Why Playdough? What’s It Really All About?

Judy Benz Duncan, Occupational Therapist

Play with playdough is more than just squishing and rolling it out! Play with playdough involves all the senses, allows some “clean” messy play, works on fine motor skills, develops core strength and gross motor skills if working in standing or kneeling, gives a child a chance at pretend play at baking – and so on!

Some of the benefits of playing with playdough (store bought or homemade):

o   There is no right or wrong way to play and create; celebrate their involvement and any creation they come up with

o   Helps develop fine motor skills

o   Helps to develop eye-hand coordination

o   Helps them create what they see in their mind; encourage them to talk about what they are making

o   Useful in pretend play activities

o   Encourages quiet time activity

o   Promotes concentration and focus on a fun, relaxing activity

o   May be useful as a calming activity for some children

o   Pulls in using all of your senses on a creative task

o   Promotes learning (flat, round, texture, weight, differences such as one “meatball” is fatter or bigger than another, and the learning just goes on and on!)

o   Promotes early learning of math and science (measuring, mixing, color changes, experimenting)

o   It is just a fun thing to play with!

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Basic Playdough Recipe

If you would like to make some playdough at home, here is an easy recipe that you can involve your child in too! If they are not ready to touch the playdough while it is being made, just watching you, and any other kids you may have helping you may entice them to touch, feel, play with as well.

What you will need:

o   2 Cups of plain flour

o   2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil

o   ½ Cup of Salt

o   2 Tablespoons of Cream of Tartar

o   Up to 1 ½ cups of heated water

o   Food coloring (if you want to make it a specific color, just add 1 to 2 drops)

o   An airtight container to store the playdough in (usually keeps well for 4-6 months)

o   Clean up materials

o   Options: cookie cutters (pretend play baking / pre-baking fun), rolling pin, stamping tools, mini-muffin pans (to smoosh playdough in to for fine motor skill and strengthening), small items to add to their creations like beads, buttons, and so on

o   Option: if you want a more textured playdough, add in a ½ cup of oatmeal (not instant) and a little additional water

o   Double or triple the recipe if you like how it has turned out!

If child is hesitant to touch the playdough, try some exam-type gloves to help keep their hands clean, yet still allow them to feel the texture and resistance of the playdough; Never force a child to touch or play with an item - let them decide when they are ready, but give lots of exposure and opportunity!

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What to do:

o   Mix all the dry ingredients and the oil into a large mixing bowl

o   If you are using any food grade coloring, add this to the water; otherwise just add the water without any coloring in it

o   Slowly add the heated water to the dry ingredients, folding it all together into a soft dough like substance (add the water slowly so you can stop when you feel it is soft yet firm to the touch)

o   Once the dough is cooled and well mixed together, let your child punch it, roll it, smoosh it, squish it, and just play with it! The dough may feel a bit sticky at first, but with play, that sticky feeling will disappear

o   Store in container when finished playing with it

You can let your child participate in making playdough by:

o   Gathering the materials (except for the heated water)

o   Measuring the amounts of dry ingredients and oil to add to the bowl

o   Write their name on the container lid with a marker

o   Make a paper label, coloring it, writing on it, decorating it, to use (tape or glue on) to make the container of playdough all their own.

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Have them try to roll out the playdough to make:

o   meatballs

o   snake or hotdog

o   big ball

o   pancake

o   make 3 long strips and have them “braid” the strips together

o   create “little animals”

o   use cookie cutters to stamp out shapes

o   roll and form pieces of the playdough into letters (try to have them make the first letter of their name)

o   if using non-colored playdough, let them color or paint their creations to save as is

o   if you would like to make up several containers as little gifts, for friends, or as a party favor, let your child decorate each small container that will be given as a gift

Feel Free To Share with Credit to TheraPlay4Kids.com

Now go have some fun (and learning!)