March preschool curriculum
March in the free preschool curriculum: 4 theme weeks (weather, construction and tools, birds and nests, seeds and growing), each on one sheet with its parts, the skills they work on, box-free materials and open-ended ways in.
← FebruaryApril →The whole year
- Week 25: Weather, the full plan
- Week 26: Construction and tools, the full plan
- Week 27: Birds and nests, the full plan
- Week 28: Seeds and growing, the full plan
A weather week for twos to fours: sunny, rainy, windy and cloudy days, a weather chart and what to wear.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What is the weather like today? How do you know? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Rain on the Hat; Pit, Pat; Ben and the Blocks; Fay and the Kite | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Weather wheel: Draw sun, rain, wind and cloud in four parts of the plate. A grown-up fixes the arrow in the middle. Turn the arrow to today's weather each morning. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Rain, Rain, Go Away | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Yogurt Parfait | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | W is for weather | Early literacy |
| Outside | Wind check: Hold up a ribbon or a scarf. Is it still, gently moving, or flying? Tell the weather chart. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper plate, crayons, a paper arrow, a paper fastener (grown-up pushes it in).
Snack: yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, granola, honey.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
sun · rain · wind · cloud
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper plate, crayons, a paper arrow and a paper fastener (grown-up pushes it in) with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own weather picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (sun, rain, wind, cloud) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What is the weather like today? How do you know?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what the weather was today. Ask about what they wear when it rains.
A building week for twos to fours: blocks and boxes, ramps and towers, trucks, and what each tool is for.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | How tall can we build before it falls? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Ben and the Blocks; The Big Truck; Rat's Hut; The Three Little Pigs | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Box building: Tape boxes together into a building. Glue or tape on windows. Give your building a name: a house, a shop, a tower. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | London Bridge Is Falling Down | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Hamburger Cookies | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | T is for tools | Early literacy |
| Outside | Big builders: Build a ramp from boards or cardboard and roll balls and trucks down it. Make it steeper, then flatter. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: small boxes, tape, crayons, paper windows.
Snack: vanilla wafers, chocolate sandwich cookies, strawberry jam, sprinkles.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
build · block · tower · truck
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out small boxes, tape, crayons and paper windows with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own construction and tools picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (build, block, tower, truck) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “How tall can we build before it falls?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what they built from boxes. Ask about how tall the tower got.
A bird week for twos to fours: nests, eggs and feathers, how birds fly, and quiet bird-watching outside.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What does a bird use to build a nest? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | A Nest on the Hill; Big Egg; A Bath for the Birds; Fox and the Hen | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Paper-bowl nest: Glue strips all around the bowl. Put a little crumpled paper inside as the soft lining. Lay three paper eggs in your nest. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Sing a Song of Sixpence | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Trail Mix Your Way | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | N is for nest | Early literacy |
| Outside | Bird watch: Sit still and quiet for one minute. How many birds can everyone see or hear? | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: paper bowl, brown paper strips or yarn, glue stick, three paper eggs.
Snack: o-shaped cereal, peanuts, little pretzels, raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
bird · nest · egg · feather
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out paper bowl, brown paper strips or yarn, glue stick and three paper eggs with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own birds and nests picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (bird, nest, egg, feather) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What does a bird use to build a nest?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what a bird builds a nest with. Ask about how many birds they saw.
A growing week for twos to fours: seeds, soil, water and sun, and a bean planted in a cup to watch all week.
| Part | This week | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Circle time | What does a seed need to grow? | Language, Social and emotional |
| Books | Meg and the Seed; The Bean in the Cup; The Enormous Turnip; At the Farm | Early literacy, Language |
| Craft | Bean in a cup: Put the wet cotton or soil in the cup. A grown-up pushes the bean in against the side so you can see it. Water a little each day and watch for the root. | Moving, Thinking and exploring |
| Song | Lavender's Blue | Language, Moving |
| Snack | Chia Pudding | Social and emotional, Early math |
| Letter pack | G is for grow | Early literacy |
| Outside | Grow like a seed: Curl up small as a seed; rain falls, the sun shines, and everyone grows slowly up tall. | Moving, Social and emotional |
Box-free materials
Craft: a clear cup, cotton balls or soil, a dried bean (grown-up holds it), water, a name sticker.
Snack: chia seeds, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, kiwi, blueberries.
All week: paper, crayons, a ball or a scarf for the outside game.
Words for the wall
seed · soil · water · sun
Open-ended ways in
- Process art: put out a clear cup, cotton balls or soil, a dried bean (grown-up holds it) and water with no finished sample to copy, and let each child make their own seeds and growing picture.
- Invitation to play: the four words (seed, soil, water, sun) on cards in the reading corner with this week's books, paper and crayons.
- Wonder wall: ask “What does a seed need to grow?” on Monday and again on Friday, and write both answers up.
- Twos: a grown-up pours the paint and holds the glue.
- Mixed ages: the twos do the craft with help; the fours help the twos.
Ask at pick-up
Ask about what their bean needs. Ask about whether they see a root yet.