Top Image Credit (cropped, text and other photos added below): © Nicola | 04.09.11 | CC by 2.0
My son LOVES play dough. I mean, really. It’s almost an obsession. And you know what? I don’t blame him. I remember loving play dough as a kid, myself. There’s just something magical about it. It’s a blank slate of 3D creativity.
Besides, I can’t think of a better obsession for a pre-schooler. We all know that children (and adults, for that matter) learn best when their senses are engaged. Think about it. Many of our favorite memories are associated with one or more of our senses–like the smell of our Mother’s perfume, or the taste of our favorite meal.
By giving our kiddos the opportunity to explore their senses, we are developing their cognitive, emotional, physical and creative abilities–and having fun at the very same time. (Imagine that!)
So. Now that we know how much play dough can benefit our kids, how do we maximize their play-time?
One great way is to create your very own “Play Dough Tool Kit.” And guess what…it doesn’t have to be expensive! I made ours using items we already had on hand. In fact, I’ve found that the household items bring the most fun. Because it requires our little ones to think outside the box–which just happens to be one of my favorite lessons.
Here’s a list of items you can use to get started:
- One large container– Any bucket or storage container will do. We re-used an old Lego box for ours, which is the perfect size.
- Child’s scissors– Perfect for cutting practice (and they work exactly the same as the play dough scissors).
- Birthday candles– Making cakes is our favorite play dough activity! Why not add some candles?
- Googly eyes– Great for making faces or creatures.
- Fruit skewers– Perfect to write with (best for older pre-schoolers).
- Kitchen utensils and tools– Get creative here. You can use forks, whisks, etc. to make patterns and shapes
- Building blocks– These can be used in so many ways. We used ours as stamps to make letters and shapes.
- Cookie cutters– Who doesn’t have these lying around? We make “play dough cookies” but you can make anything with regular cookie cutters.
It took us about ten minutes to put our kit together. And we played with it for hours. You can’t beat that!
What would you include in your play dough tool kit? Leave a comment below. We’d love to know…
Happy playing!
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Alli