Build a Monster Play Dough Tray

Sharing is caring!

If you’ve ever handed your kids a lump of playdough and watched them make something wildly unidentifiable (but clearly very important), you’ll love this build a monster play dough tray. Googly eyes everywhere, vampire fangs in unexpected places, and monsters that look like they were made by actual tiny monsters.

There’s no wrong way to build a monster, which is exactly why kids love it. Use it for a classroom center, a Halloween party or a rainy afternoon.

Ages 3 and up
Time 5 minutes to set up
Skills Counting, fine motor
Cards 20 monster recipes
A Halloween playdough tray filled with green playdough, vampire fangs, googly eyes, bones, colorful beads, and pipe cleaners. A “Build a Monster” task card lists “9 bones, 8 fuzzy sticks, 4 eyes, 1 vampire fang.” Wooden rolling pins are on the side.

How to Set Up a Monster Play Dough Tray

Build a Monster Play Dough Task Cards

Get the printable

Divided orange tray

View on Amazon

Green playdough

View on Amazon

Googly eyes

View on Amazon

Plastic vampire fangs

View on Amazon

Mini bone manipulatives

View on Amazon

Halloween buttons

View on Amazon

Pony beads

View on Amazon

Pipe cleaners

View on Amazon

Rolling pins

View on Amazon

Cookie cutters

View on Amazon

Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Add the playdough

Plop a big ball of green playdough in the center of a divided tray.

Overhead view of a Halloween playdough tray with green playdough in the center and compartments filled with googly eyes, vampire fangs, bones, colorful buttons, beads, pipe cleaners, and Halloween cookie cutters. A task card lists “2 bones, 7 buttons, 9 beads, 8 eyes,” with four small wooden rolling pins next to it.

Fill the sections

Fill the other sections with monster parts: googly eyes, fangs, bones, buttons, beads and pipe cleaners. If it looks like it belongs in a monster lab, toss it in.

Add the recipe cards

Set the build a monster cards next to the tray. Each card tells kids how many bones, buttons, beads, eyes, fuzzy sticks and fangs to add, so counting is built right in.

Build monsters

Kids squish a monster body, then count out and add the parts. Lumpy shapes, crooked eyes and extra fangs are all welcome in this lab.

A green playdough monster with orange and purple pipe cleaner arms and antennae, large googly eyes, and an orange and purple playdough mouth, arranged playfully on a white background.

⚠️ Small parts

Googly eyes, beads, buttons and fangs are choking hazards. Supervise closely and leave the tiny parts out for kids who still mouth things.

Ways to Play

  • Give a silly prompt: “Make a monster with one eye and super long arms.”
  • Roll a die and add that many eyes.
  • Have kids describe their monster and give it a name.
  • Build a monster family from biggest to smallest.

When the monster mayhem winds down, sort the loose parts into zip-top bags and store the dough airtight. Everything fits in a stackable storage box, ready for next time.

More Halloween play dough fun

See all →

Want more playdough task cards? Get every set in one bundle, with task cards for every theme.

Build a monster cards include

  • 20 monster recipe cards with parts to count
  • Bones, buttons, beads, eyes, fuzzy sticks and vampire fangs
  • Full color and black and white versions
  • Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped

Perfect for

  • Halloween math centers
  • Preschool and kindergarten
  • Occupational therapy
  • Halloween parties
  • Homeschool

Build a Monster Play Dough Tray FAQ

What do you need for a monster play dough tray?

Green playdough and monster parts like googly eyes, vampire fangs, mini bones, buttons, beads and pipe cleaners, all in a divided tray.

How do the build a monster cards work?

Each card lists how many of each part to add, so kids count out the pieces and check their monster against the card.

Is this activity safe for toddlers?

The small parts are choking hazards, so it’s best for kids past the mouthing stage with supervision.

How do you store a play dough tray?

Bag the loose parts by type, keep the dough in an airtight container and store it all in a box with the cards.

More Play Dough Trays and Halloween Fun

See all →

From families like yours

Did you try it? Tell us how it went!

We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.

No stories yet. Be the first family to share how it went!

Stephanie Oswald, early childhood intervention specialist and creator of Parenting Chaos

Hi, I’m Stephanie!

I’m an early childhood intervention specialist and the mom behind Parenting Chaos. I share simple, hands-on activities that help little ones learn through play. Coffee addict, nature junkie and kid at heart.

More about me →

Explore More Activities

Sharing is caring!