Kids

Different Ways To Make Playdough And The Benefits Of Playing With Playdough

August 29, 2021

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different ways to make playdough

Believe it or not, there are plenty of different ways to make playdough. There’s the traditional stovetop method, the boiling water method and even ways to make it in the microwave!

And that’s before we even look at all the different types of playdough you can make with different ingredients – from playdough made with conditioner to playdough made with shaving cream, there are so many different ways to make playdough.

Here’s our guide to making all the different types of playdough:

1. Traditional Playdough Made On The Stovetop

Sometimes the old traditional methods are the best and, in the case of playdough, stovetop playdough will never let you down – you’ll get consistent results every time you make playdough this way.

It’s only downsides are you’ll have to use (and wash up) a saucepan to make playdough this way, and you’ll need to take care if the children are helping to make the playdough as you’ll be working with the heat of the stove.

2. Making Playdough With Boiling Water

Similar to the traditional stovetop method, this method just requires the addition of boiling water but saves the trouble of using your stovetop and therefore removes the need to wash a saucepan.

This is also a very reliable method for making playdough and, once I discovered it, became my go-to playdough recipe instead of the traditional method.

different types of playdough

3. Making Playdough In The Microwave

Quick and easy, this microwave playdough recipe should be your go-to playdough recipe if you don’t have any Cream Of Tartar on hand.

With a few simple ingredients you can whip up a batch of this playdough and keep the kids entertained for hours.

4. Making Playdough With Self Raising Flour

Another recipe perfect for if you’ve run out of cream of tartar! As long as you’ve got some self raising flour at hand, this recipe can be quickly made up using the boiling water method.

5. Making Playdough In A Slow Cooker

While it sounds like it might take all day, it actually only takes an hour or so to make silky smooth playdough in a slow cooker.

Not quite set and forget like regular slow cooking, you will need to stir your playdough mixture a few times in its 1 hour of cooking to check on its progress as it cooks.

playdough recipes

6. Making Playdough With Shaving Cream

More of a ‘moon dough’ than a traditional playdough, making playdough with shaving cream is a fun experiment to do with the kids. No heat required and only 2 (or 3) ingredients – quick, fun and easy, as well as a bit messy!

7. Making Playdough With Conditioner

Another fun experiment to try – get the kids together and have some messy fun with regular hair conditioner and corn flour!

8. Making Playdough With Baby Oil

All you need is 2 ingredients to try out this moon dough style playdough made with baby oil. Another chance for some great, messy fun and experimentation with the kids!

The Benefits Of Playing With Playdough

benefits of playing with playdough

We’ve already covered how playdough can be a great source of messy fun and experimentation, especially if the kids help to actually make the playdough, but what are the actual benefits of playing with playdough?

Playdough is a great material for sensory and creative play, and its benefits extend beyond just improving children’s artistic skills. Even as adults, we may find ourselves coming up with new ideas and solutions while playing or just relaxing.

Playdough can calm children during tough times, help them with their motor skills development, and generally be a great tool to use when discussing emotions.

As we’ve established, playdough is a simple material to make, and getting the kids involved in the making process is a great activity in itself.

Parents and children can explore sensory play with the use of playdough as a tool to help improve imagination and creativity. We can use playdough in a variety of ways, but what specific benefits can we find in the material?

Improved Motor Skills

Using playdough as part of a preschooler’s learning has been found to be a great way to improve their motor skills. Children who touch and play with playdough unknowingly improve their fine-motor skills, by manipulating the dough and creating designs.

Playdough is sticky enough that it helps children use their fingers, hands, and sometimes even their toes(!) to manipulate it.

As kids get older, they have more fun as they explore the different colours of playdough. They can also create different shapes and figures. As kids play with playdough, they have fun while improving fine-motor skills.

why play with playdough

Improved Creativity And Imagination

As children play with different colors of playdough, they may find themselves combining colors and making new ones so that they can make their creations look even better.

With this comes the inspiration to improve on existing designs or make their own designs from scratch. It gives children a chance to be creative, giving them the opportunity to develop a skill that is essential for innovation and problem solving in the future.

Some studies even show that kids who use more self-expression when they play will perform better in school than those who don’t.

With playdough, children can freely express themselves, which is essential for a child’s mental and physical health.

Playdough also helps children have fun and express themselves in ways that may be different from everyday life, giving them an opportunity to experiment and discover and explore different things. This is one way children develop creativity.

playing with playdough

As playdough is a simple material to make, it is perfect for encouraging household creativity. Children and parents can have fun and make new things as they experiment with the different colors of playdough, or create new designs and figures.

This develops fine-motor skills in children, improves creativity in adults who have the time to enjoy them, and even inspires people’s imaginations to develop their own ideas or create their own inventions from scratch.

Playdough is also just a great way to improve family connections, from making the dough together, to playing with the dough, to learning how to responsibly pack away the playdough so it doesn’t dry out, playdough is the perfect tool for learning, connecting and having fun!

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