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Theme Primer for Playschool (February 2026): LAND, SKY, AND SEA

What’s in this primer

  1. Big picture Ideas and related concepts to touch on during various activities throughout the month.
  2. A monthly progression with weekly subthemes that build on previous learnings
  3. Weekly plans with activity suggestions for ITE, Science, Literacy, Numeracy, and Art sessions
  4. A list of theme related projects
  5. Resources (these resources have been organised into weekly plan)

Big Picture Ideas and Concepts

Related Concepts:

  • The world is made up of three big spaces — land (ground, mountains, deserts, forests), sky (the air above us), and sea (oceans, rivers, lakes)
  • Every creature has its own way of getting around — this is called locomotion
  • Animals' bodies are specially built for their habitat (webbed feet, wings, flat feet)
  • Some animals move across multiple spaces (ducks walk and swim)
  • Human vehicles are often inspired by animals

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking (Classification); Critical Thinking & Reasoning (Inference)
  • Language & Communication: Oral Communication (Vocabulary Development)

Related Concepts:

  • Lift: Wings push air down, air pushes up
  • Nature as a teacher for airplane design
  • Hollow bones make birds light for flight
  • Air resistance is the push-back from moving through air
  • Birds fly in V-formation to cut resistance
  • Bats are mammals that fly

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking (Systems thinking); Critical Thinking & Reasoning (Analytical thinking)
  • Approaches to Learning: Creative Thinking and Expression (Innovation)

Related Concepts:

  • Streamlined bodies (fish and boats) cut through water
  • Density: Heavy for size sinks, light for size floats
  • Shape matters for floating (weight distribution and trapped air)
  • Density connects both flying and floating

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking (Experimentation - Density); Critical Thinking & Reasoning (Cause-and-effect)
  • Approaches to Learning: Learning Strategies (Sensory Exploration)

Related Concepts:

  • Locomotion: gallop, hop, slither, swing, crawl
  • The wheel helps us go farther and faster
  • Roads provide smooth surfaces for wheels
  • Friction: The balance between grip and smoothness
  • Gravity: The force pulling things down ramps
  • Road safety features (traffic lights, signs)

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking (Gravity/Friction)
  • Physical Development: Gross Motor Skills (Locomotor skills); Fine Motor Skills (Tool manipulation)
  • Practical Life Skills & Autonomy: Health & Self-Care (Safety consciousness)

Related Concepts:

  • Echolocation: Bats flying in the dark using sound
  • Snakes slither, swim, and glide using muscles and scales
  • Snakes "smell" with their tongues and sense heat
  • Senses help creatures move safely in their environments

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Scientific Thinking (Scientific inquiry); Critical Thinking & Reasoning (Inference)
  • Language & Communication: Oral Communication (Vocabulary Development)

Related Concepts:

  • Force: Every movement needs a push or a pull
  • Elastic energy: Stored in stretchy rubber bands
  • Pressure: Gases (CO2) pushing outward to power motion
  • Static electricity: Pulling things without touching

Domains & Competencies:

  • Cognitive Development: Critical Thinking & Reasoning (Cause-and-effect); Scientific Thinking (Experimentation)
  • Approaches to Learning: Learning Strategies (Trial and error)

Monthly Progression

Weeks 1–2: Creatures with special senses and skills — Bats and Snakes

The month opens with two animals: Snakes and Bats. Bats fly in the dark using sound. Snakes slither, swim, and glide — all without legs, feet, or wings. Through stories, experiments, and roleplay, children explore how these animals' bodies and senses are built for the way they move. They also begin sorting animals by where and how they move — land, sky, or sea.

Week 3: All about Sky

Having met bats and birds in the opening weeks, children now ask: what makes flying possible? They explore wings, hollow bones, air resistance, and lift — and discover that airplane wings are modelled on bird wings. Nature, it turns out, was the first engineer.

Week 4: All about Land

Children shift to the ground beneath their feet. Animals gallop, hop, crawl, and slither across land — but people wanted to go farther and faster, so we invented wheels and roads. Children explore ramps, gravity, friction, and why roads need to be both smooth and grippy. Transport, safety signs, and problem-solving come into play.

Week 5: All about Sea

The month closes with water. Fish are streamlined and have fins — and boats borrow from the same design. Children build boats, test what floats and sinks, and explore density, buoyancy, and the forces that push things through water.

Weekly Plans

Projects

1. Build a road craft project

Facilitators nudge kids to think in terms of bridges, tunnels, zebra crossings, and traffic signs. Kids observe and then create a collaborative road layout.

2. Build a bike STEAM project

Making a bike out of cardboard rolls, straws, and pipe cleaner strings to explore how parts connect to make a vehicle move.

Thematic Resource Bank