How to Turn a Preschool Activity Plan Into a Week
Have a preschool Activity Plan but aren’t sure how to turn its ideas into a week? Learn how to plan whole-group activities, optional small-group experiences, and independent centers, then adapt your plan to fit your students’ needs and this week’s schedule.
Whether you created your own Activity Plan or are using one of our Sample Activity Plans, think of it as a menu of ideas you can return to each time you explore a topic.
Reusing an activity plan can save planning time, while still giving you room to choose and adapt activities for the children you have now and the schedule you have this week. The steps below will help you turn that menu into a flexible plan for your week.
This post, shows you how to turn an activity plan into a week, but If you want to learn how to brainstorm and organize your own theme-based activity plan, see How to Create Your Own Preschool Theme-Based Activity Plan. Want our Free Sample Activity Plans? Sign up for our free Saturday Planning Newsletter to access 50+ Free Preschool Activity Plans.
1. Look at the Week Ahead
Before choosing activities, consider your actual schedule. Do you have a short day, a special event, extra outdoor time, or a day when your group needs a slower pace? Jot those things down on your weekly planner as reminders. Your weekly plan should fit the week you have.
2. Choose a few ideas to explore
Before you choose activities to add to your weekly planner, think about the skills your students need to practice and the topics they’ve shown interest in.
Scan the Activity Plan and mark a few ideas that fit. You can also add or adapt activities to address your students’ needs, even if those activities aren’t listed on the plan. The plan is a starting point, and you can build on it. After choosing a few activities, look for ideas or questions that connect them. Jot down a Big Idea you’d like children to explore or a specific question you’d like to wonder about together. For example, if you want to support vocabulary during your outer space exploration, you might add 3-Part Cards. Introduce the cards together and talk about the pictures and words. You could then add the cards to the Outer Space Sensory Bin for children to explore independently. 
You might also choose Build a Rocket, Starry Night Letter Matching Games, Planet Line-Up, and the Outer Space Sensory Bin from Outer Space Plan, then add the 3-Part Cards to support your vocabulary goal.
You can save other ideas for later, adapt them, or skip them for now. 2. Decide How Children Might Explore Each Idea
As you choose activities, think about how they could fit into your day.
Whole Group: Choose about one or two shared activities each day. These might include a discussion, a demonstration, a movement activity, or introducing materials children can explore later. Small Group — Optional: Choose small-group activities when they fit your goals and schedule. They can give children a chance to practice a skill, explore materials with you, or get extra support. Independent Centers: Choose materials children can revisit during the week. Some activities may need to be introduced or modeled first. Once children are ready, make the materials available for independent exploration. An activity might begin as a group experience and continue as a center. That gives children another chance to practice, play, and follow their interests. 3. Map the Ideas into Your Weekly Plan
Here’s one way to arrange ideas from our Outer Space Activity Plan into our Free Lesson Planning Template.
Use it as a starting point and adjust it for your own schedule. Monday Whole Group: Introduce outer space vocabulary using 3-Part Cards. Look at the pictures and talk about the words together. Small Group — Optional: Starry Night Letter Matching Games Tuesday Whole Group: Build a Rocket Small Group — Optional: Starry Night Writing Tray Wednesday Whole Group: Planet Line-Up. Invite children to count backwards as they explore the order of the planets. Thursday Whole Group: Outer Space Gross Motor Activity Cards Small Group — Optional: Marbled Planets Craft Friday Whole Group: Counting to Calm Use Friday to revisit a favorite activity or follow up on something the children talked about during the week. Once your activities are mapped out, review the week and note the big ideas and questions you’d like children to explore. Get a Free Sample Lesson Plan
Club members: Download the full Preschool Lesson Planning Set from the Activity Library at no additional cost!
Not a member? Subscribe to our free Saturday Planning Newsletter below to receive a sample lesson plan template, or purchase the full set in our store. Keep Some Activities Available for Independent Play
You might keep the Pretend Play Space Station and Galaxy Dough and Space Accessories available as centers throughout the week. The Starry Night Writing Tray can also become an independent choice after you’ve introduced the materials.
You can add the Outer Space 3-Part Cards to the Outer Space Sensory Bin after using them together to discuss vocabulary. Children can then explore the cards and sensory materials independently. 
Adjust as the Week Unfolds
Your plan doesn’t have to stay exactly as you first wrote it. Children may return to one activity again and again, or become curious about something you hadn’t expected.
Keep what’s working, adapt what needs a change, and set aside what doesn’t fit. The goal is to use the Activity Plan to make planning easier while giving children time to explore, practice, and play. Ready to Take Your Theme Planning Further?
If you're spending hours searching Pinterest, Google, and Facebook for activity ideas, membership can help you save time and plan with confidence.
Members can find two Sample Activity Plans per theme, along with links, suggested group sizes, extension ideas, and more, in the complete Theme Planning Guides in the Preschool Activity Library. Simply use the Format Guide filter to select planning guides. As a Member, You'll Get:
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