In addition to painting, cutting, and handicrafts, play dough also enhances fine motor skills by improving hand and finger mobility. It is advisable to promote children's fine motor skills before they start school, because loose and fluid movements facilitate easier writing learning in school. Children love crafting colorful fantasy figures and animals with play dough. This activity serves as a wonderful pastime and supports self-confidence in their abilities. Through modeling, children unleash creativity and develop their own ideas by using their imagination. The motivation to knead is maintained over a longer period because corrections are always possible. Children often begin without a specific idea, spontaneously kneading, pressing, rolling and shaping. Quite incidentally, a certain character develops with their help of her imagination. The child begins to think about the shape and plan its form. Step into your child's fantasy world by asking them about their creations. Together, find a special place at home to display the playdough creations. This shows your child how much you enjoy their ideas and imagination. Encourage your child to create a playdough figure as a personal gift for a family member, for example for a birthday. Occasionally, take some time to knead together with your child. Such moments strengthen family ties and leave lasting positive memories.
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Recipe for making play dough
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Making play dough from natural ingredients is an inexpensive way to encourage fine motor skills and creativity. Although the play dough is made from natural ingredients, it is important to ensure, especially with small children, that the play dough is not suitable for consumption.
‍Ingredients:
» 400 g flour
» 200 g salt
» 2 tbsp oil
» 500 ml water
» 30 g of baking powder
» Food coloring
» Airtight plastic container
‍Preparation of the dry ingredients:
‍Sift the flour into a bowl. Add salt and baking powder. Mix all the dry ingredients with a spoon.
‍Add the oil and water:
Add the oil to the dry ingredients. The oil ensures that the dough is smooth. Boil the water. Pour the hot water slowly and carefully into the bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend all ingredients well.
‍Cool down:
Allow the dough to cool slightly until it is warm to the touch.
‍Knead:
Then knead the dough by hand on the work surface until a smooth mass is formed.
‍Adjust the consistency:
If the dough is too sticky, mix in some more flour. If the dough is too dry and cannot be shaped easily, add a little more water. The water helps to bind the dry ingredients better. A few drops of oil will also help to make the dough smoother and easier to knead. Make sure that the dough does not become too firm or too sticky. Otherwise children will quickly lose the joy of kneading.
‍Add color:
Divide the smooth dough into individual portions according to the number of colors. Make a small indentation in the center of each portion with your thumb. Wear gloves to protect your hands from discoloration. Add a few drops of food coloring to each well. The more food coloring you add to the dough, the more intense the color will be. Knead each portion vigorously so that the color is evenly distributed.
‍Shape the balls:
‍Shape the dough into balls and let it rest for a few minutes so that the playdough achieves the right consistency.
‍Storage:
Store the playdough in an airtight container in the refrigerator so that it stays soft for several weeks. For longer storage, the playdough can also be frozen. To do this, divide the modeling clay into small portions so that only the required amount can be removed later.
‍Preparation of the work area:
‍Place a protective cover, such as an oilcloth, on the table to make it easier to remove crumbs after kneading.