Summer is here, but that doesn’t mean learning needs to take a break until school starts up again! There are so many easy ways to keep your child from losing the skills that she has worked so hard on. Our Ice Cream Play Dough Mats are a simply busy bag activity to put together to practice counting, number recognition, and even fine motor skills. Pull it out during the day when you need to get something done for a quiet time, independent play activity!
Ice Cream Play Dough Mats
The play dough mat set includes a printable ice cream cone page to decorate with play dough toppings and ice cream trucks with the numbers 1-20 on them.
Getting the Ice Cream Play Dough Mat activity going takes no time at all. Simply print the printable file below. Cut out the ice cream trucks on the gray dotted lines and laminate the play dough ice cream cone mat. If you don’t have a laminator, you can always just use a plastic page protector instead!
Now that the activity is prepped, find some fun colored play dough (homemade or store bought) and it’s time to play!
The ice cream cone play dough mat can be played with on its own or with the numbered ice cream trucks.
For toddlers, and younger kids who do not know their numbers yet, it is fun to decorate the ice cream cone with all of their favorite toppings! Think sprinkles, whipped cream, cherries, colored candies, and more!
While decorating the ice cream with toppings, talk to your child about what she is doing. Ask about how many sprinkles she is putting on the ice cream. Count the sprinkles together one by one. Ask your child about what her favorite topping on ice cream is, or what her favorite kind of ice cream is. Include conversation with playing to extend the activity into more than just sitting quietly while playing with the play dough.
For older preschoolers and kindergarteners, use the numbered ice cream trucks to make the ice cream play dough mat activity a little more challenging!
Pile the ice cream trucks up, and have your child pick on. In the photo above, the ice cream truck has the number 12 on it. Your child’s job is to add 12 sprinkles, cherries, candies…whatever she wants, to the top of the ice cream cone. Have your child practice counting out loud while pointing to each topping to double check her accuracy. Clear off the ice cream, pick a new numbered ice cream truck, and play again!
This activity can be differentiated to meet the needs of younger or older kids! Simply choose the method of play that works best for your child or in your classroom.
We have so much more ice cream fun for your preschoolers!
Check out some of these ideas:
Ice Cream Treat Alphabet Puzzles
Ice Cream Toppings Sensory Bin
Download the ice cream play dough mats now!
Check out these awesome ice cream themed activities too!
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Ice Cream Skip Counting Puzzles // The STEM Laboratory
Ice Cream Bean Bag Tutorial // Sugar Aunts
Ice Cream Felt Busy Box // Teach Me Mommy
ABC Ice Cream Matching Busy Bag // Coffee Cups and Crayons
Ice Cream Sundae Money Addition // Liz’s Early Learning Spot
Write and Wipe Addition Cards // Playdough to Plato
Ice Cream Counting Playdough Mats // Modern Preschool
Ice Cream Ten Frame Number Match // The Kindergarten Connection
Ice Cream Cup and Ball Game // Adventures of Adam
Ice Cream Pattern Cards // Simply Learning
Ice Cream Money Matching Game // The Simplified Classroom
Build an Ice Cream Sundae | Money Math Practice for Kids // Science Kiddo
Ice Cream Digraph Sort // The Letters of Literacy
Ice Cream Scoop and Balance Game // Play & Learn Everyday
Ice Cream Number Matching Puzzles // Fairy Poppins
Download the ice cream play dough mats now!
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