Shapes Playdough Mats Free Printables
Looking for a FUN way to TEACH your little one their SHAPES? Me too! That’s why I created these cute Shapes Playdough Mats Free Printables for you and your little one and for my own daughter!
Playdough is such a fun sensory activity, so why not combine it with some playdough mats and learn shapes at the same time?
I designed these 9 Shapes Playdough Mats to cover 9 of the most common shapes that Toddlers and Preschoolers learn before beginning school. The mats not only show the shapes but also a few items in everyday life that are that shape. This helps to make shape learning relevant and relatable for your little one.
If you’re interested in more Shape Activities, take a look at my collection here.
How Can You Use Playdough Mats for Learning?
There are several different ways you can use playdough mats with your Preschooler or Toddler. I’ll list my various suggestions below, but you’ll be the best judge of which method will work best for your little one.
1. Creative Ways to Use Your Shapes Playdough Mats
I have designed these playdough mats to have more than just one big shape on them, as some playdough mats do, as I thought that was rather boring! Having multiple, different sized, and sometimes differently angled, versions of the same shape on the mat helps your child to get a more rounded view of the shape they are learning.
It also creates opportunities for more creativity. They can cover the shape with playdough, or they can make a line of playdough that goes around the edge of the shape. There is also the option of creating a 3D model of the shape in front of them, or recreating the object on the mat that is that shape. For example on the circle mat, they could make a playdough donut to replicate the picture.
2. Simply lay the playdough mat out on the table, along with the playdough as an invitation to play and explore.
This way is child-led and play-based, allowing your child to interact with the shapes mat in whatever way they choose. This can be great in an early years or classroom setting as an independent activity. It helps to introduce a new shape to the child by getting them familiar with how it looks at different angles and different sizes.
3. Play with the Playdough Mats alongside the Child
Similar to the option above, this allows for open-ended play, but you are also alongside the child or children, demonstrating possible ways to use the playdough mats. This is a great option if you have a child who is struggling to know how to use it. Remember there is no wrong way to use them (unless a child is wrecking them!)
4. Using the Playdough Mat as part of a Structured Lesson
Another way you can use my Shapes Playdough Mats Free Printables is as part of your lesson plan. You can give the child the playdough mat that corresponds to the shape you are teaching them and set the challenge to make circles, for example, on top of all the circles on the circle playdough mat.
* You can incorporate counting into this activity too, by encouraging your children to count how many circles or squares are on the playdough mat, and discussing which is the biggest and littlest.
How to Get Your Free Printable Shapes Playdough Mats
To get these lovely mats, simply click the big pink button below. It will take you to a sign up sheet, where you can enter your email address and get the FREE PDF sent to you immediately.
Once you’ve got it, make sure you select ‘fit to printable area’ on your printer options before printing off, to make sure it all fits the paper nicely.
Then simply laminate your Playdough Mats to make them wipeable and reusable.
My kids really enjoyed playing with these and it has really helped my youngest to learn her shapes. Drop me a comment below to let me know how you get on with them!
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