PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM
Ages 3–4 | October–December
Schedule: Monday–Thursday Planned Learning
Friday: Free Play, Exploration & Review
🍎 OCTOBER
WEEK 1 — APPLES
Big Idea: Explore apples using the five senses while practicing colors, counting, sorting, and descriptive language.
Vocabulary: apple • seed • stem • red • green • orchard
Colors: Red & Green
Shape: Circle
Math: Count 1–5
Science: Parts of an apple
Literacy: A is for Apple
Social-Emotional: Making choices and taking turns
MONDAY — All About Apples
Circle Time: Examine real apples. Discuss color, shape, size, and where apples grow.
Literacy: Introduce A is for Apple. Practice the /a/ sound.
Book: Read an apple-themed picture book.
Art: Paint or dot-paint an apple.
Math: Count 1–5 apples.
Fine Motor: Transfer pretend apples/pom-poms into baskets using tongs.
Gross Motor: Pretend to pick apples from trees.
TUESDAY — Apple Colors & Sorting
Circle Time: Compare red, green, and yellow apples.
Math: Sort apples by color or size.
Language: big • small • red • green • yellow
Art: Apple color collage
Fine Motor: Apple color sorting
Music: “Way Up High in the Apple Tree”
Outdoor: Find red and green objects outside.
WEDNESDAY — What’s Inside an Apple?
Science: Cut an apple open and identify skin, flesh, stem, and seeds.
Vocabulary: seed • stem • skin • inside • outside
Math: Count apple seeds.
Art: Apple stamping
Sensory: Smell and safely taste different apples.
Language: Ask, “How does it taste?” Sweet? Sour? Crunchy?
THURSDAY — Pumpkin Painting Day!
FRIDAY — FREE PLAY & REVIEW
🍁 OCTOBER WEEK 2 — FALL LEAVES
Big Idea: Observe seasonal changes and explore fall colors, shapes, textures, and nature.
Vocabulary: fall • autumn • leaf • tree • branch • crunchy
Colors: Red • Orange • Yellow • Brown
Math: Sorting & patterns
Science: Seasonal change
Concept: Up / Down
Literacy: L is for Leaf
MONDAY — Fall Is Here
Discuss what happens to some trees during fall.
Literacy: L is for Leaf.
Nature: Examine real leaves.
Art: Fall-color sponge painting.
Movement: Move like leaves blowing in the wind.
TUESDAY — Fall Colors
Sort leaves by color.
Math: Count leaves 1–5.
Art: Collaborative fall tree.
Fine Motor: Place leaf stickers onto branches.
Language: Name and describe fall colors.
WEDNESDAY — Leaf Investigation
Use magnifying glasses to examine leaves.
Discuss veins, stems, colors, and textures.
Science: Compare fresh and dry leaves.
Art: Leaf rubbing/printing.
Math: Compare big and small leaves.
THURSDAY — Falling Leaves
Concept: Up/down.
Create simple two-color leaf patterns.
Music: Fall songs.
Gross Motor: Toss scarves/leaves upward and watch them fall.
Outdoor: Fall nature walk.
FRIDAY — FREE PLAY & REVIEW
🎃 OCTOBER WEEK 3 — PUMPKINS
Big Idea: Investigate pumpkins while learning about size, counting, growth, and the color orange.
Vocabulary: pumpkin • seed • vine • stem • pulp • patch
Color: Orange
Shape: Circle
Math: Big/Small & counting
Science: Pumpkin life cycle
Literacy: P is for Pumpkin
MONDAY — Meet the Pumpkin
Explore pumpkins of different sizes.
Introduce P is for Pumpkin.
Count pumpkins 1–5.
Orange pumpkin painting on paper. (Artwork)
Practice big/medium/small.
TUESDAY — Pumpkin Shapes & Sizes
Order pumpkins from smallest to largest.
Measure pumpkins using blocks.
Create pumpkin faces with shapes.
Practice circle recognition.
WEDNESDAY — Inside a Pumpkin
Open a pumpkin.
Identify stem, skin, pulp, and seeds.
Count seeds in small groups.
Supervised pumpkin sensory exploration.
Create pumpkin seed art.
THURSDAY — Pumpkin Life Cycle
Introduction:
seed → sprout → vine → flower → pumpkin
Use picture cards to sequence the stages.
Create a pumpkin life-cycle art project.
Finish with a pretend pumpkin-patch movement game.
FRIDAY — FREE PLAY & REVIEW
👻 OCTOBER WEEK 4 — NOT-SO-SPOOKY HALLOWEEN
Big Idea: Explore imagination, emotions, costumes, and seasonal traditions through friendly Halloween activities.
