Beach theme for toddlers: a week of activities
A beach theme lesson plan for toddlers: what a day looks like, then the week's circle time (two or three minutes, on laps), books, craft, song, snack, letter and outside time, each with what changes at this age.
A day of the beach theme with toddlers
- Arrival and free play on the floor.
- Sing “Rub-a-Dub-Dub” with actions; repeat it while you change and feed.
- Hold and pass something real for the week (sand), and say its name.
- Snack: a toddler-safe version of crab croissant (check the recipe's lines for under-4s).
- Outside: a short walk looking for shell.
- Read Kip and the Crab on laps, pointing and naming.
- Nap, then the song once more at pick-up.
Beach circle time
- Hello song: sing hello to each child by name.
- Look out of the window together: sun, rain or clouds?
- Show the theme: hold up something real and name it.
- Sing: Rub-a-Dub-Dub.
- Read: Kip and the Crab (level 3).
Infants and toddlers: two or three minutes, on laps.
Beach theme books
- Kip and the Crab (level 3, free on peabody.kids): A crab on the beach.
- Chip and the Shell (level 2, free on peabody.kids): A crab looking for a shell.
- Fish in a Dish (level 2, free on peabody.kids): A fish and kindness.
- Under the Sea (read aloud, level 4): A read-aloud pattern book under the waves.
Infants and toddlers: one book, read every day; point and name.
Beach craft: Sand picture
You need (4): card, glue stick, a little play sand in a tray, a paper shell.
- Rub glue where the beach goes.
- Sprinkle sand on and tip off the extra.
- Glue a shell on your beach.
With a grown-up. No heat, nothing hot.
Infants and toddlers: let them touch and hold the materials while you make it; nothing small enough to swallow.
Beach song: Rub-a-Dub-Dub
The words
Rub-a-dub-dub, Three men in a tub, And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, The candlestick-maker; Turn them out, knaves all three!
Traditional; public domain. From Top 52 nursery rhymes with lyrics.
Beach snack
Crab Croissant from the Peabody Kitchen: picture steps, allergy swaps and safety lines on the recipe.
Letter S activities
SsS is for sand. Print the two pages (a trace page and a color page).
Infants and toddlers: skip the trace page; show the picture page and say the word.
Outside activity: Sandcastle team
In the sandbox, build one big castle together with cups and spoons. Count the towers.
Beach theme for 2 year oldsBeach theme for 3 and 4 year oldsBeach theme, all ages
Checked 2026-10-30