Playdough is fabulous for developing fine motor skills so today we are going to explore the many different ways you can use it. If you have some ready made playdough great, if not this is the recipe that the children follow in the nursery :
2 cups plain flour
1 cup of salt
1 teaspoon or cream of tartar
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
2 cups of hot water
Food colouring
Mix all ingredients together, put into microwave and give it 30 seconds at a time on full power until it is the correct consistency
You can make it more interesting by changing the colour, adding a scent or changing the texture.
There are also a number of cooked and uncooked recipes online that might better match the ingredients you have to hand.
Other materials that can be used include:
moon dough
Plastercine
clay
The firmer the material the greater the challenge!
Below are some suggestions for activities however there are many that can be set up and enjoyed, what will you try first?
Rolling – different rolling pins can create different effects. No rolling pin? Use something cylindrical like a tin or roll the playdough into balls or tubes with your hands.
Role Play – use the playdough as part of a bakery, pizza shop, garden centre or other role play idea
Loose Parts – add beads, dried pasta, sticks, buttons, whatever to the dough to create different sculptures.
2D shapes – use cutters or other tools to make some 2D shapes.
Printing – small world toys can be used to create different prints, you can even make dinosaur fossils!
Letters and numbers – make them out of playdough or roll the playdough into balls and use them for counting
Pinching and Squeezing – create a pinch pot
We are so looking forward to seeing what you create with your playdough!
