Preschool Snake Theme

Includes: Planning Map, and links to Activity Guides, and Printable Resources

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Explore preschool Snake theme activities, featured resources, and planning tools.

Use this page as a starting point for planning your preschool Snake theme. Gather inspiration, explore featured activities, and discover resources to support your lesson planning.

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Download a free sample plan and explore featured activities from this theme.

This free sample plan from our Snake Theme Planning Guide includes:

• Featured activities organized by learning center
• A simple, flexible theme planning layout
• A starting point for planning your own Snake theme

Featured Activities From This Plan

These activities are available inside our Preschool Activity Library.
Inside our Library, Members can:

• Access activity guides with materials and directions
• Download printable resources 
• Explore even more activities for this theme 

Featured  Activities in this Plan:
Art & Creativity
Snake Tracks
Dramatic Play
Reptile Adoption Center Pretend Play
Building & Small World Play
Build a Pretend Snake Terrarium
Language and Literacy
Snake Letter Matching
Language and Literacy
Snake Letter Formation
Mathematics
Snake Measuring Mats
Mathematics
How Long is a Snake?
Science & Discovery
Rattlesnake Investigation
Physical
Fine Motor
Snake Roll and Color Game
Gross Motor
Move Like a Reptile
Other
Create a Space for Privacy

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Preschool Snake-Theme Planning Map

Use this flexible planning tool to brainstorm learning topics, classroom invitations, vocabulary, dramatic play ideas, and hands-on experiences connected to this preschool theme.

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Explore more Snake Themed Ideas

Browse our featured Preschool Snake activity ideas, classroom inspiration, and themed resources organized by learning center. Whether you're looking for art, literacy, math, science, dramatic play, or fine motor activities, these ideas can help you plan a more engaging and organized theme.

These featured ideas are just a small sample of what’s available inside our Preschool Activity Library.

Use the yellow arrow to return to the top!

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Suggested Art Center Materials for Snake Week

Enhance your Art center this week by adding fun materials for creating patterns and snakes. 
View Member Instructions

Spiral Snake

Cut a spiral out of a paper plate for students to design their own snake! View Member Instructions

Snake Tracks

Invite preschoolers to make snake tracks. Provide thick yarn or string and tempera paint as well as paper (this could also be done on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk paint). 
Preschoolers drag their yarn through the paint and then onto paper and squiggle to make a design. 
View Member Instructions

Snake Necklace

Create a snake necklace with string and pony beads. Before creating the necklaces, discuss what pattern their snake is going to have. Make the connection between the pattern on the necklace and the patterns that snakes have.  View Member Instructions

Clay Snakes

Create snakes from clay. Clay is a different consistency from play dough and gives little hands a big workout.
See the Invitation to Create Clay Snakes blog for more details about this activity!

Try this!

Snake with Scales

Provide a large cut out construction paper/cardboard (the inside of cereal boxes) snake template for your student, along with Orzo pasta "scales", paintbrushes, and containers of glue.Have your students paint the snake template with glue, and stick on their pasta "scales". After they have dried your students can paint their snakes.
View Member Instructions

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Herpetologist Center

Set up a herpetologist center to study snakes! Provide measuring tape, magnifying glasses, pretend snakes of all sizes, along with clipboards and pencils. ​Add pretend snakes in all sizes, magnifying glasses, containers for habitats. View Member Instructions

Reptile Veterinarian

To create an imaginary Reptile Veterinarians Office in your Space this week. Add stuffed Reptiles, clipboards, plastic aquariums,  Doctor Sets, and Books about reptiles. Consider contacting a local veterinarian in your community to see if they have any free pamphlets about reptiles for you to use as well. Use our veterinarian clinic dramatic play set as a jumping off point for inspiration. View Member Instructions

Reptile Adoption Center or Pet Store

Transform your Dramatic Play Stand into a Reptile Adoption Center or Reptile Pet store. 
Props: clipboards, paper, pens, pretend snakes in all sizes, magnifying glasses, containers for habitats. Provide students with aquariums or terrariums and add plastic snakes and snake supplies as well as a cash register. Invite students to pretend that they own a pet shop that specializes in snakes. 

Reptile Wildlife Park

Pretend to work at a wildlife park. Give educational presentations about snakes and other reptiles.
Find some inspiration with our Zoo dramatic play pack.

Snake Dress Up

Have students create snake masks and invite them to pretend they are snakes. View Member Instructions

Snake Puppet Show

Provide children with snake finger puppets (you can buy them or have the children create them as an art activity!) Invite them to put on a show featuring their snake puppets.

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Enhance your Construction Center for Snake Week

Add a variety of plastic snakes for preschoolers to create their own habitats with. 
Materials to consider adding for building: felt (brown, green blue), bowls, brown construction paper or newspaper, silk scarves (brown, green, blue), battery operated lights (have available for use with close supervision), twigs, rocks View Member Instructions

Build a Snake Terrarium

Create a snake terrarium in the block center!
This idea was submitted by
Community Member Sheena W

The Build a Pretend Snake Terrarium hands-on activity allows preschool students to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to construct a realistic snake habitat. This activity promotes cognitive development, fine motor skills, and scientific knowledge about animals and their habitats. With the pretend snake as a focal point, students will engage in imaginative play and observation, enhancing their understanding of animal care and the natural world. 
View Member Instructions

Cube Block Snakes

Introduce fun and educational playtime with Cube Block Snakes! Designed for preschool teachers, these vibrant and versatile blocks enhance fine motor skills and promote creativity in young learners. Spark imaginations and watch as preschoolers build, stack, and engage in endless hours of interactive fun! View Member Instructions

Build a Snake

Wrap cardboard tubes with snake scale wrapping paper or scale images to build snakes with. Challenge students to make a long snake. You can also attach them to the sides of your building blocks and have them stack the blocks vertically. View Member Instructions

Magnet Block Snakes

Add different patterns of scales to your square magnet blocks and snake head images to the triangle magnet blocks. Mix up all the pieces and challenge the children to match the scales and build each snake. 
View Member Instructions

*Snake Uppercase and Lowercase Matching

A fun and educational preschool activity to help little ones learn letter recognition! This snake letter matching printable is perfect for early learners to practice matching uppercase and lowercase letters. Get your kids excited about letters with this engaging printable activity! Buy Now

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

Label the Parts of a Rattlesnake

Teach kids about rattlesnakes with this fun and educational printable activity! They'll learn how to label the different parts of a rattlesnake while engaging their fine motor skills. Perfect for preschoolers! Buy Now

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

Name Snakes

Provide students with snake templates, and a sheet of small circle "scale" stickers (blank garage sale stickers work great for this). Have your students practice writing a single letter of their name on a sticker (you can make these in advance for younger children). Students peel the letter "scale" and place it on the snake in order. The name Snakes can be displayed in the classroom, used as cubby markers, etc. during Snake Week!

Snake Sight Word Game

Create a snake game board (board shaped like a snake that is sectioned off with a preschool sight word in each section) along with playing pieces and a die. Students roll the die, count the number of space and then read each word between where they started and where they finished. The first to make it to the tail of the snake is the winner! View Member Instructions

Alphabet Eggs-Fun for Circle Time

Place magnet letters inside plastic eggs. Place the eggs inside a nest (paper bag and brown krinkle paper) or Basket. Use a snake hand puppet (or sock) to select an egg from the nest and say the name of the letter inside (or the sound it makes)

Counting Mice- Circle Time Book Companion Activity

Sheena W. shared this circle time idea. She created a snake using a cardboard tube, and plastic spoon head, She also created these  these little mice . As she read the book Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh she invited her preschoolers to feed the snake. You could also practice having the snake "eat" letters, and shapes for added learning fun.

Snake Letter Formation

Using small plastic or rubber snakes, have students create letters. You can give them a template or have them free hand.

The study of snakes provides plenty of opportunities to teach children that information can be found in books. Be sure to have a variety of reference books about snakes in addition to lots of fun stories. 

Here are a few of our favorites for this theme!

Opposnakes by Salina Yoon
The Greedy Python by Eric Carle
Hide and Snake by Keith Baker
Slither, Snake! (National Geographic Kids) by Shelby Alinsky
Everything You Need to Know About Snakes (Smithsonian) by DK
Caring for Your Snake by Isabel Thomas
Snakes for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Venom, Scales, and Life in the Wild by Michael G. Starkey
Reptiles and Amphibians by Roger Priddy
Verdi by Janell Cannon
I (Don't) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies and Luciano Lozano

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Snake Scale Matching*

Member Victoria shared how she used the Snake Scale Match-up activity from the Snakes Activity Pack.

Enhance fine motor skills and color recognition with our Snake Scales Match-Up activity! This engaging printable is perfect for preschoolers, allowing them to practice matching colors and patterns while having a slithering fun time! Buy Now

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

Snake Patterns

Use pattern blocks to make snakes. Extension: Hang a poster or several pictures of snakes in the classroom, discuss all the different patterns that can be found. Be sure to point out texture along with design and color. Preschoolers may be interested to know that a herpetologist uses a snakes patterns to help determine what snake species a snake is.  View Member Instructions

Snake Measuring Mats*

Invite your preschooler to this measuring activity. 
Set out the snake cards from the Snake Activity Pack along with rulers, unifix cubes, lego bricks, or any other measurement tool desired. 

Extension:

Invite your preschooler to extend the learning by using the measuring tools to measure other objects or people in the classroom. 

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

How long is a snake?

Here is more fun with measuring.
Studying snakes often brings up a natural opportunity to talk about measurement!
Compare the longest snake species, and the shortest. View Member Instructions

Counting Snake Eggs*

A fun and interactive way for preschoolers to practice counting with snakes! This printable mat activity will engage young learners as they count the colorful snakes and match them to the corresponding numbered eggs. Perfect for preschool and early math skills development. Buy Now

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

Create Snake 2D Shapes with Dough

Play Dough is a great medium  for building strong fingers and hands. Place Pre-K Printable Fun Snake Shape Dough Mats in the play dough center. 

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

Ordering Snakes by Length

Cut out several lengths of thick yarn to create measuring "measuring snakes", have your students practice ordering the snakes from shortest to longest, and longest to shortest.

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Snake Life Cycle

Take a look at the life cycle of a snake.
Laminate this activity for repeat use or use as a cut and paste. Display in your science area for reference. This set is ​included in the Snakes Activity Pack

Engage in discussion with your preschooler about how snakes are born. Some snakes are oviparous (lay eggs), some are viviparous (live birth), and some are oviparous (a combination of both where the egg is retained in the mama snake and the snakes are born alive). 
Encase small plastic snakes in play dough and shape like an egg. Invite students to find out what is inside each play dough egg. Take this opportunity to discuss how some snakes (like the cobra) hatch from eggs.  ​

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

Study Snake Skins

​Place snake skins in the science area for preschoolers to examine with a magnifying glass. 
View Member Instructions

What is a Snake?

Preschoolers are likely far more familiar with worms than they are with snakes. 
A good way to introduce your Snake theme is with a discussion about what exactly a snake is! 
 Have a group discussion about what makes a snake a snake! Be sure to include facts about reptiles, muscles, hibernation, and eggs. 
Read a book about snakes with your group to learn more about what makes a snake a snake. 
Here is a resource you can use for your discussion. 

Snake Habitat Sensory 

Set up a sand and water table (or simply use bins) one side with sand and one side with water. Provide plastic snakes. While children play, discuss that some snakes like to spend time in water, some in sand, and some in other types of environments (consider setting up exploration for other environment types as well!). Consider hanging posters of the snakes that like those environments nearby. 
Keep a snake reference chart outside for use when a snake is spotted. Keep this available year-round. 
View Member Instructions

Rattlesnake Investigation

Set up an invitation for your preschooler to (safely) investigate the parts of a rattlesnake! See the Rattlesnake Investigation blog post for ideas.

Try this!

Learn about Safe Discovery and Investigations

Be sure to review your local licensing guidelines for information on handling live animals. Review safety guidelines for handing reptiles and amphibians and share this information with your preschoolers. Here is one resource for staying healthy around these creatures Stay Healthy Around Pet Reptiles and Amphibians
Be sure to discuss venomous and non-venomous snakes along with snake safety!

