Do you need an easy preschool activity for practicing patterns? Pair this free Pom Pom Pattern printable with some Dollar Tree pom poms, and you’re ready to go!
I absolutely love doing easy educational activities with my three-year-old. I’m homeschooling my oldest, and I do a little bit of preschool with my 3-year-old each day.
I need whatever I do with her to be simple. This pom pom pattern activity fits into our routine perfectly. Grab and go, baby!
Print, laminate, and store this in a busy bag for easy access. There are three different types of patterns included, plus a black and white version for you to create your own.
What is included in the Pom Pom Pattern Printable?
There are 6 different colored 5×7 pattern cards and 1 blank, black and white card included in this free download.
The first two pages follow the AB pattern. Each card contains two different patterns with an empty circle at the end of the line for you to fill in the correctly colored pom pom.
The next two pages have AAB patterns. These are a bit more challenging for younger children, so I’ve only included one pattern per card. Again, the very last circle is left grey so your child can fill in the correct color.
Pages 5 and 6 have ABC patterns. This pattern is pretty advanced for preschool, and I only put one pattern per card.
The last page is a blank template that you can print out and color in yourself to save on ink. You could also let an older sibling create a pattern for your preschooler to practice or create a pattern with your preschooler. Dot markers could be really fun to fill in the circles with different colored patterns.
What other supplies do I need?
After you print the pattern printable, all you need is some pom poms, and you’re ready to get going!
Pom Poms
You’ll need some orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple pom poms in order to practice the patterns. This just so happens to be exactly what comes in the Dollar Tree pom pom packs.
I created this printable because everything else I found online included pom pom colors I didn’t have. So if you’re like me, and you only have Dollar Tree pom poms, this is the printable for you!
As an aside, I love Dollar Tree for purchasing supplies for preschool crafts. They even have lots of educational supplies as well in the teacher corner. I’ve found really great quality workbooks in this section, and I include these in our preschool routine as well!
Laminator
I’d also highly recommend laminating this activity. You can definitely use this printable without laminating, but I’m all about creating activities that we can reuse again and again.
We’ve talked about this laminator and these laminating sheets on our blog before. Both Bekah and I love them. I’ve been able to create so many educational activities for my kids. It’s definitely worth the investment if you don’t already own one in my opinion.
Working mom perspective: Yes, I love having a laminator. You can create unique, educational activities that will last. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth!
How do I use the Pom Pom Pattern Printable with my preschooler?
If this is your child’s first experience with patterns, I’d recommend focusing on matching the colored pom poms to the colored circles on the pattern card.
Once you have the colored circles filled in with pom poms, point to each circle and say the colors in the pattern’s rhythm with a slight pause after each set. This will help your child hear the pattern as well as see it.
When you get to the grey circle, point to it in time with the rhythm of the pattern, but don’t say the color. See if your child can say the color. Sometimes, children will blurt out the correct color excitedly because they’ve figured out the pattern. Sometimes, they’ll just guess a random color, and that’s okay, too!
If they get it wrong, be encouraging with a remark like, “good try! Let’s go back to the beginning of the pattern and try again,” and this time, say the correct color when you get to the grey circle. Let your child fill it in with the correctly colored pom pom.
Pom Pom Pattern Extension Activity
If your child is a tactile learner, consider adding motions or body percussion to your chant.
For example, with the first card, instead of just saying green, yellow, green, yellow, green, yellow; you could pat your legs when you say green and clap when you say yellow.
Adding in some type of movement can help your child feel the pattern, as well.
You could do all sorts of different movements with the different patterns. Rubbing your hands together is a great option for two syllable words like yellow or purple.
You can even stand up and add in large motor movements like jump or spin to your patterns.
Get creative with it! I can already hear the “We Will Rock You” AAB Pattern Remix… “stomp, stomp, clap; stomp, stomp, clap.”
Conclusion
I hope you and your child enjoy this pom pom pattern activity! Don’t worry if some of the pattern types are too difficult right now. Start with the easier AB pattern, and work your way up. Have some fun creating your own patterns too!
Need some more printables for kids? We’ve got you covered!
