13 Pattern Activities for Preschoolers: Games, Printables, and Play Ideas  

Patterns are everywhere—from the stripes on a shirt to the beat of a favorite song—and preschoolers will love discovering them! Learning about patterns helps young children build early math and logic skills, and the best way to explore them is through play. In this article, you’ll find a variety of hands-on learning ideas, printable activities, and free-to-play online games that make practicing patterns both fun and meaningful for young learners.

And if your child enjoys these activities, be sure to check out our shape activities for preschoolers, filled with even more creative ways to learn and play.

Printable Pattern Activities

1. Practice with Free Pattern Worksheets

Simply print out these free printable pattern worksheets, and you’ve got an easy way for your child to practice with patterns. These are perfect for on-the-go learning or as a quiet activity at home or in the classroom.

2. Complete the Animal Patterns Printable 

Print out this pattern worksheet in color or black and white and challenge your preschooler to finish each pattern. They’ll need to decide which of the animals (at the end of the row) belongs next in the pattern. They can either circle the correct animal that goes in the missing space or cut it out and glue it into place.

3. Complete the Vegetable Patterns Printable 

This vegetable pattern printable requires preschoolers to practice their cutting skills (or get help from an adult) while honing their pattern skills. Simply download and print the PDF, then work with your child to cut out each of the squares on the right-hand side of the sheet. Then use the squares to complete each of the patterns.

TIP: Keep exploring vegetables with our fun printable list of 80+ Vegetable Names for Kids that’s filled with interesting facts, too!

Free-to-Play Online Pattern Games

4. Marie’s Pattern Matching

In this game, players practice recognizing patterns by helping Marie pick the next sticker to finish each pattern she’s working on.

PLAY THE GAME

5. Show What You Know: Patterns

Kids can show off their knowledge of patterns as they play each round, picking the correct items to complete the various patterns they see.

PLAY THE GAME

6. Shawna’s Pattern Bracelets

Have some fun creating colorful friendship bracelets with Shawna in this online game, and get in some practice with patterns too!

PLAY THE GAME

Hands-On Pattern Activities

7. Block Patterns

What you need: Blocks in different colors or shapes

How to do it: Start with a simple arrangement (triangle–square–triangle or red-blue-red). Ask your child to build onto it. You can also challenge them to start a pattern for you to finish.

TIP: Don’t have colored blocks? No problem! Use playdough, pipe cleaners, yarn, or pieces of colored paper instead to create patterns of different shapes and colors.

8. Pattern Snack Kebobs

What you need: Two to three different types of snack foods (grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, cheese squares, cucumber slices) and wooden skewers

How to do it: If your child is starting to develop an understanding of patterns, invite them to create a kebob of their own choosing with the snacks you provide. For example, their pattern could be: cucumber slice-apple slice-cucumber slice-apple slice. If your child is just learning about patterns, create a kebob for them to recreate on their own.

TIP: The ends of kebob sticks can be sharp and pointy–supervise your child as they add food to the stick.

9. Finger Paint Patterns

What you need: Paper, paint, art smock or large old shirt

How to do it: Set out a few different colors of paint. You can either create a pattern for your child to duplicate or they can create their own. Kids can also create patterns in each row or use their entire sheet of paper to create one pattern.

TIP: It’s helpful to have hand wipes, soapy water, or a sink nearby for quick cleanup during this activity.

10. Toy Lineup Patterns

What you need: Two to three types of toys that your child has multiples of. For example, 4 blue cars, 4 red cars, and 4 yellow cars or 3 toy dogs and 3 toy cats.

How to do it: Have your child use their toys to create their very own patterns. Challenge your child to come up with as many different patterns as possible.

TIP: Get siblings and friends involved by having children take turns adding to the patterns or creating patterns for the other to copy.

11. Nature Pattern Hunt

What you need: A nearby forest, park, or your backyard

How to do it: Start by seeing patterns that naturally occur in nature, such as a patch of yellow flowers followed by a tree, then more yellow flowers, then a tree. You can also find objects from outside to create patterns with, such as pinecones, acorns, pebbles, and more.

TIP: This is a great activity to pair with a short hike or trip to the playground. While you’re outside, try our Nature Activities for Preschoolers.

12. Alphabet Patterns

What you need: Alphabet magnets, blocks, or beads with multiples of each letter

How to do it: Use the alphabet blocks to create a pattern for your child, pointing out the name of each letter as you go. Work with your child to create a new pattern or to duplicate one that you create.

TIP: As your child becomes more familiar with patterns, look for them in words, such as mama, banana, tutu, yo-yo, and more.

13. Sound Patterns

What you need: Nothing–just your hands or feet, but you can use pots and pans or any other item that makes a distinct sounds.

How to do it: Create a sound pattern by stomping, then clapping, then stomping, then clapping. As your child builds their familiarity with patterns, make them more complex or add in other sounds.

TIP: This one is fun to try with multiple kids, assigning each child a sound to make.

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