Making a Little Dough!: Why Is Play Dough a Great Early Childhood Teaching Tool

Let's face it, who doesn't love playing with fun, squishy, pliable play dough? It just makes you happy and brings you back to the days when the most important task of the day was sitting in front of the t.v. watching your favorite cartoons. But, guess what? There is more depth to this doughy solid. It is in fact, a perfect teaching tool for those in ECE.

See the list below of the many ways that play dough can be used to liven up your lessons!

1. Play dough increases eye-hand coordination, fine motor, and critical thinking skills. It is also a great sensory exploration tool. 
2. Teach shapes with play dough by using cookie cutters. 
3. "Write" letters by laminating large, letter tracing sheets. Have your child roll play dough snakes to create the letters. 
4. Let your inner creative genius out! Add buttons, beads and glitter to play dough and design away. Adult supervision should be used with younger children who still like to explore their world by placing items in their mouths at all times. 
5. Buy mini-plastic flower pots and place play dough inside them. Insert dollar store, plastic flowers inside to create a magical flower garden that you don't need a green thumb for! (Science Concepts) 
6. Laminate ten frames and teach children how to count using play dough rolled into balls. 
7. Help children learn about animal tracks by "walking" plastic farm, forest or any other animals through rolled out play dough. 
8. Be a forensic scientist! Have children investigate their fingerprints using play dough! This is a fantastic science center activity! Leave pictures of common fingerprint patterns and magnifying glasses in the area so children can see the many types of fingerprint patterns there are. 
9. Add  child-friendly, play dough tools such as small rolling pins, plastic play dough cutters, cups, and cookie cutters to your child's play dough toys. These tools help children learn about spatial concepts, cause and effect, and physical properties associated with play dough. 
10. Investigate color mixing with play dough! Find a non-cook play dough recipe that can easily be made by you and your students. Separate the play dough into several medium or smaller-sized pieces. Add food coloring to each piece to create primary, secondary, and tertiary colors! 
11. Play dough works well for dramatic play too! Have children decorate play dough cookies and cupcakes! Provide beads and buttons (as previously stated in post), plastic cupcake liners, and cookie sheets so that the students can make their very own "pastries" in their preschool bakery. 

I  have tried many, many, did I say many?, play dough recipes during my teaching. This recipe is by far the best. I even used it when I worked as a youth services assistant at a local library.

Cooked Play Dough

Warning- Please keep little ones away from the stove and if you allow them to knead the dough afterwards make sure it is cool enough not to burn their hands.

Mix together in an aluminum core pot:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

1/4 cup oil

1 tablespoon cream of tartar

Food coloring (Add to dough after cooking)

Cook these ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they thicken. You will know it's ready to take off the stove when the play dough pulls away from the sides of the pan (it is similar to the consistency of cream puff dough). Place on a plate to cool enough to handle comfortably. Knead, and then store mixture in an airtight container.

Helpful tip: Place an old acrylic cutting board on the table. (I altered this from parchment paper. It is easier to use and less likely to tear.) When the dough is cool, use food coloring to dye the play dough. Cut the play dough mixture into several large pieces. Place a few drops of different colors of food coloring on each piece of the dough. Knead the food coloring into the dough. Wear gloves when kneading food coloring into play dough to prevent staining your hands. Enjoy your rainbow-colored play dough!

(Source: Introduction to Early Childhood Education Sixth Edition pg. 270 by Eva L. Essa)

Try this recipe. You will absolutely love it! It keeps extremely well when stored in airtight, plastic bags too! 

You can even try out your new play dough on some fun Fall Play Dough Mats that I just created. The play dough mats come in 8 fall designs. 

Designs Included: 

• Owl

•Candy Apple

•Pumpkin

•Squirrel

•Black Cat

•Witch

•Turkey 

•Pilgrim’s Hat

Please click on the link below the cover to view the Fall Play Dough Mats on my TpT store!

Fall Play Dough Mats