Fine Motor
SensoryToddlersPreschoolers5 Comments
A simple play prompt.
Play dough. Tees. Straws. And pipe cleaners added later.
The boys and I made play dough and I simply added these items to it. Here’s my favorite recipe for how to make homemade play dough.
It was a great sensory activity because the play dough was still even warm from making it. Play dough normally is a wonderful sensory activity in itself, but the added warmth was something new for the boys.
Henry was a poking fool! He added so many straws and tees to his ball of play dough!
Once the top was full, he began shoving them in from the sides. I could hear his conversation… he was pushing pipes through for the sewer. Where he comes up with it, I’m not sure!
George poked a lot too.
He was kind of hesitant at times. Really watching his big brother and what he was doing and trying to copy it himself (we call him a copycat around here, he does everything big brother does).
George finally broke out of the mold of copying and grabbed the knife that I set out for them. Yes, I gave my 1 year old a knife. A butter knife.
He sliced a few chunks of play dough off.
Squished them, and dumped it on the floor. Of course.
I tried creating a play prompt for George with a ball of play dough and a tee in it telling him it was a cupcake. He didn’t bite.
Henry did. The word cupcake and his pipes were dug up and taken out in seconds.
And he turned into baker mode.
Apparently it was Blue Dog’s birthday. (I think for as many birthdays as this dog has, he has to be at least 100 by now. We have them weekly at least. But Henry said today he’s 13.)
I thought with Blue Dog being 13, he could make him 13 cupcakes or have 13 candles on the cupcakes, right? Nope. 6 play dough cupcakes because Blue Dog is 13. Makes sense, right? To Henry it did. And I didn’t argue.
George heard the word cupcake and started tasting the play dough. Ick! He kept spitting it out… but yet kept trying it… silly boy!
Helpful Play Dough Articles:
34 Ways to Pretend, Create & Learn with Play Dough
Our Recipe for how to make homemade Play Dough
I took the Play Dough Pledge with NurtureStore, The Imagination Tree and Sun Hats and Wellie Boots this week and tried something new with the boys with play dough. It’s getting close to the end of the Play Dough Pledge week, will you join in?
Its never to late to try something new with play dough!
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Marissa says
What a great fine motor and sensory activity. So simple and straight forward. When I was a preschool teacher, the kids loved doing these types of activities and we loved them because set up was so quick.