Teachers and parents are always short on time. If I can get multiple uses out of the same resource, I consider that a major WIN. Do A Dot printables are so fun and there are an abundance of free resources available online that you can download and print. My kids absolutely love using the dot markers to decorate their artwork. But, truth be told, sometimes I’m reluctant to get the markers out for them to use. My toddler loves to dot herself and her clothes and my preschooler can finish dot art pages pretty quickly with the markers. It often turns into a huge mess in a very short amount of time. In an effort to make Do A Dot printables more worth their while, I brainstormed and tested a few new ways to use them.
Do A Dot Play-Doh
If you find Do A Dot printables available in color, grab them for your stash!!! I designed 4 versions of this printable, specifically with the playdough idea in mind. My preschooler chose his favorite color to work on. It was a great way to practice manipulating dough and identifying colors. Make sure you laminate your pages so that you can use and reuse them without the Play Doh ruining the color.
Do A Dot Buttons
I am the type of person who saves craft supplies for all eternity and I found these buttons stashed away in a jar in my cabinet. They worked perfectly for this fine motor activity. My preschooler chose the red apple to complete this time. My buttons had a bit of variation among their size and color, which sparked some meaningful conversation. Best of all, when we were finished, we could curl up the page and slide the buttons right back into the jar. No mess!!!
Do A Dot Flat Marbles
Adding flat marbles to the Do A Dot pages was a hit!! My preschooler spent the most time with this fine motor center. The flat marbles are smooth and heavy enough to sit still on the pages where you place them. Not to mention, they are shiny and see through!! This option was very engaging for my kids. Flat marbles, also called glass vase filler, can be found at any craft supply store. If you are lucky, you can find the color you need at a dollar store and save some money.
Do A Dot Circle Labels
The Do A Dot Circle Label option can be used in color or black and white. I chose to use color this time, but it would be just as fun letting the kids decide which color stickers to use on their creation. Using circle labels gave me a chance to do a little differentiation with my kids. I left the labels blank for my toddler and added letters on the labels for my preschooler. I wrote upper case letters on the apple and lower case letters on the labels. My toddler was able to develop her fine motor skills and hand eye coordination while my preschooler practiced identifying letters. You can even use these labels to match sight words or numbers as well.
Do A Dot Light Box Exploration
In order to use the Do A Dot pages for a light box exploration, you will need to print the black and white version. I used regular printer paper and the light shone through just fine, but if you have transparency paper, that would work even better. I am currently in a home setting, so I don’t actually have a light box. But whenever I plan fun light box activities, my son’s tracing tablet will do the trick. The circular chips that we used to place into the circles are transparent, so they looked really bright up against the light. My toddler absolutely loved this activity. She attended to it for at least 15 minutes, which is a lot of time for her to do just one thing, considering she’s not even two (I will also mention, I monitored her the entire time as these pieces can be choking hazards).
There are so many Do A Dot printables available on the internet, many for free. If you need help narrowing down the options, feel free to follow me on Pinterest (Click the Pinterest icon at the top of this page). I will only pin quality links so you won’t have to waste your time figuring out if the downloads work. They will!! If you like the apple Do A Dot printables that were featured in this post, download them for FREE by clicking the button below. And please don’t forget to comment below if you saw something you loved!! I love to see and hear about my resources in action. Thank you!!
Do you need MORE Do a Dot Printables for your collection?? Click the button below to discover more Fall Themed Do a Dot Printables for your fall centers.
Mrs Mama Bird 