Printable Playdough Mats for Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten

Rosey | Posted on January 15, 2024 |

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These printable playdough mats are an awesome fine motor activity for kids in Preschool, PreK or Kindergarten. They help kids develop a variety of fine motor skills such as rolling, cutting and using dough tools.

Benefits of Playdough

Playdough play develops several essential skills, particularly in children. Here are some key skills that are enhanced through playdough activities:

Fine Motor Skills: Playdough activities improve fine motor skills as children use their hands to squish, roll, flatten, shape, and cut the dough. This enhances hand strength and dexterity, which are crucial for tasks like writing, using scissors, and buttoning clothes.
Creativity and Imagination: When children create with playdough, they engage their imagination. They can make anything from simple shapes to complex, imaginative creations, fostering creativity and original thinking.
Hand-Eye Coordination: Activities like rolling playdough into balls, using cookie cutters, or creating specific shapes require children to use their vision to guide their hand movements, enhancing hand-eye coordination.
Social and Emotional Development: Playdough can be a social activity, promoting sharing, communication, and collaboration when children work together on projects. It also allows for emotional expression, as children can express feelings through their creations.
Cognitive Development: Working with playdough can support cognitive development in areas such as problem-solving (figuring out how to make certain shapes), planning (deciding what to create and how), and conceptual learning (understanding concepts like size, shape, and volume).

Overall, playdough is not just a fun activity but also a valuable educational tool that supports various aspects of a child’s development.

Playdough Activities for Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten

The following playdough mats help kids develop essential skills when working with playdough. Most of the mats feature a target skill such as using a rolling pin, cutter, extruder or cookie cutters. What I love most, is they are kitchen themed and feature many real photos of kitchen items. So kids can develop vocabulary AND fine motor skills as they create a variety of foods with playdough!

Here are a few pics of some of the mats in action. If I was to choose any playdough mats for my classroom, these would be it as they can include guided practice whilst also allowing kids to apply their creativity too!