Homeschool topic ideas: 10 themes to use with primary students
This free printable planner is the perfect supplement to your regular homeschool curriculum, especially if you’re worried about getting stuck just going through the books and completing all the workbook pages.
I came up with 10 fun and seasonal theme ideas, and compiled a list of hands-on projects, play based activities, read aloud suggestions, arts and crafts, science experiments, music and movement, and field trip ideas.
I had a lot of fun creating these lists and going through them with my kids. I hope you’ll find them just as fun and helpful as we did!
Download the free planner:
The first page you’ll find is a simple printable planning page for you to write out which math, literacy, and other activities you’re planning to do each day for the week.
After that, you’ll find 10 pages with different homeschool topic ideas on each page.
Under each theme, I’ve gathered a list of read-aloud book ideas, links to songs and movement activities, arts and crafts, science experiments, projects, activities, and field trip ideas.
These idea lists are the perfect way to add hands-on learning and play-based activities to your regular homeschool curriculum.
All you have to do is pick one or two activities to do with your kids each day.
Note: As an Amazon and KiwiCo Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Theme 1: Apples
READ ALOUDS
- Turning Apples into Applesauce by Wendy A. Reynolds
- Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray
- Secrets of the Apple Tree by Carron Brown
- An Apple Tree’s Life Cycle by Mary R. Dunn
- Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Turning Apples into Applesauce (Bookworms: Step-by-step Transformations) |
$25.93 |
|
|
Apple Pie ABC | $3.54 | |
|
An Apple Tree’s Life Cycle (Explore Life Cycles) |
$9.99 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
ARTS & CRAFTS
- Drawing apples: Art for kids hub
- Pointillism apples
- Kandinsky inspired apple art
SCIENCE
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Recipe: Apple chips
- Make apple pie play dough
- Make apple butter, apple pie, applesauce, etc.
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Apple orchard
- A factory where apple butter, apple cider, or apple juice are made
Theme 2: Leaves
READ ALOUDS
- Leaves by David Ezra Stein
- Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy by Martha E. H. Rustad
- There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves! by Lucille Colandro
- Leaf Trouble by Jonathan Emmett
- Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Leaves |
$10.89 |
|
|
Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy (Cloverleaf Books ™ ― Fall’s Here!) |
$7.59 |
|
|
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves! |
$6.28 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
ARTS & CRAFTS
- Watercolor fall leaf
- Zentangle fall leaf
- Fall leaf spray painting
- Texture and pattern fall leaf
- Chalk fall leaves
- How to draw fall leaves
SCIENCE
- Experiment: Why do leaves change color?
- Leaf scavenger hunt
OTHER ACTIVITIES
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Hike at a state or national park
- Explore a new playground
- Take a walk and collect leaves
Theme 3: Pumpkins
READ ALOUDS
- Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum
- Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell
- The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll
- Pumpkin Hill by Elizabeth Spurr
- Little Boo by Stephen Wunderli
- How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie (Picture the Seasons) |
$5.53 |
|
|
Pumpkin Jack |
$9.99 |
|
|
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever |
$3.99 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
- I Picked One Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Man Dance
- The Pumpkin Pie Song
- Yoga: A Halloween Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure
ARTS & CRAFTS
- Draw and color a pumpkin (oil pastels)
- Glue resist pumpkin art
- Textured pumpkins (crayon rubbings)
SCIENCE
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Make your own pumpkin spice playdough
- Recipe: Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Recipe: Pumpkin bread
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Pumpkin patch
- A fall festival
Theme 4: The Gingerbread Man
READ ALOUDS
- The Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski
- Gingerbread Baby, Gingerbread Friends, and/or Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett
- Catch that Cookie! by Hallie Durand
- The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst
- The Library Gingerbread Man by Dotti Enderle
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Gingerbread Boy: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids |
$7.99 |
|
|
Catch That Cookie | $6.16 | |
|
The Library Gingerbread Man | $15.19 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
ARTS & CRAFTS
- Art hub: Gingerbread man or gingerbread house
- Gingerbread man headband
OTHER ACTIVITIES
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Cooking or baking class
- Take cookies to a neighbor or a local nursing home
Theme 5: The Nutcracker
READ ALOUDS
- The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers
- Mary Engelbreit’s Nutcracker
- Waltz of the Snowflakes by Elly MacKay
- Jan Brett’s the Nutcracker
- The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas by Keith Brockett
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
The Gingerbread Boy: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids |
$7.99 |
|
|
|
Catch That Cookie | $6.16 | |
|
|
The Library Gingerbread Man | $15.19 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
- Watch the dance of the sugar plum fairy
- Sugar plum fairy: Scarf dance
- Creative movement activity
- Watch the Russian dance
- Learn to dance to the dance of the super plum fairy
ARTS & CRAFTS
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Create Nutcracker puppets. Use puppets to act out the Nutcracker.
