Sample Weekly Preschool Themed Lesson Plan and Free Lesson Planning Template

Free Preschool Lesson Planning Template

Set your week up for success with purposeful, play-based planning. Planning engaging preschool lessons doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you’re a preschool teacher, childcare provider, or homeschool parent, a solid lesson plan keeps you organized, confident, and ready to meet your learners’ needs

In this post we’ll walk you through what makes an effective preschool lesson plan, using a pond theme as our example, and provide you with FREE printable lesson planning template to help simplify your weekly prep.

What Is a Preschool Lesson Plan?

A preschool lesson plan is a flexible roadmap for the week that outlines the activities, materials, and goals you’ll use to engage your children in learning through play.
It should be: 

• Be thematic and developmentally appropriate, weaving together learning domains with a cohesive theme. Using themes in your preschool lesson plans isn't just fun—it’s incredibly effective for early learning. Why go thematic? Thematic learning connects concepts across domains—like math, language, and social-emotional skills—into meaningful, connected experiences. Learn more about thematic teaching.
• Balanced across domains. Your lesson should include a balance of activities across multiple learning domains (language, math, social-emotional, motor skills, etc.). Visit our Preschool Activity Library.
• Structured, with both whole group and small group sessions, plus open-ended center time.
• Be adaptable to the needs, interests, and abilities of your group.

Advantages to planning your own lessons

Planning your own preschool lessons allows you to create a more developmentally appropriate curriculum. When you create your lessons you can:

• Customize lessons around your children’s interests, abilities, and cultural experiences
• Create more developmentally appropriate and responsive learning experiences
• Invest in reusable materials—like books, toys, and manipulatives—instead of consumable plans
• Feel more connected to what you're teaching and how your children are learning

Weekly Theme: Pond Life

Monday Lesson Plan
Preschool Early Learning Objectives — Weekly Pond-Themed Lesson
1. Language and Literacy Development

• Enhance vocabulary related to nature, animals, and habitats (pond, frog, duck, lily pad).
• Build listening comprehension through story reading and songs.
• Develop early literacy skills such as letter recognition and phonemic awareness (e.g., alphabet jump, letter hide-and-seek).

2. Physical Development

• Promote fine motor skills through arts and crafts activities (cutting, painting, gluing).
• Encourage gross motor development via music and movement games (frog jumping, lily-pad jumping, Duck-Duck-Goose).
• Develop coordination, balance, and spatial awareness during active play.

3. Cognitive Development

• Introduce basic math concepts like measurement, sequencing, and sorting (frog-jump measurement, life cycle sequencing).
• Foster problem-solving and creativity through building and imaginative play (block pond, dramatic role play).
• Support scientific thinking by exploring life cycles and animal habitats.

4. Social and Emotional Development

• Encourage cooperative play and communication during group activities and dramatic play.
• Promote turn-taking, sharing, and group participation in circle time and games.
• Build self-expression and confidence through art and role play.

5. Creative Arts

• Foster creativity and self-expression through diverse art techniques (painting, collage, footprint art).
• Integrate music, rhythm, and movement to enhance engagement and learning.

6. Health and Nutrition

• Reinforce healthy eating habits with themed nutritious meals and snacks.
• Encourage social skills and routines during mealtime

Weekly Schedule Outline

Monday

• Arts & Crafts: Paper-plate lily pad craft
• Circle Time: Read Over, Under, and Through the Pond + “Lily Pad Alphabet Jump” music & movement
• Meal (Childcare): Serve a pond-themed lunch (e.g., green veggie medley on fun placemats)
• Center/Dramatic Play: Establish a life-sized pond area for role play

Tuesday

• Arts & Crafts: Create animal footprints in paint
• Circle Time: Read Down by the Cool of the Pond; sing “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”; do frog-jumping game
• Meal: Frog-themed sandwiches or veggie cups
• Center Activity: Build a mini pond in the block center

Wednesday

• Arts & Crafts: Pond collage using paper, natural materials, and stickers
• Circle Time: Read Pond Walk, Mmm-Ah Went the Little Green Frog; movement: mimic pond creatures
• Meal: “Pond plate” lunch with green veggies
• Center Activity: Frog-jump measurement activity (tape-measure jumps)

Thursday

• Arts & Crafts: Finger-paint a pond scene
• Circle Time: Read Duck in the Truck; sing “Five Little Ducks”; play Duck-Duck-Goose
• Meal: Duck-shaped chicken nuggets or egg salad sandwiches
• Center Activity: Letter hide-and-seek—find letters hidden around the “pond” bin

Friday

• Arts & Crafts: Free-choice pond-themed art station
• Circle Time: Read From Tadpole to Frog; do lily-pad color jumping; act out the frog life cycle
• Meal (Pond Party): Childcare providers can serve themed snacks for a mini ‘pond party’
• Center Activity: Life cycle of a frog science activity—craft or sorting cards

Why This Works

• Cross-Domain Learning: Each day includes art, literacy, movement, math, and science fun.
  
• Structured Routine with Variety: Fresh activities each day within a familiar framework
• Engaging Thematic Immersion: Kids explore pond life in diverse, hands-on ways.
• Balanced Group & Independent Time: Combines whole group, small groups/centers, and free-play stations.

Choosing a Lesson Planning Template

You’ll need a designated space to record your weekly plans, materials, and routines. The right template streamlines your process and boosts classroom effectiveness. Here's how to choose:

What Makes a Great Template?

A thoughtfully designed template helps you:

• Stay organized week to week – from circle time to clean-up
• List all materials needed – art, sensory, books, manipulatives
• Track your books, songs, and group activities – enhance your circle time planning
• Prep toys and manipulatives in advance – avoid last‑minute scrambling
• Reference past weeks – reuse favorites or analyze what worked

This structure saves time, reduces stress, and ensures meaningful planning and reflection

Choose a Template That Matches Your Routine

When selecting a template, make sure it reflects how your program runs each day, not a generic layout. Here's what to look out for:

Reflect Your Daily Flow
A good preschool plan mirrors your natural schedule, with chunks like arrival, circle time, centers, and transitions clearly mapped out
Adapt to Time Blocks
If your day is 3 hours, divide it into manageable bites—about 10–15 minute segments for group and small-group activities
Customize the Sections
Your template should have fields that match your routine—e.g., Morning Greeting, Circle Time, Centers, Small Group, Outdoor Play, Meals, and Clean-Up.
Weekly vs. Daily Formats
Consider templates available in both formats:

• Weekly templates for planning each day in a unified spot.
• Daily templates when routines vary significantly by day

Download Your Free Preschool Lesson Planning Template

Use our free printable planning template to simplify your prep and start your week with confidence. This free preschool lesson planning template is just one sample of the many templates that can be found inside my lesson planning template bundle!

More Time-Saving Planning Resources

Looking for even more support? We’ve got you covered with:

• Free Preschool Activity Plans: 50+ pre-made theme-based plans to jumpstart your week
• Theme Planning Pages: Curated activity suggestions grouped by domain
• Free Weekly Lesson Planning Newsletter: Get a themed printable activity in your inbox every Saturday

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