system using styrofoam balls or construction paper. Preschoolers can paint or color the planets and arrange them in order.
4. Nocturnal Animals-Themed Art Lesson:
Explore shadow and light by creating animal shadow puppets. Kids can make their puppets using black construction paper and sticks, then use a flashlight to project the shadows onto a wall.
Activity: Draw or paint a nocturnal scene, including various nocturnal animals and elements of the night sky.
5. Nocturnal Animals-Themed Movement Activity:
Play "Nocturnal Animals Says". Give commands like, "Nocturnal Animals says fly like a bat," or "Nocturnal Animals says hop like a rabbit."
6. Nocturnal Animals-Themed Sensory Bin:
Fill a bin with items nocturnal animals might encounter, such as leaves, twigs, small plastic bugs, and furry fabric. Add plastic nocturnal animals for your preschooler to play with and explore.
Read-aloud books:
Decorations:
Learning Wall: "Reach for the Stars"
Posters: "Phases of the Moon," "Constellations"
Bring in night-themed items like glow-in-the-dark stars, moon models, and space pictures for tabletop decor
Field Trip Ideas:
Visit a local planetarium or observatory to learn more about the night sky.
Go on a guided night hike to observe nocturnal animals and the beauty of nature at night.
More Activities:
Set up a small telescope or binoculars for backyard stargazing. Try to identify different constellations.
Make a lunar phase calendar by observing the moon each night and drawing its shape.
Play a "Nighttime I Spy" game where you identify different sounds or sights in your backyard after dark.
FAQ
What do you teach preschoolers in September?
In our house, we do a morning calendar to reinforce the days of the week, months of the year, numbers, the four seasons, and weather, plus we work on our relationships (snuggle and read!). We do this calendar work year-round but change up the book themes or crafts based on the month.
What is a good theme for September?
There are tons of options for September preschool themes! Depending on the weather, September is the perfect time to do a leaf, apple theme, or fall theme. Anything with nature is a great theme since the seasons show such dramatic changes. Some people like the Back to School theme, but since we learn all year, I don't generally use that.
What do you teach preschoolers about fall?
I love to take preschoolers outside! It's a fun way to experience the changes! Learning about the Four Seasons is a significant part of preschool and kindergarten learning, and preschoolers love to get out and observe the difference in weather, analyze clothing options, feel temperature changes, and participate in seasonal festivities like harvests and fall festivals!
What should a preschool lesson plan include?
Preschool lesson plans should include flexibility! It should also have lots of options to choose from based on continually changing interests, mental exhaustion, and plenty of books!
What themes are in November?
Check out my November Preschool Themes post for more fun theme ideas! - It’s coming soon!