Free Printable Christmas Play Dough Mats
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Do your kids reach for the play dough every chance they get? These free printable Christmas play dough mats are a fun way to turn that love into a little holiday learning. Kids read a simple sentence, trace a Christmas word, and build the matching picture with play dough.
They’re made for Pre-K and Kindergarten, and they fit right into your homeschool Christmas plans. The set has 27 Christmas mats, from candy canes and stockings to Santa, a sleigh, and a snow globe.
December can get so busy. Between baking, shopping, and all the holiday events, it’s easy for school time to slip. I wanted a Christmas activity my little ones could do that felt like play but still had some learning built in.
Play dough is always a hit in our house. Add a Christmas picture and a word to trace, and it keeps them busy and happy. It’s also a nice quiet activity for those busy December afternoons.
Why You’ll Love These Christmas Play Dough Mats
- Kids learn while they play. Rolling and shaping the dough feels like fun, but they’re reading and tracing too.
- They build strong little hands. Squishing, rolling, and pinching play dough is great fine motor practice for handwriting.
- They’re low prep. Print the mats, laminate them or slip them in page protectors, and they’re ready to go.
- There’s lots of variety. With 27 different mats, kids can try a new one every day of December.
What’s Included In The Free Christmas Play Dough Mats
This free Christmas fine motor activity includes:
- 27 full-color Christmas play dough mats
- A simple sentence starter on every mat: “I can make a __.”
- A Christmas word to trace in a dotted font
- A matching Christmas picture for kids to build with play dough
Each page is 11″ x 8.5″, but you can change the size in your printer settings.
The 27 holiday mats in this set are:
- Bell
- Bow
- Candle
- Candy Cane
- Chimney
- Christmas Tree
- Elf
- Elf Hat
- Gift
- Gingerbread Man
- Holly
- Jingle Bell
- Letter to Santa
- Light
- Milk and Cookies
- Mrs. Claus
- Ornament
- Peppermint
- Reindeer
- Santa
- Santa Hat
- Santa’s Bag
- Sleigh
- Snow Globe
- Star
- Stocking
- Wreath
Supplies Needed
- The printable play dough mats
- A color printer and paper or cardstock
- A laminator or clear page protectors
- Play dough in Christmas colors like red, green, white, and brown
- Dry erase markers for tracing on laminated mats
- Play dough tools like a small rolling pin or plastic knife (optional)
How To Use The Christmas Play Dough Mats
Print And Laminate The Mats
Print the mats in color on paper or cardstock. Then laminate them or slip them into clear page protectors. That way, you can wipe them clean and use them again and again.
Read The Sentence Together
Each mat has the sentence “I can make a __.” Read it together, pointing to each word. Little ones will start to recognize “I,” “can,” and “make” after a few mats.
Trace The Christmas Word
Next, have your child trace the dotted Christmas word with a dry-erase marker. This is great pre-writing practice, and it helps them connect the word to the picture.
Build The Picture With Play Dough
Now for the fun part. Kids roll, squish, and shape the play dough to build the picture on the mat. They might roll a snake for a candy cane or flatten a ball for an ornament.
Wipe And Play Again
When they’re done, squish the play dough back into a ball and wipe the mat clean. Then pick a new mat and start again.
Skills Kids Can Practice
These Christmas play dough mats build lots of early learning skills:
- Fine motor skills and hand strength
- Pre-writing and tracing
- Reading simple sentences
- Sight words like “I,” “can,” and “make”
- Christmas vocabulary
- Visual-motor skills
- Creativity and imagination
- Following directions
Ways To Use These Play Dough Mats
There are so many ways to use these mats during the holidays:
- In your homeschool. Add them to a Christmas unit study, your morning basket, or a cozy December afternoon.
- As a Christmas countdown. Pick a new mat each day in December for a fun learning advent.
- At daycare or preschool. Set them out during small groups or free play.
- In a Christmas center. Use them in a fine motor or literacy center.
- For morning tubs or early finishers. They’re an easy activity kids can do on their own.
- For therapy or special education. The hands-on play makes them a motivating fine motor activity for OT sessions and small groups.
- On busy holiday days. Pull them out while you bake cookies or wrap gifts to keep little hands busy.
Tips For Success
- Start with simple shapes. Shapes like the star, candy cane, and ornament are great for little ones just getting started.
- Offer Christmas colors. Red, green, white, and brown play dough make the pictures extra festive.
- Show them a few tricks. Roll a snake, flatten a pancake, or roll a little ball. Then let them try it on their own.
- Don’t worry about perfection. Their reindeer might look a little silly, and that’s okay. The fun is in the making!
- Store the mats together. Keep them in a binder or folder so they’re ready to pull out every Christmas.
More Free Christmas Printables For Kids
If your kids love these Christmas play dough mats, here are more Christmas activities to try:
- Christmas Tree Counting 1-10 Playdough Mats
- First 100 Words Playdough Mats
- Christmas Count And Clip Cards
- Christmas Word Puzzles
- Christmas Counting To 10 Puzzles
- Printable Christmas Scavenger Hunt For Kids
- Easy Christmas Crafts For Kids
Christmas Play Dough Mats Printable Download
Like all my printables, these are for personal and single-classroom use. Feel free to print and use it for home use, in your classroom, co-op, or in your library group, etc.
Digital reselling, distribution, or reshaping is not allowed.
Please, when sharing with others, share the original website link so they can download their own copy.
** Download The Christmas Play Dough Mats Printable HERE **
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
