Montessori-Inspired Playdough Math Activities for Winter {Free Printables}

I love to prepare hands-on math activities for toddlers through early elementary. Since playdough is so popular with young children (and great for fine-motor coordination), I’ve been designing some playdough math activities for each season. First, my daughter, Christina, and I created some free playdough printables for fall. Now we have free playdough printables for winter. Today, I have some Montessori-inspired playdough math activities using the winter math printables.

Free Winter Playdough Math Pack (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)

You’ll find the free winter playdough math pack in yesterday’s Montessori Monday post. It has printables for activities related to seasons, fine-motor skills, counting, DIY cards and counters, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, greater than, and less than. Go here to download the free pack.

Montessori-Inspired Playdough Math Activities for Winter

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Here are some examples of activities you could have on a snowball playldough tray for winter. You could have all the cards on the same tray, or have a tray for younger children without the smaller numbers and symbols and a separate one for older children.

Montessori-Inspired Snowball Playdough Math Tray

Materials used:

• Montessori Services large plastic tray
• White playdough (See recipe in my “How to Prepare a Simple Fall Playdough Tray” post.)
• Container for playdough (mine is from the Dollar Tree)
• Winter photos, printed and laminated
• Numbers and counters cards, printed and laminated
• Number and number symbol squares, printed and laminated
• Small twigs for snowman arms
• Craft gems for snowman-building
• Scissors, knife, or a playdough tool for cutting could be added to the tray for making the numbers with “playdough snakes.”
• Small containers to organize pieces
• Sponge or cloth for cleaning surfaces after using playdough

This tray was designed for a homeschool or classroom with multiple ages. Younger children would generally create playdough snowballs to make a picture or make the snowballs for one number. Older children could use the playdough snowballs for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, greater than, or less than. If you have one child, prepare the activity to be appropriate for your child’s age and ability level.

Making a Snowman with Large, Medium, and Small Playdough Snowballs

Making a Snowman with Large, Medium, and Small Playdough Snowballs

My 3-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, and I went outdoors and gathered some small twigs for arms. We used craft gems for the features and buttons. You could add felt or another material to make a scarf for a snowman. Zoey didn’t ask for material for a scarf, although I would have come up with something if she had. Making a snowman doesn’t need the number cards, but it uses mathematical concepts such as small, medium, and large and following a sequence of events in building a snowman.

Hugging Her Playdough Snowman

I didn’t use a model for Zoey to follow. I just asked her to make a large snowball for the bottom, a medium-size one for the middle, and a small snowball for the head. Zoey decided to add little twigs for the legs, too (so cute)! Zoey was so in love with her snowman that she just had to hug him! Then she decided to make a whole family of snowmen.

Concentrating on Making a Snowman Family

She said her first snowman was her dad; then she made her mom; then she made herself; then she made me; then she made her grandpa. She spent a very long time concentrating on this work!

Snowball Playdough Numbers and Counters

Snowball Playdough Numbers and Counters

This is a fun variation of Montessori cards and counters. I recommend choosing a number your child is working on. In a classroom, you could have the numbers 1-10 available and let the children choose which number they want to use. I wouldn’t expect them to do the numbers 1-10, since that would be a LOT of snowballs to make! Of course, if a child wants to do all 10 numbers, that’s awesome!

Snowball Playdough Counting Mats

Snowball Playdough Counting Mats

Your child can transfer the “snowballs” to the photo.

Snowball Playdough Greater Than/Less Than Activity

Snowball Playdough Greater Than/Less Than Activity

This uses a photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art (The Snowball Fight by Fritz Freund)

This is a fun reinforcement for the greater than, less than symbols. Your child could make extra snowballs for each “team” and see which team has more extra snowballs to use. If your child is confused by the greater than and less than symbols, be sure to check out my greater than, less than alligator work.

Snowball Playdough Addition

Snowball Playdough Addition

This is a simple hands-on addition activity. The playdough snowballs could be used for simple hands-on addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.

I hope your child or children have fun with hands-on math activities this winter! 🙂

This post is part of the 12 More Months of Montessori Series!

12 Months of Montessori Series – Winter Themes

Check the posts below for more ideas on Montessori winter themes.

• The Best Kindergarten and Preschool Penguin Activities | Natural Beach Living
• 17 Printable Pictures of Animals that Adapt in Winter | The Natural Homeschool
• Montessori-Inspired Playdough Math Activities for Winter {Free Printables} | Living Montessori Now
• Practical Life for the Winter — Toddler Nose Blowing | The Kavanaugh Report
• Montessori Inspired Polar Bear Unit | Mama’s Happy Hive
• Montessori Inspired Antarctica Shelf  | The Pinay Homeschooler
• Snowman Activities for Preschoolers with Free Printables | Every Star is Different
• Indoor Snowball Fight | Grace and Green Pastures
• Winter Books for Preschoolers | Christian Montessori Network
• Winter Yoga for Kids | Sugar, Spice & Glitter
• How To Get Kids Active In Winter (Free Arctic Animals Action Cards) | Uno Zwei Tutu
• Hands on arctic themed activities| Welcome to Mommyhood

Have fun with hands-on activities this winter!

Learn more about Montessori at Home or School: How to Teach Grace and Courtesy!

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