How to use Playdoh Mats on the First Day of School in Second Grade
What do you have your students do as they enter the room on the first day of school?
I’ve always had some books and coloring sheets out on the table, but I’ve always admired the idea of letting students play with playdoh at their seats while you wait for everyone to filter in! I like the tactile, sensory experience it creates…which I would imagine really decreases anxiety and makes each child’s first moments in your room fun and engaging!
But, I don’t like the open-ended nature of just handing each kid a jar of playdoh and telling them to play with it. I’m all for that during indoor recess or some other time that’s designed for that. But, handing them playdoh before they have had any lessons on expectations feels risky to me. I don’t want playdoh on the floor, or inside desks.
So, I created these back to school playdoh mats to give students a quiet, focused way to play with playdough as everyone comes into the room!
Here’s how I plan to use the playdoh mats:
I plan to print and laminate each of the mats enough times to make 25 copies. I have 8.5 x 11 mats and 11 x 17 mats. I am going to use the 11 x 17 because my copy machine at school can copy paper that size.
On the first day of school, each student will have a mat on their desk and a jar of playdoh!
As they enter the room, I will have them hang their backpacks on their chairs and start filling in the mat with playdoh. It will give them a quiet, calm activity to do that gives them a purpose for their morning!
If they finish with their mats and we are still waiting for students to arrive, I will allow them to trade mats with someone who sits near them. My kiddos are seated in groups of five, so I will make sure that each table group has five different mats.
After all parents are gone, and all students have arrived, I will collect the playdoh and the mats to save for another time. We will assign cubbies so they can hang up their backpacks, and then we will start our day!
Want to try playdoh mats with your students this year? Check out the listing on TPT to see the file!
