Playdough To Plato

Fun learning activities for kids! Literacy, math, science and more.

16 Thanksgiving Centers

by Filed Under: Fall, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Math, Kindergarten Reading, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Preschool Math, Preschool Reading, Shop 2 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 6. Gobble, gobble! Get into the Thanksgiving spirit with a math and literacy pack that’s perfect for preschool and kindergarten. The 16 motivating math and literacy activities include ABC games, counting activities, sight word games, little reader books, graphing sheets, rhyming clip cards and more. Grab your set in our shop or on Teachers Pay […]

21 Candy Science Experiments

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Science, Kids' Science, Kindergarten Science, Plato's Blog, Preschool Science 9 Comments

Activities for ages 3 to 8. Kids’ science experiments are always a hit but throw candy onto the supply list and you’re guaranteed to step up the cool factor. These 21 candy science experiments are perfect to use as science fair projects, classroom activities, homeschool lessons or rainy day entertainment. They’re a perfect compliment to our best […]

Fall Counting Puzzles

by Filed Under: Counting to 20, Fall, Free Printables, Plato's Blog 2 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 5. Building up number sense, including number recognition and counting, takes a lot of time and practice. Since we always aim to make learning fun, we were excited to pull out this playful batch of fall counting puzzles! They are perfect for preschoolers and early kindergarteners who are learning numbers and […]

Magic Pumpkin Science

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Science, Kids' Science, Kindergarten Science, Plato's Blog, Preschool Science, Second Grade Science 13 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 8. This simple kids’ science experiment is a must-try this fall! Just grab a handful of Reese’s Pieces and a cup of hot water and you’re ready to make a jaw dropping magic pumpkin. Kids will beg to repeat the experiment over and over again. It’s the perfect compliment to our […]

Race to School ABC Game

by Filed Under: ABC Games, Fall, Free Printables, Kindergarten Reading, Plato's Blog, Preschool Reading Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 4 to 6. Learning alphabet letters is an important skill for young learners.  This Race to School alphabet game is a fun and engaging way for children to practice both uppercase and lowercase letters.  It’s a great game to use at the beginning of the school year with preschool or kindergarten students. Getting […]

First Grade Pumpkin Activities

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Holidays, First Grade Math, First Grade Reading, First Grade Science, Plato's Blog, Shop 1 Comment

Activities for ages 6 to 7. Pumpkin activities are a must for fall! These 17 pumpkin math, literacy and science activities take learning to the next level by teaching first graders sight words, number bonds, addition, pumpkin life cycles and so much more. Grab the activity pack in our shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers, Literacy Activities Inside the pack, you’ll find […]

Pumpkin Activity Packet

by Filed Under: Fall, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Preschool Math, Preschool Reading, Rhyming, Shop, Teaching Themes 20 Comments

Activities for ages 3 to 6. Pumpkin activities are a must for fall! These 21 playful pumpkin math, literacy and science activities take learning to the next level by teaching kids alphabet letters, sight words, numbers, beginning addition, pumpkin life cycles and so much more. They’re perfect for preschool and kindergarten! Grab the activity pack in our shop or on Teachers Pay […]

Pumpkin CVC Puzzles

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Reading, Free Printables, Kindergarten Reading, Plato's Blog, Word Family Activities 1 Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 6. With fall in the air, it will soon be a great time to visit a pumpkin patch and enjoy some super fun pumpkin learning activities. These pumpkin CVC puzzles are the perfect hands on game for beginning readers and will make a fun addition to literacy centers! Getting Ready To prepare these fun pumpkin […]

Apple Alphabet Match

by Filed Under: ABC Games, Fall, Free Printables, Kindergarten Reading, Letter Names, Plato's Blog, Preschool Reading 2 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 5. With back to school season upon us and fall right behind, it’s fun to have some themed, seasonal learning activities on hand. This apple alphabet match is the perfect activity for this time of year… or anytime, really. And, as a big bonus, it’s a great addition to our popular Alphabet Mega Pack! […]

I Am Thankful Thanksgiving Craftivity

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Holidays, First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Holidays, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays 3 Comments

Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here?! This fun craftivity is a great way to get kiddos kiddos thinking about the many things that they are thankful for in their lives. Grab your copy (below) and then hop over and pick up our Thanksgiving Activity Pack! Getting Ready I started by printing a turkey body and a set of […]

Autumn Spiced Salt Dough

by Filed Under: Fall, Plato's Blog, Playdough 1 Comment

Pumpkin spice, cinnamon apple, and mulled cider – we love the scents of fall and just couldn’t get enough of this warm and cozy autumn scented salt dough recipe.  This dough takes a mere minutes to mix up and is the perfect, no-fail recipe for little chefs to make. Autumn Scented Salt Dough To prep, […]

Roll a Silly Spooky Story

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories 2 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Do your kids say that they can’t think of anything to write about during Writer’s Workshop? Problem solved. Whether you are a teacher looking for a creative writing assignment or a homeschooling parent incorporating literacy, this fun fall themed activity is sure to cure any kiddos’ writers’ block! Getting […]

Free Ten Frame Matching Game

by Filed Under: Counting to 20, Fall, Free Printables, Kindergarten Math, Math, Number Recognition, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math 3 Comments

Fall is here, and it’s always fun to incorporate the season into some engaging learning activities! This ten frame matching game is perfect for the season. It’s a fun way to develop number sense and, since it can be played in different ways, is great for differentiation! Getting Ready To prepare this fun matching game, I printed out the […]

Pumpkin Catapults

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Science, Kids' Science, Kindergarten Science, Physics, Plato's Blog, Preschool Science 5 Comments

STEM activities {Science Technology Engineering and Math} are always a hit with my kiddos but this engineering activity had the whole family wanting to get in on the action. After explaining to my 3 and 5 year old what a catapult was, I simply challenged them to build one that would launch candy pumpkins.  They couldn’t believe their […]

Pumpkin Ten Frames

by Filed Under: Counting to 20, Fall, Free Printables, Kindergarten Math, Math, Number Recognition, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math 3 Comments

Activity for ages 4 to 5. Fall is the perfect time to put a little pumpkin twist on learning. These adorable pumpkin ten frame sheets are a colorful, hands-on way to practice the numbers 1 to 10. Just grab an orange crayon or marker, print the pages and you’re ready for some fun fall math. Getting […]

Pine Cone Science

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Science, Kids' Science, Kindergarten Science, Life Science, Plato's Blog, Preschool Science 1 Comment

My 3 year old obsessively collects and now that fall is around the corner our house is overflowing with pinecones.  On one of our recent neighborhood walks in the rain, my kiddos noticed the once open pinecones were closed.  This lead to this simple pine cone science activity to see just what makes cones open and […]

Pumpkin Count and Clip Cards

by Filed Under: Counting to 20, Fall, Fine Motor, Fine Motor Strength, Free Printables, Hand-Eye Coordination, Kindergarten Math, Math, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math 4 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 5. These free pumpkin count and clip cards are a fun way for preschoolers and beginning kindergarteners to practice number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, counting and fine motor skills. And they’re a perfect addition to any Halloween or fall unit! Getting Ready I printed the pumpkin cards (below) on cardstock to […]

Leaf Chromatography

by Filed Under: Earth Science, Fall, First Grade Science, Kids' Science, Kindergarten Science, Plato's Blog, Preschool Science 10 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 8. Have you ever wondered how green leaves can turn brilliant orange, yellow and red?! With this simple chromatography activity, you can see just what gives leaves their amazing fall colors. It’s a perfect kids’ science experiment for autumn. Getting Ready For this science experiment, I grabbed just a few common household supplies: […]

Free Pumpkin Puzzles Numbers 1-40

by Filed Under: Counting to 120, Counting to 20, Fall, Fine Motor, Free Printables, Math, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math Leave a Comment

These free pumpkin puzzles are perfect for Fall! They’re a fun way to practice counting, number recognition, matching and fine motor skills. Grab your free printable pumpkin puzzles below. I’m so excited that Fall is on its way! It’s my favorite time of year and I love sharing it with my kids. I created this […]

Free Apple Playdough Mats

by Filed Under: Counting to 20, Fall, Free Printables, Hand-Eye Coordination, Math, Number Recognition, Number Writing, Plato's Blog, Playdough, Preschool Math 3 Comments

Activity for ages 2 to 5. We love playdough recipes and activities! With fall just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to whip up a batch of oh-so-yummy green apple playdough and get some hands-on number practice. These free apple playdough mats are a perfect preschool math activity for fall. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. […]

Free Kids’ Bag Tags

by Filed Under: Fall, Free Printables, Parenting, Plato's Blog 7 Comments

These free, customizable bag tags are a simple way to personalize kids’ backpacks, lunch boxes, luggage… you name it! With 16 kid-friendly designs to choose from, you’re sure to find one that fits your child’s unique style. Ready to make a batch of Scotch® Brand #MakeAmazing bag tags your kids will love?! I am proud to be a Scotch® […]

Free Apple Tree Counting Mats

by Filed Under: Counting to 20, Fall, Fine Motor, Free Printables, Kindergarten Math, Math, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 3 to 5. These free apple tree counting mats are perfect for fall! Just grab some pom poms and you’re ready for some fun, hands-on practice with counting, number recognition, vocabulary building and fine motor skills. I’m absolutely in love with the fall season. It really is my favorite time of year. I […]

Pumpkin Spice Salt Tray

by Filed Under: Fall, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog 2 Comments

 Activity for ages 3 to 6. Salt tray writing is a super simple, multi-sensory way to encourage prewriting skills or practice forming letters and words.  The addition of a little orange food color and a dash of pumpkin pie spice had my 2.5 and 4.5 year old clambering to get their hands on our pumpkin […]

Fall Patterns for Kids

by Filed Under: Fall, Kindergarten Math, Math, Patterns, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 3 to 6. Patterns for kids helps them learn how to make connections, predict more accurately, notice similarities, and learn sequencing – skills they’ll use for reading, writing and math later. This quick prep activity adds some fun by using colorful fall candy. Grab a bag at the dollar store and you’re ready to play. Making […]

20+ Must-Try Halloween Science Experiments for Kids

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Science, Kids' Science, Kindergarten Science, Plato's Blog, Preschool Science, Teaching Themes 1 Comment

Activities for ages 3 to 8. These 20 Halloween science experiments for kids are sure to get little ghosts and goblins excited. Make tea bag ghosts really fly, whip up a batch of dancing Frankenworms and dissolve the M off of leftover M & Ms. There are so many spook-tacular science experiments for kids!! Spooky Experiments […]

The Putting on a Jacket Trick

by Filed Under: Fall, Life Skills, Plato's Blog, Winter 3 Comments

Activity for ages 2 to 5. Colder weather means kids need to bundle up before they head outdoors. This simple putting on a jacket trick makes that process so. much. easier. AND, as a big bonus, it works for putting on backpacks too. Build kids’ independence and cut down on your get-out-the-door-time with this simple […]

Pumpkin ABC Tracing

by Filed Under: ABC Games, Fall, Fine Motor, Fine Motor Strength, Hand-Eye Coordination, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Reading, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Preschool Reading 1 Comment

Activity for ages 3 to 5. Pumpkin letter tracing is a fun fall ABC game and fine motor activity in one. As kids trace alphabet letters with candy pumpkins, they build hand-eye coordination, hand strength and letter formation skills they’ll use for writing words later. Pumpkin fans will love this festive ABC game! ABC Game Prep   […]

25 Super Fun Pumpkin Activities for Kids

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Science, Kindergarten Holidays, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Teaching Themes 3 Comments

Activities for ages 3 to 6. Tis’ the season for all things orange. There are so many fun pumpkin activities and we were excited to pass along our favorites from across the web. This fall-themed roundup includes math, science, literacy and craft projects kids will love. Have a favorite pumpkin activity to add to the list? Share in the comments […]

4 Playdough Recipes for Fall

by Filed Under: Fall, Fine Motor, Fine Motor Strength, Kindergarten Holidays, Plato's Blog, Playdough, Preschool Holidays 8 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 6. Looking for a playdough recipe that’s perfect for fall? These homemade playdoughs are scented with real apples, pumpkin, and spices. Use them in a pretend bakery shop, play with some free playdough mats or stamp them with alphabet letters… the possibilities are limitless. Each playdough recipe makes enough for 2-3 children […]

Simple Preschool Activities for Every Month

by Filed Under: Fall, Free Printables, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math, Preschool Reading, Preschool Science, Spring, Summer, Teaching Tips, Winter Leave a Comment

Activities for 3 to 4 year olds. Looking for engaging, low prep preschool activities you can do at home? You’ve come to the right spot. The free printable lists {below} share 10 math, literacy and science activities that help get kids ready for kindergarten. Post the monthly list on your fridge and do one of the […]

Turkey Baster Squeeze

by Filed Under: Fall, Fine Motor, Fine Motor Strength, Hand-Eye Coordination, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays 3 Comments

Activity for ages 2 to 5. This fine motor skills builder is perfect for the Thanksgiving season!  Turkey Baster Squeeze is a great way to help kids develop the fine motor skills {hand strength and hand-eye coordination} that they’ll need when they write later. Try it out and then hop over and snag our print and play […]

Thanksgiving Number Game

by Filed Under: Counting to 20, Fall, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Math, Number Recognition, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Preschool Math 3 Comments

With Thanksgiving fluttering closer, the kids and I have been filling our days with plenty of turkey-inspired learning activities and crafts. This crafty Thanksgiving number game is a fun, hands-on way to practice numbers. To Prep I cut four turkey bodies and 16 feathers out of construction paper. Then I warmed up my hot glue gun and […]

November’s Playful Learning Checklist

by Filed Under: Fall, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math, Preschool Reading, Preschool Science 3 Comments

Washing off funny face paint and recovering from crazy sugar highs can only mean one thing: it is officially November. And that means it’s time to share our next playful learning checklist. Just like last month, all of the activities teach kids important literacy, math and science skills using little or no set up. If you’re […]

Pumpkin Paper Clip Vines

by Filed Under: Fall, Fine Motor, Fine Motor Strength, Hand-Eye Coordination, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Preschool Math 5 Comments

Activity for ages 3.5 to 5. Fine motor skills can be practiced year round! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays so it’s probably no surprise that we have already started playing pumpkin-themed activities. First up on the list were these pumpkin paper clip vines – a low-prep way to strengthen kids’ fine motor […]

10 Ways to Learn in October

by Filed Under: Fall, Plato's Blog 1 Comment

Activities for ages 3 to 5. Happy October!  It’s the first day of the month and that means it’s time to pass along our next playful learning checklist. Just like last month, all of the activities teach kids important literacy, math and science skills using little or no set up. If you’re a parent, the lists […]

September’s Playful Learning Checklist

by Filed Under: Fall, Plato's Blog, Preschool Math, Preschool Reading, Preschool Science 1 Comment

Happy September!! It’s the start of a new month and that means it’s time to pass along our next playful learning checklist. Just like August, all of the activities teach kids important literacy, math and science skills using little or no set up. Ready to play?! Print the freebie {HERE}, hang it on your fridge and enjoy […]

Alphabet Tracing Cards

by Filed Under: Fall, Letter Writing, Plato's Blog 8 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 5 It’s no secret we love ABC games around here! When my three year old asked if he could learn how to write “like his daddy”, I jumped into action – pulling together 12 fine motor activities that would build his hand-eye coordination and hand strength so that he would be ready to write […]

Halloween Rhyming Match Up!

by Filed Under: Comparing, Fall, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Reading, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Preschool Reading, Rhyming 6 Comments

Getting in the Halloween spirit and want a fun way to practice rhyming?! Grab our free Match Up game below and then hop over and snag our popular Rhyming Activity Pack too! Getting Ready To play, print a free copy of “Halloween Rhyming Match Up!” here. Cut the cards apart and lay them face down […]

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