Noah is four. For a four year old he is pretty good at playing independently for fairly long periods of time, but sometimes he needs a little encouragement to get started.
Sometimes, when I really need to get some work done and he just can’t settle into playing with any of the toys we have on offer, I’ll set him up an’invitation to play’.
These invitations are always fairly simple, and they are always activities that he can manage without much supervision or input from me.
These activities won’t keep him engaged for hours, but they are enough to get him started with independent play and he seems to be able to pick up and run with his own ideas, once he is done with the activity I have set up.
Earlier this week I set up a very similar invitation to play with pattern blocks.
We got this set of pattern blocks many many Christmases ago and they are always popular. They turn up in our loose parts play, like when we made these crazy faces, and in imaginative play, and construction play, but they are just as fun on their own, especially with a few free printable pattern cards.
On this occasion I set out the pattern blocks and some printed letter pattern cards – one for each letter of Noah’s name, as he is working hard on writing his name correctly at the moment.
Pattern blocks come in standard colours, shapes and sizes and they are either wooden or plastic. If you don’t have a set of pattern blocks there are lots of options to print your own pattern blocks here.
Free Printable Pattern Block Cards
Free Alphabet Pattern Block Printables from Confessions of a Homeschooler (also in black and white)
Free 1-20 Pattern Block Cards from Confessions of a Homeschooler (also in black and white)
Transportation Pattern Block Mats from PreKinders
Animal Pattern Block Mats from PreKinders
Preschool Pattern Block Activity Cards from Confessions of a Homeschooler.
Jessica’s Pattern Block Shapes
Snowflake Pattern Block Mats from PreKinders.
Making Patterns with Pattern Blocks – free printable from Moms Have Questions Too
Pattern Block Printables from Mama’s Learning Corner
Bug Pattern Block printables from PreKinders
Pattern Block Ideas and Activities
Exploring Shapes and Patterns from An Every Day Story
Giant Pattern Block Scenes from Mama Smiles
Play dough and Pattern Blocks from Mama Smiles
Suduko with pattern blocks – free printables from Kid Giddy.
Using Pattern Blocks for Learning Symmetry from Teaching Tales Along the Yellow Brick Road
Maths Sorting with Pattern Blocks – a free resource at Teachers Pay Teachers by Tiffani Mugurussa.
Math Toybox – a free online pattern block game.
Printing with pattern blocks from The Preschoool Toolbox Blog
How to DIY your own pattern block cards from Preschool Inspirations
Make giant felt pattern blocks from The Educators Spin on It.
Do you have pattern blocks?
What is your favourite way to play with them?
Below are some affiliate options for buying pattern blocks on Amazon. If you buy through one of these links I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Sangeeta says
Hi I am special needs teacher this will give children an opportunity to learn while working practically with using different medias in indoor set up .
Shannen says
I love this! I’m always looking for activities for my 4 yr old and 1 yr old that they can do together, and this looks perfect. Thanks!
Madhulika says
Thank you so much for sharing these printables!
theophilus says
I hv been looking for activities for a community school which can be done together and this looks perfect.
Katie says
Thank you so much for posting all of these pattern block activities. This is just what I needed! :)
Chelsea says
How do you make your own pattern block designs/templates.
katepickle says
You could set up the pattern blocks in the pattern you want then photograph them and print the photo full size. Or simply draw around the shapes and colour them in.
Linda Madry says
Wow,I have been an Early childhood Educator for over 40 yrs.It’s my passion .I know when I was 9yrs.old that I wanted to become a Teacher ,because I love children and after caring for my nephew’s and niece’s I was more convinced.I love teaching the children and introducing the different learning domains and “Math ” is one of them.I enjoy all the new and different pattern cards that’s available .