New Year Pattern Block Mats for Kids

This post may contain affiliate links.

Looking for a fun New Year’s Eve activity for kids? These New Year Pattern Block Mats are an easy way to keep little hands busy while sneaking in some geometry practice!

Kids can build party hats, fireworks, balloons, and other New Year’s pictures using their pattern blocks.

I recently shared my Christmas Pattern Block Mats, and they were such a hit that I decided to make a New Year’s version, too!

This printable set includes 10 different designs in three styles, so kids can start by matching colors and shapes, then work their way up to more challenging puzzles.

What’s Included in the New Year Pattern Block Mats?

This printable set includes 10 New Year’s-themed designs:

Three party hats
Two New Year’s countdown balls
Noisemaker
Sparkling cider
Calendar
Fireworks
Balloon

Each design comes in three versions:

Full-color patterns: Kids match their pattern blocks to the colors and shapes shown on the mat.

Black-and-white patterns: Children match the individual shapes without color clues.

Outline-only templates: Kids figure out which pattern blocks will fill the picture, without being shown the individual pieces.

That’s 30 printable pattern block mats in all!

I love having all three versions because you can use the same pictures with children at different skill levels.

The colored patterns are great for beginners, while the outline puzzles make older kids stop and think about how the shapes fit together.

How to Use the New Year Pattern Block Mats

All you need are the printable mats and a set of standard pattern blocks.

We’ve used pattern blocks for years in our home. They’re one of those math tools that kids can play with for a long time without realizing how much they’re learning.

If you don’t have a set yet, you can find wooden or plastic pattern blocks here.

1. Choose a New Year’s Picture

Let your child choose a party hat, firework, balloon, or another design.

Start with the colored version if they’re new to pattern blocks.

2. Build the Picture

Place the pattern blocks directly on the mat, matching the shapes shown.

Kids may need to turn and rotate the blocks to make them fit.

3. Try a Harder Pattern

Once they’ve finished the colored version, offer the black-and-white mat.

For an even bigger challenge, try the outline-only version!

Instead of matching individual shapes, children must figure out which combinations of blocks will fill the picture.

What Do Kids Learn with Pattern Blocks?

Pattern blocks are wonderful for hands-on geometry because children can explore how different shapes fit together.

As they build their New Year’s pictures, kids practice:

Shape recognition: Identifying triangles, squares, rhombuses, trapezoids, and hexagons
Spatial reasoning: Turning and arranging shapes to fit a design
Problem-solving: Testing different combinations of blocks
Symmetry: Looking for matching halves in their pictures
Early fraction concepts: Discovering how smaller shapes can combine to cover the same space as larger ones

You can make the activity as simple or challenging as your child needs.

For younger kids, matching shapes and colors may be plenty. Older children can work with the outlines and explore how different shapes relate to each other.

A New Year’s Pattern Block Challenge

After your child finishes one of the pictures, ask:

Can you create your own New Year’s design using only 10 pattern blocks?

Maybe they’ll build a new party hat, a clock, or a firework.

Then try a few math questions:

How many triangles did you use?
Which shape did you use the most?
Can you make your design symmetrical?
Can you change your picture without adding any more blocks?

It’s a simple way to turn the activity into a little creative math challenge.

Ideas for Using These New Year Math Mats

These printable mats work well for:

New Year’s Eve activities: Set them out with a basket of pattern blocks for kids to use during a family celebration.

January math centers: Use the patterns as a seasonal geometry activity when students return from winter break.

Homeschool lessons: Pair the mats with a short lesson on shapes, symmetry, or fractions.

Early finishers: Keep a few patterns available for independent math practice.

Quiet time: Let kids work through the different designs at their own pace.

For repeated use, print the mats on cardstock and laminate them.

Be sure to test one printed page with your pattern blocks before printing the full set, since printer scaling can affect how well the blocks fit.

Get the New Year Pattern Block Mats

Ready to add some hands-on math to your New Year’s celebration?

My New Year Pattern Block Mats printable includes 10 festive designs in full color, black and white, and outline-only versions.

That’s 30 printable pages for different ages and skill levels.

You can grab these in my shop here!

Just print the pages, grab your pattern blocks, and start building!

More Seasonal Pattern Block Activities

If your kids enjoy these, you can keep the pattern block fun going with other holidays throughout the year.

Pattern blocks are such an easy way to bring a little creativity into math time. And these New Year’s designs are a fun way to celebrate while kids build, experiment, and solve puzzles!

New Year Pattern Block Mats for Kids

What’s Included in the New Year Pattern Block Mats?