Vocabulary: costume • pretend • spooky • silly • mask • Halloween
Colors: Orange & Black
Math: Counting 1–10
Literacy: H is for Halloween
Social-Emotional: Feelings & imagination
MONDAY — Silly & Spooky
Discuss the difference between real and pretend.
Make silly faces in mirrors.
Identify happy, scared, surprised, and silly faces.
Create a silly monster.
TUESDAY — Costumes & Pretend Play
Dress-up dramatic play.
Talk about different costumes.
Practice descriptive language: “I am pretending to be __.”
Create a simple mask.
WEDNESDAY — Halloween Math & Science
Count pretend spiders/pumpkins 1–10.
Sort Halloween objects by color or type.
Create simple patterns.
Explore a seasonal sensory bin.
THURSDAY — Free Play!
FRIDAY — Halloween Celebration
Costume parade.
Halloween music and movement.
Pumpkin bowling.
Classroom scavenger hunt.
Review letters, colors, counting, and vocabulary.
🍂 NOVEMBER
WEEK 1 — FALL HARVEST & VEGETABLES
Big Idea: Learn where foods come from and explore healthy fall fruits and vegetables.
Vocabulary: harvest • farm • vegetable • fruit • corn • carrot
Colors: Yellow & Orange
Math: Sorting & counting
Science: Foods that grow
Literacy: C is for Corn / Carrot
MONDAY — What Is a Harvest?
Discuss farms and harvesting food.
Sort pretend fruits and vegetables.
Count foods 1–10.
Create a harvest basket collage.
TUESDAY — Corn
Examine corn and its parts.
Practice C is for Corn.
Count kernels in small groups.
Corn painting/printing.
WEDNESDAY — Fruits or Vegetables?
Sort familiar foods into simple groups.
Discuss colors, shapes, and textures.
Pretend farmers market dramatic play.
THURSDAY — Farm-to-Table
Talk simply about:
farm → harvest → store/market → home
Pretend grocery store.
Vegetable printing.
Review healthy foods and vocabulary.
FRIDAY — FREE PLAY
🐿️ NOVEMBER WEEK 2 — WOODLAND ANIMALS
Big Idea: Learn about animals that live in forests and how they move, eat, and prepare for changing weather.
Vocabulary: forest • bear • squirrel • owl • nest • den
Math: Animal sorting
Science: Habitats
Literacy: B is for Bear
MONDAY — Bears
Learn where bears live.
B is for Bear.
Make bear art.
Move like bears.
TUESDAY — Squirrels
Discuss squirrels collecting food.
Count pretend acorns 1–10.
Use tongs to transfer “acorns.”
Create squirrel art.
WEDNESDAY — School Closed for Veterans Day!
THURSDAY — Forest Habitats
Match animals with simple homes: den, nest, tree.
Build animal homes with blocks.
Go on a pretend forest adventure.
FRIDAY — Owls
Learn that owls are birds.
Discuss feathers, wings, and nests.
Create owl art using shapes.
Practice owl sounds and movements.
🏠 NOVEMBER WEEK 3 — MY FAMILY & HOME
Big Idea: Families can look different, and homes are places where people live, care for one another, and belong.
Vocabulary: family • home • parent • sibling • together • helpful
Math: Counting family members
Literacy: F&H is for Family
Social-Emotional: Belonging & family diversity
MONDAY — My Family
Discuss different kinds of families.
Children may share who is important in their family.
Draw a family picture.
Count family members.
TUESDAY — Homes
Explore different types of homes.
Build homes using blocks.
Introduce H is for Home.
Discuss rooms in a house.
WEDNESDAY — People Who Care for Me
Discuss adults and family members who help children.
Create a “People I Love” heart project.
Practice names and relationship vocabulary.
THURSDAY — Helping at Home
Brainstorm simple ways children can help.
Sort toys, set a pretend table, care for dolls, and clean dramatic-play areas.
Discuss kindness and responsibility.
FRIDAY — FREE PLAY
🦃 NOVEMBER WEEK 4 — THANKSGIVING & THANKFULNESS
Big Idea: Practice gratitude, kindness, sharing, and appreciation for people in our lives.
Vocabulary: thankful • grateful • share • kindness • family • friend
Math: Counting 1–10
Social-Emotional: Gratitude & kindness
MONDAY — What Does Thankful Mean?
Discuss what makes us happy and the people we appreciate.
Create a thankful hand-print project.
TUESDAY — Sharing & Kindness
Discuss ways to be kind.
Role-play sharing and helping.
Create friendship art.
WEDNESDAY — Thanksgiving Foods
Explore traditional and familiar family foods.
Create a classroom thankful tree.
Each child adds something they appreciate.
Thanksgiving snacks are served.
THURSDAY — School Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday!
FRIDAY — School Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday!
