Pattern recognition is an important skill-building step for mathematics. Preschoolers need to know how to recognize and duplicate patterns as well as create their own. Understanding patterns and sequences, especially in abstract ways, help young learners build a foundation for learning more advanced math concepts. We’ve gathered 25 practical pattern activities for your preschool class. Ideas include; creative activities, activities with manipulatives, and activities for math centers.
1. Pattern Hat Activity
For this activity, preschoolers will create a pattern of shapes using a pattern core. Students can decorate their hats to follow the pattern of their choice. Then students can put their hats together and show off their patterning skills to their friends! This activity is both simple and fun!
Learn More: Proud to be Primary
2. Pattern Read-Alouds
There are so many read-aloud that help preschoolers visualize and understand patterns as well as sequences. With colorful pictures and vocabulary to help build math literacy, students can improve their pattern skills and learn about complex patterns through pattern-themed read-aloud.
Learn More: Proud to be Primary
3. Splat
This is a hands-on activity where kids will create a pattern by rolling play dough into balls. Then they will “splat” the play dough to form a pattern. For example, a preschooler may splat every other play dough ball or every other two balls. The tactile action helps kids internalize how to make patterns.
Learn More: Early Impact Learning
4. Pattern Hunt
The idea of this activity is to have preschoolers hunt around their house or school for patterns. Parents or teachers can help students find simple patterns on wallpaper, plates, clothes, etc. Kids will then describe the patterns and can even recreate them by drawing them out.
Learn More: Early Impact Learning
5. Pattern Sticks
This is a fun, tactile activity for preschoolers to practice matching patterns. In order to recreate the pattern, kids will match colored clothes pins to a popsicle stick with a pattern painted on it. This is a great activity for a math center.
Learn More: You Clever Monkey
6. Draw Your Pattern
This activity encourages kids to learn by using manipulatives to make patterns. Then, students draw the pattern that they have created. This activity helps kids develop spatial awareness and motor skills.
Learn More: You Clever Monkey
7. Ice Cub Tray Patterns
This is a great activity to introduce preschoolers to simple patterns. Kids will use different colored buttons to create patterns in an ice tray. Preschoolers will practice forming color patterns in order to build sequencing skills.
Learn More: Busy Toddler
8. Repeating Pictures
This fun activity helps kids learn about patterns using shapes. Kids will use cutouts of shapes like ladybugs with spots and ladybugs without spots to create a pattern. Teachers can also put a pattern on the board or on pattern cards and have kids repeat the pattern with the pictures.
Learn More: HMH
9. Complete The Pattern
These worksheets provide a pattern for preschoolers to then complete. Students will practice recognizing patterns, repeating patterns, and drawing shapes. These worksheets help students practice basic math skills in the preschool classroom.
Learn More: Play Osmo
10. Bead Snakes
This is a fun patterning activity for preschoolers to complete with supervision. Kids will make snakes using different colored beads. Their snake should follow a specific pattern. The snakes can be made using yarn or even a pipe cleaner.
Learn More: Frugal Fun 4 Boys
11. Lego Patterns
Lego is a great tool for teachers and parents to use when teaching patterns to preschoolers. Adults can create a pattern for kids to duplicate, or kids can make their own patterns of either shape or color. This is another perfect math center activity.
Learn More: Frugal Fun 4 Boys
12. Counting Bears
Counting bears are cost-effective manipulatives that you can find on Amazon. Students can use the bears to match the colors of bears to the correct color of a given pattern, or they can create their own developmental sequence.
Learn More: Teaching Mama
13. Graphing Patterns
This is a unique pattern activity that helps preschoolers conceptualize abstract patterns. Students identify objects that fit specific labels like “land” or “sky”, and then notice patterns of those objects, such as wheels or jets.
Learn More: Teaching Mama
14. Candy Cane Patterns
This activity is perfect for Christmas or Wintertime. Teachers or parents will draw candy canes on poster paper. Then, preschoolers will use bingo dot markers or sticker dots to create fun candy cane designs.
Learn More: Happy Toddler Playtime
15. Movement Patterns
Teachers or parents can use movement cards or cues in this tactile pattern activity. Teachers can create a movement pattern for students to imitate or students can design their own movement pattern for their peers to imitate.
Learn More: Fantastic Fun and Learning
16. Art And Stamps
This is a fun and creative art activity to help preschoolers practice making patterns. Students can either duplicate patterns or create patterns of their own. Students have to recognize shape patterns and color patterns in order to duplicate the sequences.
Learn More: Nurture Store
17. Sound Patterns
Patterns in music help audio learners recognize sequences in music. Students can count patterns by clapping or stomping their feet. Recognizing music patterns also helps students understand mathematical patterns.
Learn More: Early Education Central
18. Magnatile Pattern Puzzles
For this activity, parents can trace magnatiles into a pattern on a piece of paper and then put the paper onto a cookie tray. Kids can then match the magnetic shape to the appropriate shape to create the pattern. Kids will have fun finding missing pattern pieces.
Learn More: Discovering Mommyhood
19. Pattern Blocks
This pattern activity is simple and easy. Kids use wooden blocks to create different kinds of patterns to build structures. Kids can repeat patterns or create their own patterns. Teachers or parents can give kids patterns to copy or kids can make a pattern with a friend and have another group copy the pattern.
Learn More: Discovering Mommyhood
20. Pattern Zebra
For this activity, kids will create a pattern using colored strips of paper and a blank template of a zebra. Kids can alternate colors to create a striped pattern, and they will also practice using fine motor skills to put strips on the zebra with glue.
Learn More: Little Lifelong Learners
21. Unifix Cubes
Unifix cubes are manipulative that kids can use to visualize mathematical expressions. Preschoolers use unfix cubes to make patterns that are given on a pattern card. Kids have to understand how to recreate the pattern using different colors.
Learn More: Akwaaba Akademy
22. Domino Line Up
This number-counting activity helps kids recognize number patterns. Additionally, this activity encourages kids to start basic addition. Kids line up dominoes that match the number in the column. Kids will see all the ways to make a number.
Learn More: Multiplicity Lab
23. Sorting Candy Shapes
This fun activity helps kids recognize shape patterns, plus they get to eat candy! Teachers or parents need to get candies of different shapes and put them into a bowl altogether. Kids then sort the candy into piles of matching shapes.
Learn More: Brain Ninjas
24. Geometric Shapes
Preschoolers use popsicle sticks to make geometric shapes. They will learn how patterns of shapes create larger shapes. Parents or teachers can provide patterns for kids to copy, or kids can explore and make their own geometric shapes. This activity is simple, fun, and cost-effective!
Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands
25. Pattern Making and Observing
For this activity, kids will make their own patterns as well as observe patterns in nature. Kids find patterns in tree rings, pine cones, and leaves. Then, they describe the pattern, reason about the pattern, and try to imitate the pattern.
Learn More: NRICH
Shadow Activity For Preschool Guide: Ideas, Crafts, And Experiments