- Make a paper plate tambourine. Watch the orchestra, and play along with your tambourine.
- Make paper snowflakes. Listen to the music from the dance of the snowflakes and dance with your snowflake.
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Attend a performance of The Nutcracker
- Symphony or orchestra
Theme 6: Snow
READ ALOUDS
- Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
- A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson
- The Thing about Yetis by Vin Vogel
- Got to Get to Bear’s! by Brian Lies
- The Mitten by Jan Brett
- The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Snowmen at Night |
$9.23 |
|
|
A Loud Winter’s Nap (Fiction Picture Books) |
$10.36 |
|
|
The Thing About Yetis |
$15.79 |
|
|
Got to Get to Bear’s! |
$9.99 |
|
|
The Mitten |
$11.51 |
|
|
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder |
$7.19 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
ARTS & CRAFTS
- Build your own snowman
- Magic salt and watercolor snowflake art
- Bleeding tissue paper art
- Northern Lights art project
SCIENCE
- Nature walk: Winter forest scavenger hunt
- Snowstorm in a jar
OTHER ACTIVITIES
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Ice skating
- Ice festival
Theme 7: Penguins
READ ALOUDS
- National Geographic Readers: Penguins!
- Penguin Problems by Jory John
- A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
- Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Penguins (National Geographic Kids Readers, Level 2) |
$5.39 |
|
|
Penguin Problems (Animal Problems) |
$11.70 |
|
|
A Penguin Story | $2.59 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
ARTS & CRAFTS
- Shape penguin craft
- Paint a penguin tutorial
- P is for penguin craft
SCIENCE
- Experiment: How do penguins stay dry?
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Roll-a-Penguin playdough activity mat
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Zoo
- Aquarium
- Ice skating
Theme 8: Plants & Seeds
READ ALOUDS
- My Garden by Kevin Henkes
- The Bad Seed by Jory John
- National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant by Kristin Baird Rattini
- A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Aston
- Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
My Garden |
$17.99 |
|
|
The Bad Seed (The Food Group) |
$10.76 |
|
|
A Seed Is Sleepy: (Nature Books for Kids, Environmental Science for Kids) (Sylvia Long) |
$7.19 |
|
|
Planting a Rainbow |
$6.99 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
ARTS & CRAFTS
SCIENCE
- Baggie greenhouses
- Grow a window garden
- Kitchen scrap planter
- Nature walk: Collect different kinds of seeds
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Local farm
- Orchard
- Community garden
- Greenhouse
- Botanical garden
- Garden or farm show
Theme 9: Bugs & Insects
READ ALOUDS
- Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel
- I love bugs! by Philemon Sturges
- An ant’s day off by Bonny Becker
- Some bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi
- Buzz by Eileen Spinelli
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bob and Otto |
$28.90 |
|
|
I Love Bugs! |
$13.66 |
|
|
An Ant’s Day Off | $12.25 | |
|
Some Bugs | $5.70 | |
|
Buzz |
$17.09 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
ARTS & CRAFTS
SCIENCE
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Buzzing bee snack bags
- Snacktivity: Yummy bugs
- Butterfly life cycle snack
- Ants on a log variations
- Churro honeycomb snack mix
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Butterfly or pollinator garden
- Butterfly exhibit at a zoo or game preserve
- Hike at a state or national park
- Beehive tour
Theme 10: Ocean animals
READ ALOUDS
- Sophie’s Fish by A.E. Cannon
- The Octopuppy by Martin McKenna
- Shark Kiss, Octopus Hug by Lynn Rowe Reed
- A Whale in the Bathtub by Kylie Westaway
- Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm – Large Viewing Area – Care for Live Ants – Nature Learning Toy -… |
$19.99 |
|
|
Shark Kiss, Octopus Hug |
$14.99 |
|
|
A Whale in the Bathtub |
$16.13 |
|
|
Don’t Worry, Little Crab |
$9.34 |
SONGS/MOVEMENT
- The goldfish
- Baby Beluga (book with song)
- Sharks in the water!
