The benefits of play dough play
There are so many different ways to play with play dough.
The play opportunities and benefits are endless.
In a nut shell here are a few developmental benefits to playing with play dough:
- Fine Motor - squeeze it, squash it, roll it, prod it, stretch it - some of the many things we can do with it. There are so many tiny muscles in our hands that we need to carry out many day to day tasks such as - writing, typing, making, painting - for all we we need good fine motor control. Play dough exercises these muscles fantastically.
- Language - Describing textures, scents, colours, talking about what they are creating. Maybe they introduce narratives to their play - its all promoting language.
- Mathematics - The use of positional language - on top, next to, behind, under. Talking about quantity, discussing and measuring out ingredients needed to make your own.
- Sensory - The scents we add, the colourings used, the way the play dough feels and looks. Its all stimulating our senses.
- Creativity and Imagination - Creativity and Imagination really are limitless when playing with Play dough. What are we creating? What do your creations represent?
- Emotional - Its a calming and therapeutic activity.
How to make Playdough at home
You will need
A cup
Bowl
Spoon
2 cups of plain flour (approx 50p a bag)
1 cup of salt (approx 25p a bag)
2 table spoons of cream of tartar (approx £1.10 a tub)
2 table spoons of oil (approx £1 a bottle) recipe
2 cups of boiling hot water
Method
-Add your ingredients to the bowl
TAKE CARE WITH BOILING HOT WATER
-Mix them altogether with your spoon (Don't use your hands until the mixture has cooled - This is so important as the mixture is very sticky to begin with. It will stick to your fingers and burn if you don't allow enough time to cool down)
-Remember you can add your colourings and scents at this stage too.
-Once the mixture is cool use your hands to work the mixture together.
Da Da congratulations you have made your own play dough! - Simple, enjoyable and affordable.
Varying Playdough Play
- Add colours
- Use different scents
- Use playdough cutters that link with themes/interests
- Offer a range of cutting tools
- Use tools that leave imprints in the playdough
- Add items to alter the texture
- Roll the playdough into 'sausages' and create letter/number/shapes
- Use different coloured doughs and mix them together
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