The discovery and recognition of patterns represents one of the most fundamental building blocks in a young child’s cognitive development.
For preschoolers, identifying, creating, and extending patterns not only develops crucial early math skills but also strengthens their ability to make predictions, recognize order in their world, and think logically about relationships and sequences.
Our curated selection of engaging preschool pattern activities designed to make learning both fun and educational.
This roundup includes a diverse array of activities that encourage young learners to discover and create patterns using simple, everyday materials.
1. Easy Pattern Matching
Prepare circular paper cardboard cutouts in different colors and patterns. Cut each circle in half to create matching pairs. Mix up the halves and have students find and match the correct pieces based on color and pattern.
Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards
2. Patterned Caterpillar
Cut out circles from printed colored paper or cardboard. Arrange them in a row to form a caterpillar, alternating colors or patterns to create a sequence. Attach a larger circle for the head and draw a face. Encourage students to continue the pattern using additional circles.
Learn more: The Classroom Creative
3. Snap Cube Patterns
Provide students with a collection of snap cubes in various colors and shapes. Create pattern cards that display predetermined sequences using these cubes. Students are then required to replicate the given patterns using the snap cubes on a flat surface
Learn more: Play to Learn Preschool US
4. Washi Tape Rainbow Wreaths
Cut out the center of a paper plate to create a wreath shape. Provide students with colorful washi tape strips and guide them to place the tape around the wreath in a rainbow pattern. Once covered, trim any excess tape.
Learn more: 3 Dinosaurs
5. Fingerprint Painting Fireworks
Provide children with a sheet of paper and washable paint in bright colors. Show them how to dip their fingertips into the paint and press them onto the paper in a circular or radiating pattern to resemble fireworks.
Learn more: Hands on as we grow
6. Bear Patterns
Provide students with pattern strips that display sequences of bears, such as alternating colors or sizes. Students will complete the patterns by placing the correct bear counters in the missing spaces. For added challenge, ask students to extend the patterns or create their own sequences.
Learn more: Fun A Day
7. Playdough Ice Cream Patterns
Playdough ice cream patterns help children develop an understanding of sequences by arranging colors in a structured order. They roll and shape the playdough to form scoops, then place them in patterns on cones or flat surfaces.
Learn more: Preschool Play and Learn
8. Reptile Theme Pattern
Prepare a variety of reptile cutouts, such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles, in different colors and sizes. Students will complete the patterns by selecting and placing the correct reptile cutout in the missing spaces.
Learn more: Putting Pretty in School
9. Easy Poke a Pattern
Easy poke-a-pattern helps children recognize and replicate simple sequences by making small indentations in playdough. They use a toothpick to create repeating designs, reinforcing the concept of order. This activity strengthens observation skills as they identify and continue patterns.
Learn more: Hands-on as We Grow
10. Fingerprint Patterns
Provide children with a sheet of paper and washable paint in different colors. Show them how to dip their fingertips into the paint and press them onto the paper to create a sequence. Encourage them to follow a specific pattern, such as red-blue-red-blue or big-small-big-small.
Learn more: Happy Toddler Play Time
11. Pom-Pom Pattern Strip Activity
Demonstrate how to place the pom-poms in a repeating sequence, such as red-blue-red-blue. Encourage them to copy, continue, or create their own patterns. Ask them to describe the sequence they made and predict what comes next.
Learn more: Preschool Play and Learn
12. Craft Stick Pattern
Craft stick patterns help children develop sequencing skills by arranging colored sticks in a structured order. Demonstrate how to arrange them in a repeating sequence, such as red-blue-red-blue or short-long-short-long. Encourage them to copy, continue, or create their own patterns.
Learn more: Playdough to Plato
13. Fun Fruit Theme Pattern Activities
Provide children with cutouts or real pieces of fruit in different colors and shapes. Demonstrate how to arrange them in a repeating sequence, such as apple-banana-apple-banana.
Learn more: Life Over C’s
14. Easy Caterpillar Pattern Craft
Provide children with colorful craft noodles and a string or strip of paper. Demonstrate how to arrange the noodles in a repeating sequence, such as red-yellow-red-yellow, to form a caterpillar shape.
Learn more: Easy Learning Ideas
15. Colorful Caterpillar Patterns Using Pom-Pom Painting
Provide children with a sheet of paper, pom-poms, and washable paint in different colors. Demonstrate how to dip the pom-poms into the paint and stamp them onto the paper in a repeating sequence to form a caterpillar shape
Learn more: Beyond the Playroom
16. AB Pattern Fun with Popsicle Sticks
Provide children with popsicle sticks in two different colors. Demonstrate how to arrange them in an AB pattern, such as red-blue-red-blue. Encourage them to copy, continue, or create their own sequences.
Learn more: A Pinch of Kinder
17. Counting With Clothespin Ice Cream
Counting with clothespin ice cream helps children recognize numerical values by matching quantities to a visual representation. They clip clothespins with colored circles onto a cone-shaped cutout, resembling scoops of ice cream.
Learn more: Happy Tot Shelf
18. Creative Ocean Pattern Block
Provide children with a sheet featuring an outlined whale divided into sections. Give them pattern blocks in different shapes and colors. Demonstrate how to place the blocks inside the whale’s outline, following a specific pattern such as blue-yellow-blue-yellow. Encourage them to replicate the given pattern or create their own.
Learn more: Crystal and Comp
19. Mitten Patterns Activity
Demonstrate how to draw patterns inside the mittens using shapes, lines, or colors in a repeating sequence. Encourage them to copy a given pattern or create their own.
Learn more: My Preschool Place Online
20. Fun Patterning Cards
Fun patterning cards help children recognize structured sequences by arranging shaped blocks according to a given design. They place the blocks in a specific order, reinforcing the concept of repetition and prediction. This activity strengthens pattern recognition as they identify and extend sequences.
Learn more: Fairy Poppins
21. Building Block Challenge
Give students matching blocks and demonstrate how to replicate the design by stacking or arranging the blocks according to the pattern.
The building block challenge helps children recognize sequences by replicating structured designs from an activity sheet. They arrange blocks to match a given pattern, reinforcing spatial awareness and order.
Learn more: Little Premium- Owls
22. Scooping and Pouring Patterns
Scooping and pouring patterns help children recognize structured sequences by alternating colors in a repeated order. They use green and yellow rice to create patterns while transferring the rice between containers.
Learn more: Stay at Home Educator
23. Patterning With Colorful Dots
Use cups with printed circles underneath and pair them with the same color to form a repeating pattern. This activity reinforces color recognition and sequencing skills by requiring them to follow or extend a given arrangement.
Learn more: Preschool Toolkit
24. Pattern Worms
Pattern worms using beads help children recognize and replicate sequences by arranging beads in a structured order. They string beads onto a flexible wire or string, following a specific pattern such as green-blue-green-blue.
Learn more: Little Life Long Leaners
25. Rainbow Paper Chain
Rainbow paper chains help children recognize and create structured sequences by linking colored paper strips in a repeating order. This activity reinforces color recognition and sequencing skills as they identify and extend repeating arrangements.
Learn more: Projects for Preschooler