Playdough is fantastic for sensory play and learning, and it’s just plain FUN! Shaping the dough into a ball or making a snake stimulates creativity. Squeezing, pinching, and pulling movements also strengthen hand muscles and develop fine motor skills. Adding some basic tools or toys to the activity can spark the imagination. 

What supplies do you need?

  • Easy homemade playdough (see recipe below)
  • Tools for cutting, shaping, and making patterns – for example, plastic knives, forks, rolling pins, cookie cutters, scissors
  • Things for imaginative play – for example, plastic animals, toy cars, natural objects like rocks, sticks, shells, or baking tools like muffin trays
  • Want to add more fun…add a dash of glitter or beads

Ideas for engaging with playdough

  • Let your child experiment.
  • Show your child how to roll, stretch, and flatten.
  • Talk about how the playdough looks, feels, and smells.
  • Use objects to use for making patterns, like a fork to make dots, a shell, or tracks with toy car wheels.
  • Encourage imaginative play with muffin trays and baking tools- decorate your pretend cake with bead “sprinkles” and top it with a candle.
  • Give your child plastic animals to use with the playdough. 
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Tips for playing with playdough

  • You can play with playdough anywhere, but it’s best to sit at a table for a solid work surface and to keep things from getting too messy. 
  • Use a plastic mat or cookie sheet to protect surfaces and contain the fun.

ARTLab Maui’s Favorite Playdough Recipe

This super simple recipe is all-natural and takes just minutes to make. Kids love to help measure, pour, and mix the ingredients. Your dough will last about a month when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If it seems to dry out, just refresh with a little warm water.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
  • 1 to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
  • gel food coloring (optional)
  • Essential oil for scent (optional)

Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Add food coloring to the boiling water and then into the dry ingredients. Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough. Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead it until all of the stickiness has gone. If it remains sticky then add a pinch more flour until just right.

Tasha Compos is a 15-year art educator and owner of ARTLab Maui in Kihei where artists of all ages can learn, play, and create. artlabmaui.com