Do you remember playing with playdough when you were a young child? Or perhaps you have a small child who enjoys playing with playdough? If the above sentences sound like you- then you may enjoy my 3 easy playdough recipe ideas.
These charming playdough ideas are ideal for a preschooler. However, any age can enjoy playing with playdough. Afterall, who says that learning cannot be fun?
In this post, I will first teach you how to make my easy playdough recipe. Following this, I will share with you 3 easy ways to incorporate playdough into a homeschool lesson. This can be done through the use of storytelling, through a nature/science lesson, and through your own imaginative creations.
With this in mind, please join me- and my Happy Hawks Homeschool crew- as we show you how you too can utilize my 3 easy playdough recipe ideas… for school or fun.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into our dough- playdough!
~The Inspiration Behind My 3 Easy Playdough Recipe Ideas~
After graduating high school, I took a gap year. During this time, I lived half of the year in Australia- and the other half of the year in Ohio- with my aunt. (*You can read more about that Australian adventure here.)
As it would be, my Ohio aunt owned a preschool center. Certainly, I was blessed to work alongside her. During this time, I was able to learn a lot about how young children experience the world. (I did not know then, how helpful this information would be in my own teaching career as well as in my motherhood).
Being a preschool teacher, my aunt often focused on activities that strengthened motor skills in children.
In fact, one of my favorite ideas she utilized was a sensory table. Simply put, this was a hollow table that she would fill with different items. Items such as soapy water and cups or dried corn kernels and scoops.
Unsurprisingly, the sensory table was always popular with the children. Noting the popularity of this table, I tucked this idea into a back corner of my mind.
My Teaching Journey Begins:
Fast forward three years- and I found myself in my teaching apprenticeship. Thankfully, I was placed in a middle school classroom with a wonderfully creative Family and Consumer Science teacher (also known as a Home Economics teacher).
In her Child Development class, she taught her students how to make playdough. In my opinion, this playdough recipe was the perfect way to use a sensory/tactile activity to strengthen and develop a child’s fine motor skills.
A mere year later, I was a Family and Consumer Science teacher- teaching a Child Development class of my own. This time, I was teaching high school students.
Remembering the playdough recipe, I made a few tweaks and decided to share these 3 easy playdough recipe ideas with my high school students.
How fitting that I can now share the same ideas with you.
~How Playing with Playdough Strengthens Fine Motor Skills in Children~
As a homeschool educator of four children (aged toddler to elementary school), I often utilize hands on learning in my lessons.
In fact, one of the first lessons I teach- when beginning the school year- is the concept of pencil grip.
However, even before this, I like to lay the foundation for these fine motor skills by playing with playdough.
Fine motor skills- being small movements made primarily with the fingers and hands. And gross motor skills- being those movements that involve the bigger muscle groups.
Therefore, playdough techniques such as patting, rolling, curling, twisting, slicing- help to develop fine motor skills.
This hand and eye coordination- and precision- help to build many strengths that are necessary for later learning. In fact, during a child’s early or preschool years, simple activities that are performed during playtime help to develop these fine motor skills.
~How to Make an Easy Playdough Recipe in Your Kitchen~
~My Easy Playdough Recipe: ~
Easy Playdough Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Add flour, water, salt, oil, and cream of tartar to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
- Over medium heat, cook the playdough until it becomes a thick dough. (Note: The water will cook out and will resemble store-bought playdough. The dough will be slightly sticky at this point.)
- Place a piece of parchment paper onto a hard work surface and lightly sprinkle with flour.
- Knead the warm dough into the flour until the dough is elastic, smooth, and no longer sticky.
- Separate the dough into however many sections you would like to individually color.
- Add food coloring to the dough to reach the desired color.
- Store the playdough in sealed containers or a Ziplock bag. Keep in a cool place thereafter.
*Note: If the idea of using a sensory product like “dough” is appealing to you, why not check out these posts that feature, salt cookie ornaments, and air-dry clay hearts.
~Step One: Preparing the Playdough~
~Step 2: Adding Color to the Dough~
As I mentioned before, the original recipe incorporated a packet of Kool-Aid to color the dough. This can certainly be done in place of the food coloring.
~Step Three: Decorating the Playdough Jars~
Technically optional- this step is not necessary and can be omitted. However, to honor the idea of making ordinary things lovely, my homeschool crew and I added a little pizazz to our playdough jars.
