Arctic Animals Play Dough Mats

Today I’ve got a new Arctic printable for you: my Arctic Animals Play Dough Mats!

So what are the benefits of using play dough mats?

First, shaping and molding play dough is a great way to support the development of fine motor skills. Children strengthen their fingers and work on various fine motor skills (e.g., pincer grasp) while making their play dough creations.

Second, play dough mats stimulate creativity. Children use their imagination to see a scene in their mind and then bring it to life using play dough.

Further, this particular set of play dough mats also teaches children about Arctic animals. For example, they will learn that walruses have tusks and polar bears need floating icebergs to rest on.

And while my Arctic Animals Play Dough Mats have long been available as part of my Arctic Unit Study, I am finally releasing it as a standalone option for you to download.

Enjoy!

Note: For more Arctic resources, see my Polar Animals and Lands Unit Study page or grab my Arctic Unit Study.

My Arctic Animals Play Dough Mats printable features the following animals:

• polar bear
• walrus
• Arctic tern
• orca
• puffin
• snowy owl
• seal
• Arctic fox

To use the Arctic Animals Play Dough Mats, you’ll need to print out the pages you want and pair them with some play dough.

I recommend laminating the pages or placing them into a plastic sleeve so your child can use them again and again.

Once you’ve given your child the tools he or she needs, it’s time to play!

This puffin needs some eggs. Can your child give the puffin some eggs?

This polar bear needs an iceberg to stand on. Can your child help?

And this walrus needs some tusks and whiskers. How big would your child like to make them?

As you can see, your children will learn about Arctic animals as they work with these play dough mats. For example, children will see that orcas eat fish (among other things) and Arctic terns build nests.

But the best part is that this learning all happens naturally through fun and engaging play.

Want a copy of my Arctic Animals Play Dough Mats?

Get it as part of the Arctic Unit Study.

Or get this product by clicking the button below.

More Arctic learning resources

More Arctic animal activities from Gift of Curiosity:

• Arctic Animals Toddler Skills Pack
• Arctic Animals Montessori Book
• Label the parts of the Arctic Animals
• 9 Arctic animals learning activities
• Arctic Animals Fine Motor Pack
• Arctic Animals Gross Motor Movement Game
• Arctic ice sensory play
• Blubber experiment to show how animals stay warm

You’ll find more resources for learning about Arctic animals on my Polar Animals and Lands Unit Study page and my Polar Animals and Lands Pinterest board.