The benefits of playdoh

Playing with playdough is one of the most popular activities here at PreSchool. We make it almost every day and the children love using their imaginations to create different shapes and figures.

Did you know that PlayDough is very beneficial for development in early childhood?

Moulding playdough helps children to develop fine motor skills and their finger muscles ready for writing. It also helps with their vocabulary as they describe what they are making to their peers. Playing with playdough requires a child to sit still and concentrate for a period therefore good for lengthening a child’s concentration over time. Finally, the very nature of the substance makes it calming to play with adding to its therapeutic value.

Here is a recipe to make your own playdough, you could make it with your child as a way of improving their literacy and numeracy skills.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of plain flour
• 2 tbsps vegetable oil (baby oil or coconut oil works too)
• ½ cup salt
• 2 tbsp cream of tartar
• 1-1.5 cups boiling water
• Gel food colouring (optional)

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the water in small amounts until you get the desired consistency. You can add 1-2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed fruit juice and zest for a delicious scent.

We would love to see your playdoh creations, please share with us on Tapestry or our Facebook page.