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14 May

35+ Ways to Pretend, Create & Learn with Play Dough!

Fine MotorAll Ages
38 Comments

Stuck for something to do that's creative, imaginative, and interactive? Try these easy ways to pretend, create and learn with play dough!

Play dough. We’ve made tracks with trucks and smooshed balls.

But then we got stuck. Until I found all these creative and cool ways to play with our dough!

35+ Ways to Pretend, Create & Learn with Play Dough

No more excuses to skip the play dough! Now I’ve got lots of easy ways to think outside the box for creative play.

Add a little science to your play dough with a cool homemade play dough recipe!

Play dough will never be boring again!

What's your favorite way to pretend, play, create and learn with play dough? Try our 30+ favorite ways to play!

Pretend with Play Dough:

Play dough makes a great jumping off place for pretend play! Try these 6 creative ideas to get started.

Make & Create with Play Dough:

Play dough is perfect for creative art projects. Let your child’s imagination soar with these 6 activities!

Items to Add to Play Dough:

Know what’s fun? Mixing things into play dough!

Try these creative additions to your next play dough adventures.

Ways to Learn with Play Dough:

Play dough is a great teaching and learning tool. Make letters, numbers, and patterns to help your child learn early academic skills!

I’ve found that homemade play dough is far superior to the store-bought kind.

It’s softer, lasts longer and you can make whatever color you like just for that day. Not to mention adding fun ingredients to the mix!

What’s your favorite play dough activity?

More Hands on Kids Activities to Try

Reader Interactions

38 Comments

  10. I love this list…thanks my kids love playdough…one we do that their great uncle actually taught them is playdough jewellery—my little girl Liberty loves her playdough rings, watches, anklets, earrings, and ponytail holders–(over the already existing elastics of course)..she feels like such a princess when she is all done…my son likes to make the funny mustaches, bears, eye brows, nose rings (like Melvin when he became the witch doctor in madagascar), glasses etc…human pototo head….but I love alot of yours to add to our small list of things to do with playdough…

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  14. Love all the ideas… wish I had seen this before,but in the end it worked out great. I kinda did the reverse last time we had playdough out, no accessories, no color mixing, no tools of any kind… Day one "where are the cookie cutters?" all they did is make "pancakes" by smushing the dough flat. day 2 can we have scissors… mix colors… take it to the kitchen… and so it went. However I noticed each day the children got better with their hands, making coils/ snakes, balls and even modeling real life items, one child made a helicopter, blades and all. There was talk about all kinds of stuff while they simply manipulated the dough, kinda theraputic, keeping hands busy with out a goal, and brains free to think. On the last day I gave in and got out the cookie cutters and poof all creativity turned to "I had that one first"
    I have to try some of the posted ideas, Spaghetti for sure. Thanks for getting me thinking again about this old stand-by

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  20. Thanks for featuring some ideas of mine! You make the greatest lists! Yay for play dough! This will be good to repost again for the Winter when everyone is cooped up in their house!

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  31. love love love this post. I sent my two older kids to school today. I am definitely making some play dough for me and the two year old to enjoy today! Thanks for all the inspiration.

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What Parents Have to Say…

There's always something new for us to discover, as well as old favorites. I am so grateful to have activities handed to us... Fun and easy ones that can be put together in a moment's notice! You're awesome Jamie and I appreciate you sharing your activities and ideas!! - Melissa C.

"I absolutely love that this takes all the prep work out of engaging my children. It is so easy to just put up the calendar, and glance at it for inspiration when we are in a funk." - The Activity Room Member, Rachel


I have found it impossible to Google ideas from a million different sites, get organized, shop for supplies, etc. This is exactly what I have been searching for! Thanks for making something so organized and easy to use. - Early Years Activity Plans User, Melissa C.


This takes down the need to scour the internet for ideas. It's like looking for a recipe on the internet, so many options that often times it is less overwhelming to look in a book on the shelf than stress about too many options. - Early Years Activity Plans User, Robyn G


Thank you so much for these activities. They have proven to me that I CAN be that mom that does cool and creative things with her kids! And those cool and creative things can actually be quite simple! What a revelation. Thank you!! - 7 Day Challenge, Katie M.


I feel like a new mama having so many fun ideas. I used to dread the afternoon, after naps, as it was so boring doing the same thing day after day but now I look forward to our "play" time! - Haley S.

You have changed how I spend time with my kid in so many positive ways! I am now one happy dad that no longer wonders what I am going to do with this little guy for the next 12 hours :P Your site was this first time dad life saver! - Jack C.

It is hard to think of things to keep the 3 year old entertained and engaged while taking care of the baby. Everything we have tried so far from your website, the three year old has loved. Your ideas are so simple and he can do them for hours. HEAVEN! - Karen I.

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