What are some good monthly themes for a toddler classroom?

Question

These are what I have so far: Colors and Shapes, Opposites, Winter, Letters and Numbers, Music, Animals, Springtime, Weather, Transportation, Summer, and All About Me. I'm also thinking about doing a month on Nursery Rhymes and maybe another month on Community Helpers, and teach about Doctors and Firefighters. Any other ideas on what I can do?

Answer 1

safety- but I love the ones you have picked out!

Answer 2

Hi!  I have used many of those themes in my classroom, but the ones I really love to do is based on what the children are interested in at the given moment.

For example, if you have a large group of children trying to dig in the ground for worms, you can go to your bait shop, buy some night crawlers and then to your garden store for some soil and put both in a tub or portable water table.  My children loved to dig for them, pull them out, place them on a tray and look at them with magnifying glasses.  This also is a good time to teach what they eat, what they do, how long they are.

If you see children frequently playing as if they are going to the store, you can get boxes and set up a supermarket.  

With each idea, try and find easy to read books at the library on each subject.  Sometimes I bring in a book that may be too difficult for the children to read, but have lots of pictures of what they are interested in and we talk about what we see.

Take each component of your classroom and really watch what they do.  Try and add just one more thing to their repertoire each week.

Good luck....and enjoy!

Answer 3

families

cooking or food

feelings

birds and bird nests

fish or sealife

Answer 4

You can teach them about feelings. Maybe have them draw a picture of "angry" or "sad" or "happy". You ask them what they do when they are sad or excited. Things that make them happy or angry. You could even throw in a few ideas on how to properly express their feelings (not hitting when they are mad, taking some time alone)

Answer 5

Have one called "all about me"

They can make a lifesized portrait (use rolls of brown wrapping paper. They lie down and the teacher traces their outline which they fill in)  hang them up  and display them as "here we are!"

Have the children draw their families and pets with stories.

Answer 6

It's not too young to make them aware of "Stranger Danger" and the good cops in their area that can protect them, Sports (center these around your season bulletin board / door), Life-saving awareness (teach them to know their entire name, address, city, state, phone number, and how to dial 911). I would show them how to listen to see if someone is breathing. Wait until they're older for the other stuff (learning about CPR, having someone on the line, while waiting for help, if there is no additional person to help them, if the person isn't responding to the medical aid they're giving them).

Answer 7

Believe it or not, I got ideas for themes from watching Barney.

Answer 8

Those are some of the units I teach in pre-k. I also work in units on the five senses, sports, insects, apples, dinosaurs,

body parts, gingerbread, plants, and butterflies.

I have also listed a few sites that might come in handy. Hope this helps in your theme search. Good Luck. :)

Answer 9

In the beginning of the year, always have a week or so dedicated to learning about the classroom; you'll be able to discuss the rules of class and familiarize the kids with their surroundings, including the materials you'll use for the rest of the year, where the bathrooms and sinks are, etc. Have a month for "Current Events," where each day you can discuss something that is happening locally or district-wide (I wouldn't burden them with world news just yet!) Other ideas: Nature (plants, gardening, parks, etc), Safety (fire, strangers, classroom, police/fire fighters), "Under the Sea" (Great crafts for this!), and, depending on the ages/ranges of your kids, you could learn about America (good to use around 7/4, Flag Day, Presidents Day, etc).