• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Educational Learning and Play for Children 2-7

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Shop Lesson Plans
    • My Downloads
  • About
    • PR/Social Media
  •  
  • Literacy
  • Math
  • PreK
  • Science
  • Fall Theme Activities
  • Preschool Themes

Oct 21, 2015
Fine Motor Skills for Tiny Fingers· PreK· Preschool and Kindergarten Skills

Simple Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers!

Thanks for sharing!

  • Share
  • Tweet

Knowledge of shapes is one of the earliest educational processes that young kids are exposed to.  Preschoolers use visual information about shapes to discriminate between objects and to learn about the world around them.  This week the Early Childhood Education Team is offering playful learning suggestions for helping young kids learn about SHAPES.  The playdough shapes building challenge below will not only help preschoolers observe and compare various shapes, but it will challenge them to integrate basic shape knowledge into a hands-on activity that encourages critical thinking skills.

Playdough ShapesPlaydough SHAPES Building Challenge for Preschoolers!

Playdough Shape Building Challenge Objectives: To encourage kids to use critical thinking skills and individual creativity to construct basic shapes with playdough.  Skills presented in the building challenge:

  • Estimation
  • Same/Different
  • Fine Motor
  • Visual Measurement
  • Number concepts for creation of the shapes
  • Relationships between the shapes
  • Planning and design that exhibits early attempts at engineering
  • Sensory (Tactile and Visual)
  • Connections with familiar and new shape knowledge
  • Creative Expression
  • Inquiry and Problem solving

BUILDING INQUIRY: What basic shapes can the children create using ONLY playdough?

The shapes building challenge can be modified for kids of various ages through the addition of more complex shapes, polygons, cylinders/cones/spheres, or creating towers from basic shapes. Rolling, squeezing, squishing, and molding playdough into various shapes is a FUN way to offer opportunities for the development of fine motor skills and knowledge of shapes through inquiry and solution-based learning!

Introduction for students:   Review basic shapes the children have had introduced or are learning:  circles, triangles, squares, rectangles are good shapes to begin with.  Challenge the children to use playdough only to create any shape(s) they know.  The children will ask questions about how to make the shapes.  Try to guide the children with open-ended questions that will allow them to think about the shape they wish to create and make a plan for the design with only the playdough.

Playdough Shape Building Challenge for Preschoolers

It is exciting to observe kids engaged in planning, building, making visual “measurements”, and formulating ideas about various shape designs!

Playdough Shapes Building Challenge - Octogon and Triangle

In the photo above,  kids chose to create an 8-sided octagon and a 3-sided triangle from rolled pieces of playdough.

Playdough Shapes Building Challenge Circle Strategies

CREATIVE BUILDING STRATEGY EXAMPLES

To create circles, the kids tried various designs. Some of the children rolled a long playdough worm and then attached the ends.  Other children chose to roll small balls and flatten with their hands.  One group “pieced together” a large circle comprised of other small playdough balls.

It’s amazing the observe young children thinking and creating.  This challenge was FUN for the kids, but they gained some important problem solving skills that they will carry with them as they grow and learn about shapes!

For even MORE ways to play with SHAPES in Early Childhood, please visit the activity suggestions from the #TeachECE team below:

Shiny Showy Shapes Alliteration Fun by Growing Book by Book

Roll and Cover The Shapes Alphabet Activity by Mom Inspired Life

Shapes Preschool Theme Sand Writing Tray by Learning 2 Walk

Mixing Shapes with Our Bodies – Group Activity by Capri + 3

Shape Sensory Squish Bag by Still Playing School

Shape I Spy for Preschoolers: Free Printable by Life Over C’s

Exploring Shapes with Yarn by Tiny Tots Adventures

Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers by The Preschool Toolbox Blog

DIY Shapes Puzzle by Munchkins and Moms

Preschool Shape Hunt Activities by Fun-A-Day

 

 

 

25 Comments

Join our newsletter & receive the FREE DOWNLOAD:
Explorations with ALL 5 SENSES!

Enjoy in the classroom or at home!



Previous Post: « Preschool Science: Exploring Eye Colors in Families!
Next Post: Pretend Play in Preschool: How to Be a Scientist! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jodie @ Growing Book by Book says

    October 21, 2015 at 6:03 am

    This is a fantastic to challenge kids to think!

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    October 21, 2015 at 7:24 am

    What a fun way to explore shapes! We love using play dough!

    Reply
  3. Theresa says

    October 21, 2015 at 8:08 am

    I love all of the creative ways your students made shapes. Your suggestion to respond to questions with open ended questions instead of telling them how to make the shapes is wonderful!