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Roll and Color Snake*

Pair this printable snake and rolling cube with crayons to play this game. Roll the cube, then color in  a circle with the same color crayon.​This activity is included in the Snakes Activity Pack

Extension idea: After completing the snake count up how many times each color was used, compare the data. Do this activity with an adult or peer. You can either take turns rolling and coloring, or roll and color your own and compare once complete. ​

Preschool Snakes Activity Pack

Snake Weaving-Fine Motor

Provide snake pattern ribbon and dish mats from the dollar store or a loom for weaving.
View Member Instructions

Snake Transfer

Set up a container or aquarium filled with plastic snakes (different lengths, colors, etc.). Set up several other containers with labels (short snakes, brown snakes, etc.) Have the child use tongs or tweezers to grab each kind of snake from the container and put into its appropriate spot. 
View Member Instructions

Bubble Wrap Snake Skin

Cut out a variety of snake shapes from bubble wrap to look like "snake skin".
Have your students pop the bubbles. 
View Member Instructions

Try this!

Move Like a Reptile-Gross Motor

Practice moving like a variety of reptiles to get a full body workout. Encourage both fast movement and slow movement. While moving like a snake encourage children to move only using their core muscles, not using their legs and arms to propel themselves forward. 

Snake Jumping-Gross Motor

Provide a jump rope, have a child on each end of the rope. Show preschoolers how to gently squiggle the jump rope so it looks like a snake slithering. Invite the remaining preschoolers to jump over the snake. 

Follow the Snake Track-Gross Motor

Use chalk to draw different lines for the children to follow outside (or inside you can use painters tape on the floor). Explain that snakes left these different types of tracks and we need to follow the tracks to find them
(you can have a stuffed or plastic snake waiting at the end of you would like!).
Challenge students to follow each of the paths putting one foot in front of the other. 
View Member Instructions

Collect Snake Eggs-Gross Motor

Move like a snake across the room to a pile of pretend eggs,
move them one at a time back to your nest on the other side of the room.
View Member Instructions

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Learn About Herpetologists

Consider inviting a herpetologist into the classroom to talk about snakes. If you cannot find one, consider finding a short video that discusses what a herpetologist is or read a book about them. 
View Member Instructions

Ask a Librarian

Take a trip to your local library to learn about snakes! In advance notify your librarian and ask them to have some books set aside for this activity. This helps preschoolers to learn that librarians are an important part of our community and are a valuable resource for them! If you can't take a trip out, invite your local librarian to come in and read a few books about snakes. ​Many libraries will also collect books about a specific topic for teachers so be sure to ask if your library has this service. View Member Instructions

Other Reptile Professionals

Explore other professionals that handle reptiles. You can invite these professionals in to the program to talk about what they do, take a planned trip to their facility, or find a virtual field trip. 
View Member Instructions

Create a Space for Privacy

Socialization is an important part of preschool. 
However, some children need space and time to get away from all the stimulation. Many children can benefit from having a space for privacy from time-to-time, and it can be essential for children with  slow-to-warm temperament. 
Create a space where children can get away from it all. Snakes week is a good opportunity to introduce this space, or if you already have a space this is a good time to remind students why it's there. 
You can tie this in to your theme by talking about how snakes like a space for privacy. 
View Member Instructions

Classroom Snake-Collaborative Activity

 ​​Using a long piece of paper, cut out a long snake shape. Lay it on the floor in the classroom, invite students to work together to make patterns and designs all over the snake. Hang in the classroom when complete.
View Member Instructions

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Song and Finger Play Ideas for Snake Week

Try some of these Songs and Finger plays all about Snakes from Library Storytime.

Parent Communication

• Before you start this theme, ask if any parents work with snakes or know someone who does that may like to come in and talk about them. 
• It's also a good idea to communicate with parents if any of their children have a fear of snakes
  
• Ask parents if anyone has snake skins to donate to your science center, or if they can volunteer to ask a pet store or friend for some. 
• Add the suggested materials and books from this page to your Amazon Wish List for parents to donate to the classroom. 
• Share your lesson plan with parents so they can extend the conversation and learning at home! 

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Snake Preschool Activity Pack

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Snowflake Pattern Mats

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