Looking for a fun, pet-themed activity for kids? Try making play dough animals! This activity is perfect for kids of all ages and can be a great way to get kids talking about pets and animals.
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Teaching Kids About Pets Using play dough Animals
One of the best ways to teach kids about pets is to let them play with puppets or stuffed animals. But, another great way to do this is by letting them make their pet out of play dough.
As they’re molding and shaping their animal, they’ll be learning about its features and what it needs to stay healthy.
These fun pet-themed playdough mats are a great way to get the kids started. Simply print out the mats (there are 8 different animals to choose from), and let the kids get creating!
BENEFITS OF PLAYDOUGH
These pet-themed play dough animal mats offer several benefits for kids, including:
- Promoting creativity and imagination.
- Developing fine motor skills.
- Encouraging communication and conversation.
- Allowing kids to express themselves.
- Providing a sense of calm and relaxation.
What You’ll Need For This Preschool Play dough Animals Activity
Playdough (homemade or store-bought)
Animal playdough mats (free download available at bottom of page)
Laminator – laminating these play dough mats will help them last a long time.
Scissors -Needed to cut mats out ready to laminate.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THESE PET ANIMAL PLAY DOUGH MATS
There are a total of eight different animals included in these mats:
Each animal or pet is found on an individual play dough mat. The mats feature the animal, as well as the name of the pet drawn with dotted lines.
- Play dough puppy mat
- Play dough snake mat
- Play dough turtle mat
- Play dough bunny mat
- Play dough lizard mat
- Play dough fish mat
- Play dough bird mat
- Play dough cat mat
Five Facts and Questions About Pets
As you ’re playing with your child and they’re molding their animals, use this time to teach them some fun facts about pets. Here are five facts and questions you can use:
-How many legs does a spider have?
-What kind of animal is a snake?
-What do you need to take care of a fish?
-Where do turtles live?
-What do bunnies like to eat?
More Pet Questions For Preschool Kids
You can also use this time to ask your child some questions about pets, such as:
-What kind of animal would you like to have as a pet?
-What would you name your pet?
-How would you take care of your pet?
-What kinds of things would your pet need?
-Where would your pet sleep?
Extending The play dough animals activity
Once your child has created their animal, there are several ways you can extend the activity. Here are a few ideas:
-Have your child create a habitat for their animal out of playdough.
-Encourage them to use the playdough to create food for their animal.
-Ask them to make a baby animal.
-See if they can create an animal that can fly.
-Encourage them to use their imagination and create any kind of pet they want!
This activity is a great way to spend some quality time with your child while teaching them about pets. And, it’s a perfect activity to do on those days when you need to stay indoors. So, go ahead and give it a try!
Need A Playdough Recipe?
No problem! We’ve got a great twenty here for you to choose from. Check out this post The Best Playdough Recipes For Kids and find the playdough you want to make.
Download Your Playdough Animal Template Here!
Get Your Free Playdough Animals PDF template here!
More Play Dough Mats
You may also love our Dinosaur Themed Playdough Mats or these super fun Emotions play dough mats. Enjoy!
About Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who specialised in Preschool and Kindergarten teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and is passionate about kids crafts, preschool music and reading with kids. Don’t forget to follow our fun crafts and creative ideas over on Facebook.
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