Looking for free printable playdough mats for kids that break the mold? These summer playdough mats are a great indoor activity for toddlers and even older kids to engage them in creative and independent play!
Summer vacation is a busy time for many families, but there are always those inevitable times when boredom hits, especially if you have young kids at home! Whether everyone is stuck inside on a rainy day or you’re trying to get chores and tasks accomplished, you can’t always be “on” for entertainment.
Playdough was always one of my go-to activities when my kids were younger because it was guaranteed to keep them busy for a solid 30 minutes to an hour, leaving me time to accomplish something other than getting dressed for the day!
Playing with Playdough is also a great screen-free alternative, encouraging limitless creativity and pretend play. If you’re looking for a fun and educational indoor activity for your child, try these free printable summer playdough mats! They’re the perfect boredom busters for kids and a welcome relief for you!
Why I Love Playdough Mats for Kids
As a former preschool teacher, I am always searching for indoor kids’ activities that help children boost their creativity while learning something along the way. That’s why I love playdough mats! I can laminate them for repeated use, they keep my kids entertained, and they’re also working on essential skills like counting with these free printable number playdough mats!
Playdough mats are also a great way to encourage independent play with toddlers and younger kids. I often felt I had to sit with my kids while they played with their Playdough because they always needed me to roll it up or smoosh it into different contraptions. This is one kids’ activity they can do on their own, so you can take a breather or accomplish something yourself!
What Makes These Playdough Mats Different
While most free printable playdough mats involve rolling Playdough out into a snake-like shape and then forming it into specific items or shapes, these summer playdough mats encourage creativity and free-thinking play.
With options like “Build a Sandcastle” and “Pile on the Ice Cream Scoops,” your kids can create endless versions of each prompt, compare theirs to their siblings’ pictures, and leave boredom at the door!
Supplies Needed to Make Summer Playdough Mats
- Free Printable Playdough Mats – Get your copy below!
- White card stock or printer paper and access to a printer – These summer playdough mats are available in black and white AND color versions, so you don’t need to worry about having a color printer!
- Laminator and laminating pouches – I like to use 5mm laminating pouches as they’re more durable than the thinner versions. This laminator is my favorite (I HIGHLY recommend it!) and these laminating pouches. You can also use these clear sheet protectors if you don’t have a laminator.
- Playdough – You can also see the end of this post for more fun ways to use Playdough mats!
How to Use these Summer Playdough Mats
1. Download the FREE Printable Summer Playdough Mats.
You can get the FREE printable playdough mats by clicking the link below!
Download The Printable!
Click below to download your FREE SUMMER PLAYDOUGH MATS!
2. Print the playdough mats on white paper or card stock.
I like to use card stock for kids’ activities like this because I feel like it’s more durable in those busy toddler hands! However, you can always print the mats on regular printer paper if you don’t have any card stock available, especially if you’re using those 5 mil laminating pouches.
3. Laminate the Summer Playdough Mats
Now you just send each playdough mat through your laminating machine. It’s that easy!
*Side Note: If you don’t have a laminator, no worries! You can get the mats laminated at an office supply or print store like FedEx or Kinko’s. They do charge about $3.00 per page, however, so it’s definitely worth it to buy your own laminator if you plan on laminating lots of pages! You can also purchase sheet protector sleeves for binders and skip the laminating altogether!
Personally, I use my laminator for tons of kids’ activities, home organization charts, checklists, and more! For example, I used my laminator to make these Kids’ Chore Charts with Chore Cards and these Printable Reward Charts for Kids!
4. Let your kids explore their creativity with Playdough!
Once your summer playdough mats are laminated, they’re ready to go! Simply grab some Playdough, Kinetic Sand, or modeling clay, and let your kids tap into their inner creativity!
They can use the mats to put chocolate chips on cookies, create cotton candy, build sand castles, and more!
Other Fun Ways to Use These Free Printable Playdough Mats
Use the Mats with Fruit Loops, Cheerios, or Other Cereal
Have your kids create shapes using Fruit Loops or other cereal for each picture. This is a great fine motor activity for toddlers, and they can also practice their gluing skills by making a more permanent piece of art!
Use Kinetic Sand Instead of Playdough
Keeping kids entertained means giving them a variety of options – all the time! So why not mix things up a little and swap playdough for kinetic sand or even modeling clay? Giving your kids options means you can keep using these playdough mats all summer long!
Use the Summer Playdough Mats with Edible Finger Paint
My youngest daughter came up with the idea for this 2 ingredient edible finger paint, and it was a kid-approved hit at our house! It’s super easy to make, and your kids can even help you!
The edible finger paint is the perfect pairing for these laminated dough mats, and all you need to do is wipe the mats clean with a warm rag when you’re finished.
Other Free Printable Activities for Kids
We could all use a little help when it comes to entertaining our kids during summer vacation, so feel free to check out my other fun and simple kids’ activities:
- Free Printable Playdate Cards for Kids – Summer is the perfect time for playdates! Your kids can pass out these playdate cards to their friends at school so they can meet up over summer break!
- Finish the Picture Drawing Sheets – Free Printable – Another great free printable activity that encourages your kids to be creative!
- Drawing Prompts for Kids – Three Months of Ideas! These printable drawing prompts are great boredom busters for kids who need to take a break from their screens and spend some time getting creative!
You can also check out these other play dough activities for kids!
What are some of your kids’ favorite playdough activities? Leave me a comment below! I would LOVE to hear from you!
And don’t forget to PIN this post for later:
