Playdough is a classic learning activity in early childhood education. Some children love playdough and can spend hours experimenting at a playdough table. This page will help early childhood educators provide a wider range of experiences with dough.
EYLF learning outcomes
The Early Years Learning Framework encourages children to connect with materials (4.4) for curiosity, imagination, creativity (4.1), problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating (4.2).
Playdough is excellent for fine motor development and strengthening the hand muscles required for handwriting. The EYLF asks children to take increasing responsibility for their own physical wellbeing (3.2).
A classic playdough recipe
Creme of tartar is a key ingredient in homemade playdough. A popular playdough recipe in Australia is printed on containers of McKenzie's Cream of Tartar. It turns out smooth and silky. They have also published this playdough recipe on their website.
Playdough as a sensory experience
Add sensory ingredients
Add these ingredients to any basic playdough recipe to alter its texture and smell:
Confetti, cornflour, flower petals, food dye, glitter, herbs, legumes, oats, potpourri, rock salt, sand, shampoo/conditioner, shredded coconut, shredded paper, spices, tea leaves, tempura paint, rice, vanilla.
Use sensory language
Educators can build children's vocabularies and sensory awareness by describing the qualities of the dough:
Bumpy, cold, colorful, damp, elastic, floppy, fragrant, glossy, grainy, gritty, goopy, heavy, hot, lumpy, light, moldable, scented, scratchy, smelly, silky, slimy, smooth, soft, squishy, stretchy, sticky, sweet, textured, warm and wet.
Ways to manipulate playdough
Early childhood educators can sit alongside children at a playdough table and demonstrate new ways to manipulate the dough. Expand children's vocabulary by describing your actions:
Blend, build, carve, combine, cut, decorate, flatten, fold, imprint, knead, mold, pat, pinch, press, pull, push, roll, sculpt, slice, smash, stretch, twist, and weave.
Objects and tools to use with playdough
- Toy animals and cars which can make footprints and tracks
- Beads, buttons, jar lids, pebbles, gumnuts, shells and bottle caps for decorating and imprinting shapes.
- Building blocks to provoke creativity.
- Hair combs, lace and mesh/netting for imprinting textures.
- Straws, toothpicks, feathers, twigs, pipe cleaners and pop sticks. These make great birthday candles.
- Kitchen tools like measuring cups, rolling pins, cookie cutters, cutlery, scales, and pasta-making equipment.
Playdough learning experiences
Combine colours
Combine two different colours of playdough to make a new colour. This teaches children how primary colours blend to form secondary colors and introduces color theory in a hands-on way.
Reenact a story
Children can work as a group to recreate a scene from a storybook. Playdough is a very flexible material and can be easily molded into various characters and objects. You can also add loose parts to your scene, like fabric, cardboard, beads and sticks.
Conduct an experiment
Ask children to make sculptures from playdough. Place half the sculptures in the shade and the other half under hot sun. Encourage children to hypothesise by asking what they think will happen. Check and discuss the results later in the day.