- Jellyfish song
- Yoga: Under the Sea
ARTS & CRAFTS
SCIENCE
FIELD TRIP IDEAS
- Aquarium
- Beach
- Swimming at a local pool or lake
More theme ideas
Little chemists
The basis of this unit is the Chemistry play lab, by KiwiCo.
This kit is the perfect way to get kids used to working with chemistry equipment such as flasks, beakers, and test tubes, in a safe and playful way.
It includes a full color, easy-to-read instruction manual, with 11 different experiments to try.
Famous artists
This is an incredible free resource, available from The Crafty Classroom.
Here you’ll find a series of tutorials for kids to create artwork in the styles of famous artists.
Thanksgiving & Christmas
This bundle, available for sale from The Crafty Classroom, would make a fun holiday theme during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Both sets include tons of hands-on activities, including math games, art projects and science experiments.
Cooking around the world
This book is not just a cookbook. It is bursting with interesting facts and colorful tidbits about each country.
It even includes a fun food passport, language flashcards, and flag stickers to go along with each recipe.
The recipes are kid-friendly as well: easy to make and delicious!
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cooking Class Global Feast!: 44 Recipes That Celebrate the World’s Cultures |
$10.59 |
The Bible
The Beginner’s Bible is a great Bible storybook for young kids, and pairs perfectly with The Beginner’s Bible Sticker and Activity books to make learning more hands-on for little ones.
These short and sweet activity books are full of color, and provide opportunities to discuss each Bible story in more depth after it’s been read.
- Wild about creation
- A Christmas celebration
- Amazing miracles of the Bible
- All about Jesus
- Come celebrate Easter
- Animals of the Bible
If you love 10 Homeschool Topic Ideas, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest!
Christmas planner: Free printable
This 36 page Christmas planner for moms (free printable PDF download) includes a Christmas bucket list, to-do checklists, book and movie lists, gift ideas for kids, non-toy gift ideas, a Christmas party planner, Christmas activity ideas for kids, thank you card checklist, a holiday meal planner, and more! It’s absolutely everything you need to keep…
Best Christmas Movies for Kids
Here are 24 of the best Christmas movies for kids to watch this year. Enjoy! 1. Home Alone (1990) I recently did a poll in my Instagram stories, and Home Alone came out as the number 1 favorite Christmas movie to watch with kids. 2. The Grinch (2018) This version of The Grinch is sooo…
November gratitude calendar for kids
This gratitude calendar is the perfect way to encourage your kids to be grateful and thankful for all they have during the month of November. What a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving! Download the gratitude calendar for kids Download the november Gratitude calendar for kids here! Link not working? Click here instead. Tip: When you…
How to organize legos for kids
As a mom of 4 kids, I’m here to share the secret about how to organize legos for kids. The secret? It all depends on how your kids play with their legos. Let me explain: Our kids used to love doing lego sets. They would build a set, take it apart, and build the same…
Easy sports night dinners: 100 ideas
When I signed my kids up for sports, I didn’t realize that it meant we would either be eating dinner at 4:00, or at 9:00 pm! Evenings with sports practices and games can make eating dinner as a family tough. Which is why I decided to make a list of over 100 easy sports night…
How to organize your iPhone photos (the fun and easy way!)
Here’s how to organize your iPhone photos without losing your mind: My phone was out of storage. I had WAY too many photos and videos that I never sort through, but the thought of going through them all was wildly overwhelming. Which is how I came up with the photo cleanup challenge. It’s a fun…
Continue Reading How to organize your iPhone photos (the fun and easy way!)
Leave a Reply