So this week I’m sharing a brand new printable set of preschool mats: Mountain Playdough Shape Mats!

These are super fun for little ones who are working on fine motor skills, shape recognition, and more!

Plus, they’re a perfect activity for preschoolers who are working on a geology unit along with their older siblings.

Read on to see how to get yours for free!

And don’t forget to stop by and check out some of our other preschool printables, including our Apple Tree Counting Mat and our Beach Playdough Number Mats!

Preschool Playdough Mats: Mountain Playdough Shape Mats

To use these mountain playdough shape mats, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links provided for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

• Printer (with ink)
• Printer paper
• Playdough
• Laminator
• Do A Dot Markers (optional)

Once you laminate these mats, you can use them again and again, so here are a few different ways to use them with your preschoolers.

Give your child a Do A Dot marker and challenge him or her to fill in each shape with a different color. Or each dot with a different color.

You can even ask your child to make a color pattern (one green circle, one red circle, one blue circle, then repeat it).

Hand out circular stickers and let your child stick them into the circles. This is particularly great for toddlers or for times when you want to avoid a potential mess.

Use playdough to fill in the circles. Have your child roll small bits of dough into circles and place them in each circle to form each shape. This is excellent for fine motor practice.

Give your child dry erase crayons and bring the mats along when you’re going to a place you’ll have to wait.

Good choices include the doctor’s office, the drive-through, or a long car ride. Toss a basic washcloth into the car and use it to wipe off the mats for reuse.

Don’t miss these other preschool resources!

Plus, get more ideas for working with preschoolers on my Learning for Little Ones Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our free Preschool Playdough Mats: Mountain Do A Dot Shape Mats, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll get these and lots of other exclusive learning printables when you subscribe!

This post is part of the Mountains Unit Study roundup! Stop by to read even more learning ideas about mountains from my fellow bloggers!

Adventurous Mountain Books your Tween will Love from Crafty Mama in ME

Children’s Picture Books About Camping from The Jenny Evolution

Mountain Sequencing Puzzle from Schooling a Monkey

Making a Mountain Out of A Mole Hill from Tales Of Education At Home

My Side of the Mountain Survival Lessons from FrogMom

The post Preschool Playdough Mats: Mountain Playdough Shape Mats appeared first on Look! We're Learning!.

Preschoolers (and adults, for that matter) love playing with playdough! And, by the way, when you need something to occupy your kids quietly, playdough is a wonderful resource. It’s quiet, it’s easy to clean up, and it’s affordable.

On a personal note – I just want to know: Are my kids the only ones who mix up ALL the playdough colors? I really struggled to find some dough that looked decent for this post and it was tough! Out of the 20 cans of playdough in our house, I found one that was actually the color on the lid. One. Someone please tell me this is normal.

Even though kids like to use playdough to make all kinds of wacky colors, playdough can be much more than a time-filler for kids. It can be used to reinforce fine motor skill development, to encourage literacy, and to provide some much-needed sensory input.

So, I wanted to add a few more preschool playdough mats with a fun spring theme: ladybug playdough mats! These are awesome for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning about spring and how to recognize circles!

Read on to get yours free! And check out our Over the Rainbow Playdough Mats for more spring sensory fun!

Preschool Playdough Mats: Ladybug Playdough Mats

To use these playdough mats, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here for convenience. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

• Printer (with ink)
• Printer paper
• Laminator
• Playdough

There are three mats in this pack: One with a red and white ladybug, one with a ladybug crawling up a colorful flower, and a third with a black and red ladybug.

The graphics on these mats were done by the lovely Red Pepper and they’re so cute! Plus, they all feature circles. So if you’re doing shape of the week or a shape unit, this is a fab circle recognition activity.

We formed rough circles out of dough and our preschooler squashed them with her hands to fit the circles on the mats.

We also made balls and filled in the mat with those as well. This made a super easy and quick sensory and shape activity for spring!

Scroll down to get your free Ladybug Playdough Mats!

Be sure to check out these other playdough mats!

And for more early learning fun, follow my Learning for Little Ones board on Pinterest!

To get your copy of our Ladybug Playdough Mats free, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll get these playdough mats, plus lots of other exclusive freebies, in our Subscriber Library!

The post Preschool Playdough Mats: Ladybug Playdough Mats appeared first on Look! We're Learning!.

I cannot tell you the number of times I made that mistake with Tigger when she was younger. I’d meticulously plan a unit study, complete with books, games, activities, crafts, and more – only to find that she’d lost interest after just a few minutes.

But let’s be real: Preschoolers are not known for their long attention spans. Which means that when it comes to activities, the quicker the better. And if the setup is also simple, then that’s a win-win!

So here are ten 10 minute preschool activities that are fun, easy to set up, and educational! Don’t worry. With these, your preschooler won’t have time to get bored!

Image c/o: dmitrimaruta / depositphotos

Ten 10 Minute Preschool Activities

1. Pick a part of the human body and do a craft about it. These can be as simple as a cut-and-paste activity. For example, try this simple hands-on craft about taste buds!
2. Read a great picture book with your preschooler. If you need book suggestions, check out my list of the best picture books for three-year-olds!
3. Practice scissor cutting skills. Learning to use scissors is an important preschool skill. This set of bee-themed scissor practice printables is simple to set up!
4. Go on a nature walk. Take your child outside and look at the plants, animals, and insects in your neighborhood. If you have a lot of trees nearby, grab these free leaf identification flashcards and see how many you can spot!
5. Learn sign language. ASL is a wonderful language for both deaf and hearing kids and you can learn to sign a few words in just a few minutes! Check out this video to learn how to sign weather words in ASL.
6. Look through a kids’ cookbook and find a recipe to make together. This list of fun children’s cookbooks features some great selections!
7. Do a simple science experiment. In just a few minutes, you can show your child a scientific principle or two! Try this quick experiment to learn how to make an egg float!
8. Design a map of the solar system. Use this set of free printable solar system flashcards to set up a universe on your dining room table!
9. Make moon sand. When the weather’s nice outside, take your preschooler outdoors and make this recipe for colored moon sand together! It’s an awesome play material and a great way to incorporate sensory integration in your day.
10. Create a batch of edible play dough. This recipe for edible dairy-free play dough is super fun and super easy to make!

Try these other activities for early learners!

Harry the Dirty Dog Extension Activity

How to Teach Preschoolers to Play Quietly

The Best Picture Books for Three-Year-Olds

For more preschool learning ideas, follow my Learning for Little Ones board on Pinterest!

The post Ten 10 Minute Preschool Activities appeared first on Look! We're Learning!.