Lesson Plan Ideas – Monsters

Here are some lesson plan ideas for your Monster’s theme. Do you have an idea you’d like to add? Type it in the comments section below or email it to amy@planningplaytime.com, Subject Line: Monsters.

Circle Time

• Story Time: Make up a story about a monster for a class book. Each student provides a sentence or two. Teacher writes it on large paper. Students could add illustrations.
• Story Telling Using Paper Bag Monster Puppets from the Art Center
• Team Draw or Build a Monster: Start with a circle. Have each child add one thing onto the monster. They can draw with a dry erase marker or you can give each child shapes to build with.

• 5 Little Monsters: To the rhythm of 5 Little Monkeys. Do the actions of pedaling, wheels going around and stop and go as you say the chant.

5 Little Monsters, on their way to school.

One rode a bike. He thought that was cool.

Pedal monster pedal, in a straight line.

Whew he made it, just in time.

4 Little Monsters, on their way to school.

One rode the bus. She thought that was cool.

The wheels go fast, round and round,

So fast you can barely see the ground.

3 Little Monsters, on their way to school.

One rode in a car. He thought that was cool.

Start and stop as we go through town.

We made it on time! No need to frown.

2 Little Monsters, on their way to school.

One road a scooter. She thought that was cool.

She wore her helmet to protect her head.

Too bad you can’t wear one while jumping on the bed.

1 Little Monster, on his way to school.

He walked with mamma. He thought that was cool.

Mamma can’t stay for school today,

But Monster will see friends, and gets to play.

Literacy Centers

• Spin and Dump Alphabet Monster Letter Recognition Game (Instructions and printables in Preschool Unit).
• Playdough Monster Letter Building (Instructions and printables in Preschool Unit).
• Many more Ideas in our Preschool Monster Theme Unit

Math Centers

• Monster Puzzles: Cut out pictures of monsters and glue them to a row of craft sticks. Number the sticks 1-5 (or higher if your class is ready). Cut along the sticks. Have the children put the sticks together in order to complete the picture.
• Many more ideas in our Preschool Monster Theme Unit

Science Center

• Draw a face on a balloon. Place green (or any color) food coloring in a clear, empty, plastic water bottle. Add 1 cup of vinegar. Use a spoon and pour in 2-3 teaspoons of baking soda into the balloon. Place balloon over the mouth of bottle and lift so baking soda pours into bottle. The balloon will fill and monsters face will “grow.”
• Make Oobleck as a class. Observe how it changes from runny to solid depending on what pressure you apply to it. Experiment and explore how it feels in your hands and how it travels through objects with holes. Here’s a great recipe with a bit more science if you want it: https://babbledabbledo.com/how-to-make-oobleck/.

Art Center

• Monster Collage Art: Provide toilet paper types, pipe cleaners, googly eye of all different sizes, “teeth” cut outs from different colors of paper, markers etc. Could also make on a piece of construction paper. Maybe provide a circle monster and let children create from there.
• M is for Monster Craft (Template in Preschool Unit)
• Monster Puppets: Use White or brown bags. Let children decorate by painting, splatter paint with fly swatters? Provide google eyes of different sizes. Cut out circle noses in different colors and sizes. Use triangle type cut out in different colors to make hair or teeth.

Music & Movement

• Monster Dance: How do Monsters look when they dance? Turn on fun music and let the kids get their wiggles out.
• Dance and FREEZE Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UcZWXvgMZE
• Like a Monster: Roll a dice. Each number represents a movement. You can write them or use pictures in a pocket dice, or write them on the board. When the kids roll a number, everyone has to do that action. For example 1- Hop Like a Monster, 2- Crawl Like a Monster, 3- Clap Like a Monster.

Read Alouds

• Monsters Love Colors
• Monsters Love School
• 5 Little Monsters Went to School
• Go Away Big Green Monster
• The Monster at the End of this Book
• Don’t Push the Button
• I Need my Monster
• Tickle Monster

Sensory Play

• Monster Spray! Fill table w/water. Print pics of monsters, in different sizes on cardstock & laminate. For this, I cut monsters first, then laminate. Provide small bottles for spraying and add lavender or vanilla to spray. Children-spray the monsters away!
• Monster Eyes Water Table: Draw eyes on ping pong balls-various colors or you could stick on colored googly eyes. Fill table with water and provide tongs or soup type spoons to scoop out the monster eyes 🙂
• Monster Squish: Use a strong ziploc bag, and maybe duct tape the top when it is filled. Draw a mouth on it with a sharpie. Fill bag w/green or blue paint or hair gel. Hair gel works best. Put in google eyes. The colored “eyes” are more fun. Children manipulate the eyes to make a monster face. Double bagging might be a good idea as well 🙂