Free printable tree play dough mat for autumn sensory play

Use this free printable tree play dough mat for a super sensory, fine-motor-boosting, autumn-themed math activity.

 

 

Printable tree play dough mat for autumn sensory play

Play dough mats are such a useful piece of kit, at home and in the classroom.

I love being able to use play dough mats from The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack for each topic we’re learning about. I can simply print a mat, add playdough, and I have an instant invitation to play which develops language skills, promotes imaginary play, and boosts fine motor skills. 

With 180 pages and over 50 themes and topics in The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack, I’m all organised for the whole year. No hassle, no planning, no prep = just print and play. I love it!

 

 

 

These play mats are amazing!

:: the printable play mats in The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack are an excellent ‘spark’ for imaginative play, providing a play-prompt which children can then develop in their own way

:: the mats encourage storytelling and language skills, as children narrate their play

:: play dough is an excellent fine-motor skill activity, helping to develop dexterity and hand strength. Just think about the movements involved in kneading the play dough, rolling out a long ‘sausage’, and coiling it up to create the snail’s shell. It’s such a great work out for wrists, hands, and fingers.

:: children can play solo, making these a great quiet-time activity, or in pairs or small groups, building teamwork skills and helping children learn to collaborate and co-operate

:: the mats in The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack also make a great backdrop to small worlds and puppet shows, and work as drawing prompts too. They’re great for rainy days and car journeys, and for transition times such as after school or while you’re making dinner.

Click here to get your copy of The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack,and you’ll find the snail play mat in the Animals section, along with printables featuring fish, cats, dinosaurs, pigs, owls, bees, bunnies and more. 

The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack gives you over 180 pages of printables, covering over 50 topics and themes, so you’ll have ready-to-play resources for every week of the year. 

The play dough mats cover math and literacy activities; festivals including Christmas, halloween, and Chinese New Year; and many themes including pizzas, space, snowmen, castles, gingerbread men, the weather, monsters, flowers and multicultural faces. 

 

Add this fantastic resource to your kit:

Click here to get your copy of The Amazing Play Dough Printables Pack.

 

 

 

How to use this autumn tree printable play mat

Try out a play dough mat and see how versatile it is. This tree play dough mat works well for a math centre, sensory play, or a finger gym.

You can print as many copies of the autumn tree play mat as you need for your family, group or class – see below for details on how to print it.

You might like to laminate the printable so you can use it time and time again.

 

 

Set out the play mat with some homemade play dough, and perhaps some extra loose parts, and invite your children to play. My scented autumn play dough recipes pair perfectly with the tree play mat.

Each tree trunk has a number on it. Can your child make the right number of play dough leaves for each tree? 

You might like to line the trees up in ascending or descending order to make a number forest.

 

 

Add in extra fine-motor skills practice by offering a pencil so your children can practice their grip as they use the pencil to add details to the leaves.

There’s also a version with no number on the tree trunk so you can write in your own detail, to suit the stage your child is working at – perhaps some simple addition questions?

Alternatively, you can set out the play mat with markers and invite your children to draw in the leaves. Or use real leaves that you’ve collected on a nature walk as part of your forest school activities.