Playdough 101

We love playing with  playdough in our house – great for building imagination and creativity as well as those all important fine motor skills.  Now that winter has set in the playdough tub is coming out more and more in our house.

Here are two recipes to get you started:

Playdough 

Ingredients
½ cup salt
1 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
A few drops of food colouring

1.  Combine ingredients in a medium sized saucepan.
2.  Cook over a low heat until the dough is workable.
3.  Knead dough so it is nice and soft and ready to play with.
3.  Store in an air tight container.

Gluten-free Playdough

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup maize cornflour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
Food colouring
1 teaspoon cornflour

1.  Mix all of the ingredients together.
2.  Cook over a low heat until mixture congeals.
3.  Let cool and knead.

So you have made the playdough now what do you do with it? 

Here are some ideas that did in my classroom and I now do at home with my toddler:

Early mathematical skills with playdough:

• Make shapes

• Make and count how many
• Making numbers with playdough
• Playdough snakes –“Which is longer/shorter?”
• Patterns with playdough

Early Literacy skills with playdough:

• Tell a story with playdough – read and remake a scene or characters from your favourite story.
• Make playdough letters/words.

Natural playdough prints with leaves, shells, rocks, pinecones etc.

Other great ideas:

• Playdough self portraits. 
• Try adding some glitter to make sparkly playdough.
• Scented playdough –  we have tried adding some lavender and lemon rind  to our playdough.
• The playdough kitchen (making cookies, cupcakes, pizzas, noodles)  

• Construct houses/towers with playdough.
• Make your favourite animal, creature or monsters.

Have fun!

xo Michelle


Author Bio - Michelle - a mum of two beautiful girls, aged 2 years and 10 months.  We live on our sheep farm in rural Victoria. I love cooking and spending time with my family. 

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