❄️ DECEMBER
WEEK 1 — WINTER WEATHER
Big Idea: Explore seasonal weather and how people dress and prepare for colder temperatures.
Vocabulary: winter • cold • weather • coat • scarf • mittens
Color: Blue
Science: Weather
Math: Matching
Literacy: W is for Winter
MONDAY — Welcome Winter
Discuss winter weather.
W is for Winter.
Create blue-and-white winter art.
TUESDAY — Winter Clothing
Explore coats, hats, scarves, and mittens.
Match pairs of mittens.
Dress dolls appropriately for cold weather.
WEDNESDAY — What’s the Weather?
Introduce sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, and snowy.
Create a simple classroom weather chart.
Observe today’s weather.
THURSDAY — Staying Warm
Discuss ways people stay warm.
Sort summer versus winter clothing.
Create a winter-clothing collage.
Winter movement game.
FRIDAY — FREE PLAY & REVIEW
⛄ DECEMBER WEEK 2 — SNOW & ICE
Big Idea: Investigate snow, ice, temperature, and melting through simple science experiences.
Vocabulary: snow • ice • freeze • melt • cold • water
Color: White
Shape: Circle
Science: Freezing & melting
Literacy: S is for Snow
MONDAY — Snow
Discuss what snow is and where children might see it.
S is for Snow.
Create snowflake art.
Count “snowballs.”
TUESDAY — Ice Investigation
Explore ice safely.
Describe it: cold, hard, slippery, wet.
Predict what will happen when ice sits out.
WEDNESDAY — Melting Experiment
Place ice in different classroom locations/conditions and observe melting.
Ask:
“What happened?”
“Where did the ice go?”
“What did it become?”
Record children’s observations.
THURSDAY — Snowmen
Build a paper snowman using circles.
Practice small/medium/large.
Count buttons.
Have an indoor soft “snowball” toss.
FRIDAY — FREE PLAY
🎄 DECEMBER WEEK 3 — HOLIDAYS & TRADITIONS
Big Idea: Families celebrate different holidays and traditions in different ways.
Vocabulary: holiday • tradition • family • celebrate • light • gift
Math: Patterns with shapes and colors
Literacy: H is for Holiday
Social-Emotional: Respecting similarities & differences
MONDAY — What Is a Tradition?
Discuss traditions simply as things families enjoy doing again and again.
Children can share family traditions if they wish.
Create family celebration art.
TUESDAY — Lights & Colors
Observe different seasonal lights and decorations.
Create color patterns.
Make a light-inspired art project.
WEDNESDAY — Music Around the Holidays
Listen to different seasonal/celebration music.
Decorate ornaments with families!
THURSDAY — Giving & Kindness
Discuss gifts that don’t come from stores: hugs, drawings, helping, and kind words.
Create a simple family gift or card.
FRIDAY — Visit from Santa!
🎉 DECEMBER WEEK 4 — WINTER CELEBRATION & REVIEW
Big Idea: Celebrate classroom friendships and review what we learned this season.
Vocabulary: celebrate • friend • together • favorite • winter
Math: Review counting & patterns
Literacy: Letter review
Social-Emotional: Classroom community
MONDAY — Classroom Celebration
Music and movement.
Favorite classroom games.
Friendship activities.
Review colors, shapes, numbers, vocabulary, and letters.
TUESDAY — Favorite Science
Repeat a favorite science or sensory experience.
Encourage children to predict and describe what happens.
WEDNESDAY — Favorite Art
Children choose favorite art materials.
Provide open-ended painting, collage, drawing, or stamping.
THURSDAY — School is Closed for Christmas Holiday!
FRIDAY — School is Closed for Christmas Holiday!
🎊 DECEMBER WEEK 5 — NEW YEAR & NEW BEGINNINGS
Big Idea: Celebrate growing, learning, and beginning a new year.
Vocabulary: new • year • grow • learn • goal • celebrate
Math: Counting & number review
Literacy: N is for New
Social-Emotional: Confidence & growth
MONDAY — A New Year
Introduce the idea of a new year in simple language.
Talk about:
“What is new?”
“What are you excited to do?”
Introduce N is for New.
Create colorful New Year art.
TUESDAY — New Year Celebration
Create a class New Year mural.
Count down 10–1 together.
Play music, dance, use instruments, and play bubble and movement games.
Review favorite learning experiences from October–December.
Celebrate the children’s growth and accomplishments.
WEDNESDAY — Things I Can Do
Discuss skills children are proud of.
Create an “I Can…” classroom chart.
Children can demonstrate simple skills such as hopping, counting, drawing, building, singing, or helping.
Social-Emotional Focus: Confidence and independence.
THURSDAY — School Is Closed for New Year Celebrations!
FRIDAY —School Is Closed for New Year Celebrations!
