Free Life Cycle Playdough Mats for Hands-On Learning

Life cycle playdough mats ended up being one of our favorite ways to explore science at home.

My son would get completely focused—rolling tiny eggs, squishing larva, and proudly showing off each stage he made.

These free printable playdough mats gave us a creative, hands-on way to dig into animal life cycle activities without feeling like schoolwork.

With themed mats for a frog, bee, butterfly, and ladybug, these printable sets make learning tactile, fun, and easy to repeat whenever curiosity strikes.

Four laminated playdough mats show step-by-step life cycles for a butterfly, frog, ladybug, and bee, with corresponding playdough models in bright colors like orange, green, red, and black.

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Playdough life cycle mats

These animal life cycle playdough mats are a fun, low-prep way to bring science to life through sensory play.

Kids can mold each stage with their hands, helping them retain and understand the life cycle of different animals.

Supplies needed:

Printable mats – scroll to the bottom to access them
Play-doh in a variety of colors
Dry erase pockets or a laminator

Life Cycle of a Bee

Start by rolling small white balls for the eggs, which the queen lays inside a honeycomb cell.

Next, form a curved larva using cream or yellow playdough—it looks a bit like a tiny worm.

Use orange or yellow to shape the pupa, where the transformation begins.

Finish by building the adult bee with black and yellow stripes. We like to press in wings with a coin and use a toothpick to add antennae.

Playdough activity mat inside a blue sleeve illustrating the four life cycle stages of a bee: egg, larva, pupa, and adult bee. Each section includes a labeled step and colorful playdough models in white, orange, black, yellow, and red, with Play-Doh tubs scattered on a white surface.

Pair this with our free bee life cycle coloring sheet for extra practice.

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Butterflies begin as tiny white eggs, often laid on the underside of leaves.

Form a colorful caterpillar using playdough segments in any combo—my son likes stripes.

The chrysalis stage is next—shape green or brown into a teardrop and try gently twisting the top to mimic a stem.

Build the butterfly with large wings and patterns. A fork works great for adding symmetry to the wings.

Butterfly life cycle playdough mat in a blue sleeve showing four labeled stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. Each stage includes colorful diagrams and playdough models, with tubs of red, yellow, and white Play-Doh placed nearby on a white surface.

Try our butterfly scavenger hunt to keep the learning going!

Life Cycle of a Frog

Start with small black-and-white dots to form a cluster of frog eggs—just like you’d see floating on pond water.

Shape a simple tadpole from green playdough with a tail and tiny bumps for eyes.

Next is the froglet: keep the tail, but add small legs to show it’s growing.

The final frog should have long legs, a rounded body, and big eyes—we use a ballpoint pen cap to press in the eyes.

Laminated frog life cycle playdough mat in a blue sleeve showing four stages: egg, tadpole, froglet, and adult frog. The playdough models use white, black, green, and pink to represent each stage, with tubs of green, black, white, and yellow Play-Doh nearby on a white marble surface.

Don’t miss our printable frog life cycle coloring page for another hands-on option.

Life Cycle of a Ladybug

Begin with little white or yellow eggs—these are laid in clusters on leaves.

Shape a segmented black larva, a bit like a spiky worm.

Create the pupa using red playdough in a simple oval.

Then build your ladybug with red and black—press in spots using the end of a pencil and add tiny legs and antennae.

Ladybug life cycle playdough mat in a blue sleeve with four labeled sections: egg, larva, pupa, and adult ladybug. Each stage features colorful playdough shapes in yellow, black, and red, with a completed red-and-black ladybug crafted from playdough in the final box.

Add our ladybug life cycle coloring page to round out the activity.

Why Use Playdough Mats?

These mats are one of the easiest ways to turn science into something hands-on and memorable. Instead of just reading or coloring, kids are actually building each stage—egg, larva, pupa, adult—with their own hands.

The tactile play keeps them focused longer (especially great for wiggly learners).
Visuals on the mats make it easier to follow each step of the cycle.
They work well for classrooms, homeschool, or even quiet-time play at home.
Laminated or in a dry erase pocket, they hold up for repeat use all season.

It’s science, but it feels like play—and that’s what makes it stick.

Need to print later? Add this to your Pinterest board or share it on Facebook. You’ll have it handy whenever you’re ready to use it!

Get the Free Playdough Mats Here!

Ready to grab your free printable? Just pop your name and email into the form below, and it’s all yours!

If you don’t see the form below, click here to get the free playdoh mats.

More Themed Playdough Activities to Explore

If your kids enjoyed these life cycle activities, keep the hands-on fun going with these creative sets:

Dinosaur playdough mats from Homeschool Preschool – A playful way to introduce dino names and shapes while building fine motor skills.
Weather playdough mats from Living Life and Learning – Let kids model clouds, rain, and sunshine as part of an easy early science activity.
Christmas playdough mats from Darcy & Brian – Add a festive twist with Christmas shapes perfect for seasonal sensory play.

Last Updated on 30 April 2025 by Clare Brown