Pancake Day: Design a Pancake Multimat | EYFS & KS1 Printables

Early Years (EYFS & KS1) Pancake Day Activity: Design a Pancake Mat (Art & Craft, Loose Parts, Playdough & Whiteboard)

Get ready for some deliciously creative fun with our Pancake Day: Design a Pancake Multimat! This incredibly versatile printable is perfect for EYFS and KS1 children, providing a fantastic canvas for sparking imagination, exploring design, and developing fine motor skills.

These 'pancake' themed multimats are designed for children to unleash their inner chef and create their ultimate pancake masterpieces! Encourage them to think about all the delicious toppings they could experiment with, using their imaginations to design unique creations. Alternatively, prompt them to consider what they or a particular person might like on their pancake, fostering empathy and observation skills.

(Note: Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity suggested on this page and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)

• 💡 How to use this resource in your classroom/setting

  Our Pancake Day: Design a Pancake Multimat is wonderfully adaptable for various learning activities across all early years and KS1 environments:

  • Individual Use (without lamination):

    • Drawing & Colouring: Children can use pencils, crayons, felt-tip pens, or paints to draw and colour their desired toppings directly onto the pancake outline.

    • Art & Craft Cut and Stick: Provide a selection of coloured paper, fabric scraps, wool, or other craft materials for children to cut out and stick onto their pancake, creating a mixed-media design.

  • Multiple Uses (if laminated):

    • Playdough Mats: Laminate the mats and invite children to use playdough to create three-dimensional toppings like 'blueberries,' 'strawberries,' 'cream,' or 'chocolate sauce.'

    • Loose Parts Activity: Provide a variety of small loose parts (e.g., buttons, pom-poms, dried beans, pasta shapes) for children to arrange and rearrange as pancake toppings, promoting counting and pattern-making.

    • Whiteboard Pens: Once laminated, children can use whiteboard pens to draw and erase different topping combinations, allowing for repeated design practice.

  • Preschool, Nursery & Childminder Settings: These mats are ideal for continuous provision in a creative or role-play area. Encourage open-ended exploration of materials and free design.

  • Reception Class (EYFS): Link to discussions about healthy eating, different food groups, and children's preferences. Use the mats for emergent writing, where children label their chosen toppings.

  • KS1 Classes (Year 1 & Year 2 School): Extend the activity by asking children to write descriptive sentences about their pancake design, or even a simple recipe for their imagined creation. Explore patterns, symmetry, and colour theory within their designs.

• 🎯 Learning objectives covered - 🐣 EYFS Framework

  EYFS Framework:

  • Expressive Arts and Design: Children explore and use a range of media and materials, developing their own ideas and expressing creativity through design. They make choices about colour, texture, and composition.

  • Physical Development (Fine Motor Skills): Drawing, colouring, cutting, sticking, and manipulating playdough or loose parts all help to strengthen hand muscles, improve pencil grip, and enhance hand-eye coordination.

  • Communication and Language: Provides opportunities for children to talk about their designs, describe their chosen toppings, and discuss food preferences.

  • Understanding the World (The World): Links to celebrations (Pancake Day) and learning about different types of food.

• 🎯 Learning objectives covered - 🐤 KS1 Curriculum

  KS1 Curriculum:

  • Art and Design: Children use drawing, painting, and sculpting (with playdough/loose parts) to develop and share their ideas, experiences, and imagination. They can explore and use a range of materials, focusing on line, shape, form, space, colour, and texture. They can also explore design principles.

  • English (Writing - Composition): Provides a creative stimulus for writing simple sentences, descriptions, or instructions related to their pancake design.

  • Design and Technology: Children engage in simple design thinking by considering materials and purposes (toppings for a pancake).

  • PSHE (Healthy Eating - indirectly): Can spark discussions about different food choices and balanced diets.

Download our Pancake Day: Design a Pancake Multimat today and inspire endless delicious creations for your EYFS and KS1 learners!

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