Printable Dinosaur Play Dough Mats

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Looking for a fun, educational activity for your dinosaur-loving kids? These Dinosaur Play Dough Mats are a perfect hands-on addition to any preschool or early elementary dinosaur unit. Whether you’re teaching at home or in the classroom, these printable mats combine creative play with learning—and kids of all ages will love them!

Why Use Play Dough Mats for Learning?

Playdough mats are more than just fun—they’re fantastic early learning tools. These mats:

• Build fine motor skills and hand strength
• Reinforce letter recognition and vocabulary
• Encourage creativity and problem-solving
• Help with focus and attention span in young children
• Support tactile and visual learners through hands-on engagement and sensory play

Using themed mats like these dinosaur ones makes learning feel like play, which is exactly how young children learn best!

How to Print and Use Your Play Dough Mats

These dinosaur playdough mats are easy to prepare and can be used again and again:

1. Download the printable PDF and print each page in full color. I suggest using some heavy card stock.
2. Laminate the pages for durability, or slip them into sheet protectors.
3. Provide kids with play dough in a variety of colors.
4. Let kids use the dough to shape the dinosaurs using the simplified outline provided.
5. Read the dinosaur names together and talk about what makes each one unique!

Laminating the mats makes cleanup a breeze and allows you to reuse them throughout your dinosaur unit or centers.

Printable Dinosaur Play Dough Mats

What I love about these fun mats is they are not just for playing but also teaching!  Each one includes the name of the dinosaur, a more real looking image of it and a play dough simplified version of it. These are super easy for the kids to make.

Dinosaurs Included in This Set

These play dough mats feature 12 dinosaurs, each with:

• A realistic image of the dinosaur
• A simplified play dough outline
• The name of the dinosaur in bold lettering

Included Dinosaurs:

• Iguanodon
• Tyrannosaurus Rex
• Plesiosaurus
• Triceratops
• Ichthyosaurus
• Stegosaurus
• Saurolophus
• Pterosaur (flying reptile)
• Allosaurus
• Ankylosaurus
• Brachiosaurus
• Velociraptor

These are the perfect addition to a dinosaur unit study, fossil activity, or even a themed birthday party!

Great for Multiple Ages

While these printable dinosaur play dough mats are ideal for preschool and kindergarten, they’ve also been a hit with older kids! Even my 15-year-old couldn’t resist jumping in to sculpt a few dinos—proof that dinosaur fun is ageless.

This makes them a perfect activity for:

• Homeschool families with multiple age groups
• Early childhood classrooms
• Rainy day learning fun
• Busy bins or quiet time centers

I got these mats ready and ALL 4 of my kids wanted to build and create them. That is not normal with my printables these days! My bigger kids have outgrown much of it. But, even my 15-year-old son thought these were cool and jumped into make some of the dinosaurs.  That made me so happy!

Want to Download Them?

Get the Printable Dinosaur Play Dough Mats

Ready to bring dinosaurs to life? These mats are available in my shop as an instant digital download. Just print, prep, and play!

Add These to Your Dinosaur Learning Toolbox

If you’re planning a dinosaur unit, these mats are a wonderful way to reinforce:

• Dinosaur names and classifications
• Differences between herbivores and carnivores
• Basic facts about prehistoric life and Earth science

Pair these mats with:

Dinosaur Fossil Counting Puzzles

Making Dinosaur Fossils

Paleontology for Kids- Digging Up Dinosaur Bones