Thanksgiving pattern block mats are a hands-on way to build fine motor skills this November! With the Fine Motor Mats for Thanksgiving | Pattern Blocks, preschool and kindergarten children grab, rotate and place pattern blocks to build a Mayflower, a turkey, a pumpkin, corn and more.

Fine motor skills help children learn to control the hand, fingers and thumb, which they need for writing, cutting and everyday tasks. Pattern blocks are colorful wooden or plastic shape pieces children fit together to make pictures. On each template, children match block colors, place one block in each space, identify 2D (flat) shapes and practice early literacy with tracing, beginning sounds and Thanksgiving vocabulary.

With these Thanksgiving pattern block mats, you get

• 19 Thanksgiving-themed pattern block templates
• Colored shape templates for support and outline templates for a challenge
• 2D shape identification and color matching with every build
• Tracing, beginning sounds and Thanksgiving vocabulary practice

Print, laminate and set out the pattern blocks for an easy Thanksgiving center.

What's Included

• 19 Thanksgiving-themed pattern block templates
• Colored shape templates for matching pattern block colors
• Outline templates for an added challenge
• Thanksgiving pictures such as a Mayflower, turkey, pumpkin, corn, barn and cornucopia
• Pre-writing tracing, beginning sounds and Thanksgiving vocabulary practice
• 2D shape identification

Why Teachers Love It

• Builds hand strength: Grabbing, rotating and placing pattern blocks strengthens the fingers and builds hand-eye coordination.
• Two levels in one: Colored templates give support and outline templates add a challenge.
• Math and literacy together: Each template adds color matching, 2D shapes, tracing and beginning sounds.
• Great for independent centers: Children can build on their own once you model the first template.
• Seasonal and fun: Thanksgiving pictures keep little hands busy right up to Thanksgiving break.

Skills Students Practice

Primary Academic Skills

• Fine motor strength: Picking up, turning and placing pattern blocks builds the pincer grasp and pre-writing skills.
• Color matching: Children match each block to the color shown on the template.
• One-to-one correspondence: Children place one block in each space to build the picture.
• 2D shape identification: Children identify and name the shapes they use.
• Spatial reasoning: Outline templates ask children to fit shapes together to make a larger picture.
• Pre-writing and beginning sounds: Tracing and beginning sound practice build early literacy skills.

Secondary Life & Learning Skills

• Following directions
• Maintaining attention
• Working independently
• Using mathematical language
• Building confidence during group participation

How to Use It

Step 1: Print the Thanksgiving templates and laminate them for durability. Choose colored templates or outline templates for each child.

Step 2: Set out pattern blocks and model how to match each block to its space on the template.

Step 3: Children build the picture, name the 2D shapes they used and complete the tracing and beginning sound practice.

Materials You'll Need

• Pattern blocks

Easy Differentiation

Children come to fine motor centers with different hand strength and shape knowledge. These templates are easy to adjust for each of them.

For Children Who Need More Support

• Start with the colored templates so children can match colors
• Hand children one block at a time to place
• Name each shape together before placing it
• Work on one template in a small group

For On-Level Practice

• Build each picture independently with the colored templates
• Name each shape while placing the blocks
• Complete the tracing on each template
• Count how many blocks of each shape a picture uses

For an Extra Challenge

• Use the outline templates so children choose the shapes
• Have children describe their shapes using words like sides and corners
• Name another word that starts with the same sound as the picture
• Invite children to build their own Thanksgiving picture with pattern blocks

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support

• Use the templates in OT sessions for grasp and hand strength practice
• Practice shape and color words with a frame such as "I need a ___."
• Practice Thanksgiving vocabulary such as Mayflower, turkey, pumpkin, corn and cornucopia
• Offer larger blocks to match each child's fine motor goals
• Give extra processing time before each block is placed

Perfect For

• November math centers
• Morning work
• Fine motor centers
• Small groups
• OT sessions
• ELL and ESL support
• Homeschool learning
• Early finishers and rainy day activities

Standards

These Thanksgiving pattern block mats support the 2022 Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards (2021), and they build toward kindergarten skills in Common Core, the TEKS (Math, adopted 2012) and the Virginia Math SOL (2023):

Common Core State Standards

• CCSS K.G.A.2: Name shapes regardless of their size or orientation.
• CCSS K.G.B.6: Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes and pictures with pattern blocks.

Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines

• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.IX.B.1: Show control in tasks that take small-muscle strength, such as grabbing and placing pattern blocks.
• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.IX.B.2: Show growing control in tasks that need eye-hand coordination while fitting each block in its space.
• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.V.C.2: Create shapes and pictures using pattern blocks.

Texas TEKS

• TEKS Math K.6.A: Identify two-dimensional shapes, including triangles and squares.
• TEKS Math K.6.F: Create two-dimensional shapes using a variety of materials.

Virginia Early Learning and Development Standards

• Virginia ELDS HPD3.1: Use eyes and hands together to place each pattern block on the template.
• Virginia ELDS HPD3.2: Develop small muscle control while picking up and placing small blocks.
• Virginia ELDS CD3.3: Build geometric thinking and spatial reasoning by fitting shapes together.

Virginia SOL

• VA SOL Math K.MG.2: Identify, name and construct plane figures with a variety of materials.

Check out what other educators are saying:

★★★★★ Jillian S. wrote, "My students had a lot of fun with this! It was great to do as a station right before Thanksgiving break."

★★★★★ Leslie C. wrote, "My students really enjoyed doing this activity during independent math centers!"

Make fine motor learning fun this Thanksgiving with these pattern block mats. Add the Fine Motor Mats for Thanksgiving | Pattern Blocks to your cart today and have your November centers ready in minutes!

These mats are also included in the Fine Motor Mega Pack: Check out the Fine Motor Mega Pack here

Download Details

Please note: This is a digital download that will be available to you directly after purchase. Nothing will be mailed to you.

You will receive a link to the download in three places

1. On the 'thank you' page after checkout
2. In your email
3. Login on the site here: https://lifeovercsstore.com/account