Description and Learning Objectives
The children in the Under 2 community seem to light up when playdough is offered as one of our sensory and fine motor activities. Playdough exploration assists the children in developing at least three of their senses: sight, smell, and touch. Actions such as pulling, rolling, poking, and grasping a fist full of playdough all help to develop the child’s fine motor skills. We often add a variety of accessories such as cookie cutters, rolling pins, food colouring, scented extracts and sparkles for variety and an enhanced experience.
Materials
- Playdough (in various colours), homemade or store bought
- Playdough accessories and tools (e.g., cookie cutters and rolling pins)
Observations and Findings
Playdough exploration provides children with the opportunity to further the development of their senses. They use their sense of sight to distinguish different colours, and to explore how mixing certain colours together makes a new colour. Their sense of smell helps them determine whether or not the playdough has a pleasant scent compared to other items, and which scent they are smelling. Their sense of touch allows them to categorize what type of material playdough is (e.g., soft vs. hard, solid vs. liquid). Using their senses of sight, smell, and touch; children are able to practice their exploration and discrimination skills through a comparison to other objects encountered in their daily lives.
Playdough exploration is a tactile activity, which helps children further develop their fine motor skills. Children are able to use their fingers and hands to physically mold and manipulate the playdough into different forms and shapes. Fine motor skills can be further developed through the use of playdough accessories and tools.
This sensory exploration also encourages children to practice their receptive and expressive language skills. Playdough allows children the chance to label their sensorial experiences with descriptive words such as naming different colours and describing textures and scents.
“The Perfect Playdough” Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/3 cup salt
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- food colouring (optional)
- scented food extract or sparkles (optional)
Procedure
- Mix boiling water, oil, and food colouring.
- Add salt and cream of tartar.
- Mix well.
- Pour dissolved mixture into a bowl with flour. Add food extract.
- Mix well.
- Knead with hands once cool to touch.
- Once playdough is cool, you are ready to play!