*Note: the jars we used are jam jars. I find these jars work well for many projects. Most notably for my homemade candles and school organizing. You can order a large case of these from Amazon.
Of course, you can opt to store the colored playdough in Ziplock bags or any airtight Tupperware container.
~Step Four: Filling the Jars with My Easy Playdough~
Now for the easy part- place the playdough in the jar, screw on the jam jar lid, and keep in a cool place.
~How to Use Playdough in Storytelling: ~
Storytelling is an art form. Basically, it is painting a picture with words.
I use storytelling whenever I can to teach a lesson or convey a point.
In order to incorporate storytelling into my playdough activity… I told the children a story from my imagination.
This is how my story begins: Are you sitting comfortably?
~The Story of the English Ducks~
~Duck Prints~
(Written by Cotswold Kitchen Mom and her own little ducklings)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once upon a time, there lived a family of English ducks.
The cheeky ducklings were always covered in mud and muck.
This was because they lived on a sandy riverbed.
Where a muddy trail of duck prints most often led-
To a cozy cottage that the ducks called home.
Their mum, a stern mother, often did moan:
“My dear ducklings, gather near!”
“If you wish to dwell in our cottage without fear…
Listen to my quacking and hear me sing-
For you must remember this one simple thing:”
“Wear your wellies on your feet- kindly leave them at the cottage door…
Or you shall be scrubbing these flagstone floors- forevermore!”
The baby ducklings, noting the warning- and wanting to be kind…
Put their bills together, and swiftly made up their mind:
“Wipe our feet, no more mess-
This is sure (our mum) to impress.”
To this day, the floors of the duck cottage sparkle and shine…
No small speck of dust or dirty duck print… will you ever find.
Now, the ducks and their mother, live happily ever after…
in a clean cottage filled with much love and silly laughter.
~The End~
~Incorporating the Playdough into the Story~
After telling my Duck Print story, I decided to further elaborate by bringing the playdough to “life” once again. Firstly, I set the scene by adding our English ducks to the tabletop. (*To read more on how these wooden friends are incorporated into our family life, read here🙂
In this case, the children and I used the bottom of the wooden duck’s feet to trace and outline the shape of the webbed feet. We used our thumb prints to make the webbed definition. Further to this, we made duck prints by embedding the shape into the soft dough.
Naturally, the teaching opportunities are endless here: A discussion on how webbed feet help ducks to paddle, or how you can identify different animals by their footprints, etc. In this way, you can add to the content and educational value of your lesson.
Certainly, you can just focus on playing. For playing is important too. Much learning takes place in the realm of “play.”
~How to Use Playdough in a Nature Lesson~
Incorporating playdough into a nature lesson is a very easy task. You only need a few simple supplies that can be gathered on a walk or from your back yard.
I sent my three oldest children into the backyard, basket in hand with this directive: “Gather interesting, beautiful items that have texture or pattern.”
Upon their return, I inspected their basket full of treasures. This “inspection” gives me a little insight into what they value and see as beautiful in their world.
After this, each child was able to press their natural items into the soft, pliable dough. This was a fun way for each child to discover new textures and patterns.
Many science lessons can emerge from simple tabletop discussions.
~How to Use Playdough to Create~
Using creativity to create does not always need instruction.
In fact, tactile learning opportunities like this, often do not need any instruction at all. How joyful to see what my children create.
Adding jewels and sequins is another fun way to create texture and patterns.
Also, wooden skewers and rolling pins are good tools to have on hand.
~How to Use a Thrifted Basket to Make a Portable Classroom~
By placing the homemade playdough in a lovely, thrifted basket, you can then transport your playdough lesson to any space you like.
Perhaps you may like to tell a story to your pupils on a picnic table in the great outdoors and enjoy your playdough there?
Therefore, the possibilities are endless when you have a basket and an active imagination.
~Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways~
Playdough is a wonderful tool to have in your basket. Hopefully, my 3 easy playdough recipe ideas have helped you gain some new inspirations and ideas.
By using playdough to tell a story, to teach a nature lesson, or to simply create- you too can have fun with this wonderful dough.
Would you like to read more about my simple homeschool activities? Please let me know in the comments -as I would love to hear from you. And, if homeschooling topics are an interest to you, check out my last post on how to feed the birds for more learning ideas.
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Until Next time,
~Elizabeth~