    Reply
  4. Devany says

    October 21, 2015 at 8:33 am

    My son is obsessed with play dough! He’ll love this idea!

    Reply
  5. Danielle says

    October 21, 2015 at 10:46 am

    Great challenge! I love that you encouraged your students to think critically about how to make the shape. It’s neat to see the various ways they made the circle!

    Reply
  6. Alecia says

    October 25, 2015 at 2:04 pm

    So fun! I’m going to add this to our lessons next week. My kids love play dough work!

    Reply
  7. Clarissa says

    October 25, 2015 at 11:31 pm

    Play dough is such an amazing and versatile learning tool!

    Reply
  8. Natasha says

    November 1, 2015 at 12:27 am

    Great challenge. I like how it invites them to get creative and solving a problem.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Shiny Showy Shapes Alliteration Activity says:
    October 21, 2015 at 6:05 am

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers by The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

    Reply
  2. Exploring Shapes with Yarn | Tiny Tots Adventures says:
    October 21, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers by The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

    Reply
  3. Simple Preschool Shape Activities - Fun-A-Day! says:
    October 21, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers by The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

    Reply
  4. Shape Preschool Theme Sand Tray Writing says:
    October 23, 2015 at 6:27 pm

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers by The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

    Reply
  5. Building Games For Preschoolers | Pagamely Games says:
    April 17, 2016 at 7:42 am

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers – Knowledge of shapes is one of the earliest educational processes that young kids are exposed to. Preschoolers use visual information about shapes to discriminate … […]

    Reply
  6. Making Shapes With Our Bodies-Group Activity says:
    April 18, 2016 at 8:32 pm

    […] Preschoolers: Free Printable by Life Over C’s Exploring Shapes with Yarn by Tiny Tots Adventures Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers by The Preschool Toolbox Blog DIY Shapes Puzzle by Munchkins and Moms Preschool Shape Hunt […]

    Reply
  7. Shapes Activities for Toddlers - My Bored Toddler says:
    June 11, 2017 at 6:19 am

    […] Playdough Shape Building – The Preschool Toolbox […]

    Reply
  8. 60+ Play Dough Fall/Winter Centers and Activities for Preschool! • The Preschool Toolbox Blog says:
    August 19, 2017 at 7:15 pm

    […] Simple STEAM Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers from The Preschool Toolbox […]

    Reply
  9. Shape I Spy Free Printable says:
    January 9, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers by The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

    Reply
  10. Activities to Teach SHAPES to Preschoolers- Real And Quirky says:
    January 23, 2018 at 3:01 pm

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge from The Preschool Toolbox […]

    Reply
  11. 22 Shape Activities for Preschoolers says:
    April 2, 2018 at 6:00 am

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge from The Preschool Toolbox […]

    Reply
  12. Mandarin Orange Playdough: Pre-Writing Line Paths for Preschoolers! • The Preschool Toolbox Blog says:
    May 27, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    […] Simple Playdough Shapes Building Challenge for Preschoolers […]

    Reply
  13. 23 Math STEM Activities - Sixth Bloom- Lifestyle, Photography & Family Blog says:
    July 24, 2019 at 9:39 am

    […] Simple Play dough Shapes Building – Knowledge of shapes is one of the earliest educational processes that young kids are exposed to.  Preschoolers use visual information about shapes to discriminate between objects and to learn about the world around them. […]

    Reply
  14. 22 Shape Activities for Preschoolers - Mom For All Seasons says:
    January 23, 2020 at 11:05 am

    […] Playdough Shapes Building Challenge from The Preschool Toolbox […]

    Reply
  15. Self isolation kids activities: 100+ things to do at home #31DaysOfLearning says:
    March 19, 2020 at 2:01 am

    […] Build a playdough model – take the play dough model building challenge with The Preschool Toolbox […]

    Reply
  16. Preschool Activities to Teach Shapes says:
    September 28, 2020 at 7:40 am

    […] love playdough! They can make playdough shapes to review the shapes they know. Then, you can challenge them to manipulate the playdough in […]

    Reply
  17. Shapes Activities for Toddlers - My Bored Toddler Math fun! says:
    February 22, 2022 at 2:26 pm

    […] Playdough Shape Building – The Preschool Toolbox […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

SEARCH for an ACTIVITY or SEASONAL THEME HERE!

Subscribe

Theme Activites, Parenting, Education

Copyright © 2023 · The Preschool Toolbox · Become an Affiliate · Web Hosting & Design by Servously

The Preschool Toolbox Blog uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and to personalize content. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Click READ MORE for details: Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT