These monster play dough math mats will fit right in with your Halloween activities. I like this fuzzy, non-scary, kid-friendly monster — so cute!
To make the mats, print them out and either laminate them or slip them into page protectors. I always use page protectors and bind them together with metal binder rings so the kids can flip through them as they use them.
Each mat says, “Feed the monster [#] things.” As I was making these mats, I was wondering… what do monsters eat? I suppose they eat cookies, probably candy, too. I would probably tell my class to make little cookies or candy to feed the monster. Or, I could tell the children to use their imaginations to think of what monsters might eat. I’m sure some kids would get pretty gross, but at the same time, it would be a high-interest game because they are so interested in all things gross. That’s why I left this mat open-ended and just wrote “feed the monster __ things” so you or your students can decide what to feed it.
So, if the mat says “Feed the monster 3 things,” you would have children break off a small piece of play dough, form it into whatever “food”, and put 3 of them in the monster’s mouth (or just place it somewhere on the mat if there are too many to fit).
The “toddler” mat just says “Feed the monster”. This mat can be used with younger children who need fine motor practice with play dough, but are not yet counting. Also, if you want to teach numbers 11-20, you can print this mat several times and write the numbers 11-20 on it. Sometimes a teacher will ask me to make a mat with a changeable number so they only have to print one mat. You can do that with this mat and make little number cards to go with it.
Alternatives to Play Dough
- Make mini cookies or candy out of craft foam sheets to use as counters.
- Use flat floral marbles.
- Use wiggle eyes if you want to be gross and have the monster eat eyeballs. 🙂
Download the Monster Play Dough Mats
Note: This printable is FREE. Just click to download.
Download the Monster Counting Mats:
Download the Monster Toddler Mats:
Find more play dough math mats here!
Monster Books to Read with This Activity
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I love these mats. I know I do a fine motor skill called monster mash, where the students feed the monster using clothes pins and small crumpled paper. They can only use their pincher fingers to grab the paper with the clothes pins and feed their monster which are crystal light tubes with monster pictures on them. Thank you for sharing I love all of your ideas.
Thanks, Victoria! Sounds like a cute and educational activity with the clothespins! Thanks for sharing.
You are awesome! I love this activity as will my students. Thanks a bunch.
Thanks!
As always, such a fun learning activity. Can’t wait to print and set out in my playdough area. Although, I love the idea of clothespins and crumpled paper, also, Victoria. Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Hi! Your materials are incredible and helping me a lot presenting different activities to my children. The school has not go so many resources and your amazing ideas, make my day. Even when I have to print them at home, I know I will be using them a lot in the next years!
Thank you,
Math monster idea:
Shoe box, picture of a monster, colored and clear contact paper, pom poms and one dice.
To make:
I took shoe box and color contacted it( lid and bottom.)
Next I took a picture of a monster sized it to fit the top of the lid. The monster had wide mouth. Glue, tape or clear contact paper the monster down then cut the mouth out of the picture and the box.
To play:
Roll the dice, count the dots and put that many Pom poms in the monsters mouth. When all the Pom poms are gone take the top off and pour them out and start again. Or leave the Pom poms in the shoe box for storage.
Thank You! I love how great the monster looks! You are so wonderful at encouraging us all to be better guides!
thank you for the great resource.
THANKS A MILLION, Karen! You’re an AMAZING TEACHER! I LOVE ALL your wonderful ideas/creations for little ones…they’re such a HIT with my Pre-K’s!!!
I love these game, and so does the kids!
but I don’t like to use them with play-dough because it uses too much ink to print.
instead, I print only one, cut it out, and attach/glue it to a small box (boutique tissue works great!)
and add a piece of Velcro to attach a number card.
the kids feed the monster small items (our favorite is spiders – they were spider rings from Halloween season, but I cut off the ring part with scissors).
some times the monsters eat buttons (colors and shapes), and sometimes the monsters eat the alphabet!
have fun!
The plain monster sheets can also be used for First graders who are learning addition or subscribe! You can make flush cards using index cards or poster abd gave the child draw a card with a math problem and use the monster mat to feed the monster and solve the problem!!!!
In the case of subtraction, let the child st up the play dough candy in the monsters mouth and say that he didn’t like two of them for example so the child removes two, etc etc!!! Sweet project!! I’m going to print these for my son’s’ classes for Halloween!!!
Karen,
Thank you so much for your willingness to share your resources with others like myself!
I admire the cute and colorful art work that you make for our “little learners!”
You are to be commended for your generosity and hard work!
Thank you so much for all your wonderful ideas. The monsters are so cute. You are such a creative teacher and your willingness to share with others is admirable.
Hi , my son will like this so much. thank you for your creativity and willingness to share this!
play with balls of playdough, what a wonderful idea, combining fine motoric skill & counting skill!
Thank you so much for your amazing idea, pretty simple but interestingly fun.
My students loved this so much as well as their parents for our Halloween Week. Thank you so much for sharing this! <3