These pool shape mats will fit right in with your other shape activities for preschoolers and kindergarten kids! They’re incredibly low-prep, and you can use the printable with a variety of manipulatives and loose parts.
You can easily change up how you use the pool shapes printable, making adjustments based on your students’ individual needs. Your students also have the option of using these mats in ways that interest them!
In addition to the differentiation aspect, I also love that the pool printable shapes let children work on a variety of early learning skills. The pages might be focused on math, but they also integrate other concepts important in early childhood!
Related: Summer Activities for Preschoolers
You can request the free printable swimming pool shapes near the bottom of this post. There’s a large form above the last image where you do so!
Pool Shape Mats
Read below for how I like to prep my shape mats, as well as ideas for how to use them with your students. As always, please keep in mind that you don’t have to do things exactly as I do. Make adjustments based on your own preferences and needs!
Get the Swimming Pool Shapes Printable Ready
Start off by gathering the items needed to prep the individual pool shape mats. Here’s what I use (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
And that’s it! You really only need two things – a way to print the shapes and a way to protect them! Once you have those items ready, consider grabbing any supplies you’d like to use with the printable pool shapes. Here are some ideas:
- Buttons
- Counting bears
- Unifix cubes
- Dry erase markers
- Playdough
- Simple sensory materials
It really just depends on what you already have on-hand! Now that you have the materials, it’s time to prep. As I mentioned earlier, there isn’t much to it:
- First, request the printable near the bottom of this post.
- Next, save the file to you computer.
- Then print the pool shape mats, making as many copies as you’d like.
- After that, you’ll want to protect the pages by laminating them or placing them in dry erase pockets.
- Finally, set the shapes out for your students, along with any additional items you want to use.
How to Use the Pool Shape Mats with Kids
Oh, there are so many ways to use the printable swimming pools shapes with your students! I’m going to share some of the ways we’ve used them below.
- Have the children use playdough to cover the pool shapes. They can even add small loose parts to the dough to “decorate” their pools.
- Let the kids use manipulatives or loose parts to trace the edges of the shapes. Ask them to count how many items it takes to go around each of the shapes.
Related: Watermelon Shape Mats
- Add glitter glue around the edges of the shapes and let it dry. Then let the children trace over the dried glue with their fingers. Or have them make crayon rubbings of the shapes. Then they can draw their own pool shapes!
- Pair the pool shape mats with a blue sensory tray. Your students can practice drawing shapes in their little “pools” and use the shape printables as reference.
- Give the children dry erase markers. They can trace over the large pool shapes on the individual mats, or the smaller versions.
- Send your students on a shape hunt around the classroom. See how many of each shape they can find and bring back to place on the individual pool shape printables.
- Place small shape manipulatives into a pool-themed sensory bin (an ocean sensory bin would work, too). Challenge the kids to find all of the shapes and place them appropriately on the shape pages.
How do you plan to use the pool shape mats with your students? Don’t forget to request your copy near the bottom of this post!
When to Use the Printable Pool Shapes
Of course, my first suggestion is to add them to your summer lesson plans. When I think of the pool, my mind immediately goes to hot summer days. If it’s hot during other seasons, add the pool shape mats to those seasonal plans!
You don’t have to keep the printable pool shapes confined to hot seasons, though. I think they’d work very well during a weather theme, too. Especially if they’re used in conjunction with other items belonging to different weather, like my snowman shape mats.
Or consider adding the pool shape mats to a movement unit. You and the kids can discuss the various ways to move their bodies when in a pool. They’re also a good starting point when discussing swimming and safety.
What Skills do the Pool Shape Mats Work On?
I touched on this briefly near the beginning of the post, but let’s take a slightly deeper look. Here are some of the concepts the pool shapes printable helps children to explore and practice:
- Shape identification
- Characteristics of 2D shapes
- Shape formation
- Fine motor skills
- Sensory exploration
- High frequency words
- Sentence structure and punctuation
- Counting
- Patterns
- Hand strengthening
As you can see, the pool shape mats cover more than “just” shapes! I love that they give you the opportunity to teach multiple concepts and subjects at once.
More Pool Theme Activities for Kids
If you’re running with the idea of a theme based on pools, here are some possible ideas to try:
- Pool Noodle Crafts and Activities
- Popsicle Stick Pool Friends Craft
- Cutting Pool (for scissor practice in a contained environment)
- Giant Water Bead Sensory Bin
- Play Sand (in a kiddie pool!)
- Blocks in the Pool STEM
I think those ideas pair well with the pool shape mats!
Cruise Dramatic Play
If you’re a preschool or kindergarten teacher, make sure you check out my sister site, Preschool Teacher 101. We created it specifically to make early childhood educators’ lives easier with fully-developed, done-for-you resources. We even have The Pack, our membership that saves you even more!
I think our cruise dramatic play set would be fun alongside the pool shape mats. Click on the image below to grab it:
You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers, if that’s easier for you!
Request the Pool Shape Mats
This free printable is available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community. If you’re a member, fill out the form below and the download links will be sent to your inbox. If you’re not a member, you can join us by entering your information in the form. Then you’ll receive the printable pool shape mats as a welcome gift!
Be sure to check out my printing FAQ page if you need help.
Such a fun and clever way to teach children their shapes, Mary! I’m happy to be featuring your post at Tuesday Turn About this week!