At Curiosity Early Learning Centre, we understand the immense value of play in early childhood development. One of the most loved activities among our young learners is playing with playdough. This simple activity offers a myriad of benefits that extend far beyond mere fun.
Playing with playdough fosters fine motor skills as children knead, roll, and shape the dough. These actions strengthen the muscles in their fingers and hands, which are crucial for writing and other intricate tasks. Manipulating playdough also helps with enhancing hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Creativity and imagination blossom when children engage with playdough. They experiment with different shapes and forms, developing their problem-solving skills and exploring cause-and-effect relationships. This open-ended play also encourages language development as children describe their creations and share their experiences with their friends.
Socially, playdough activities promote cooperation and sharing. Children often work together to create collective masterpieces or exchange tools and ideas. These interactions help them develop important social skills, such as taking turns and negotiating roles within a group.
Cognitively, playdough play can be a gateway to learning fundamental concepts. Children can learn about colours, shapes, and even basic math by counting pieces or dividing dough into parts. Adding elements like scented flowers or food colouring can also stimulate sensory experiences, making learning more engaging and comprehensive.
Making Playdough at Home
If your child loves the playdough at Curiosity ELC, why not try making it at home? It’s lots of fun to make together with your child and the cost of ingredients works out to approximately $3.50, a cheap and cheerful activity that yields quite a large batch of playdough… why not have a play date and share it with friends?!
Enjoy our best playdough recipe that you can follow and play with at home…
The Best Playdough Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups plain flour
- 1 & 1/2 cups salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 3 & 1/2 cups boiling water
Instructions:
- Dissolve the salt in the boiling water.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients.
- You may need to add extra flour to achieve the right consistency.
- For a variety of sensory experiences, you can add scented flowers, loose leaf tea, or food colouring.
Making playdough at home is not only fun, but also a great opportunity to spend quality time with your child while encouraging the benefits of hands-on learning. Enjoy the process and watch their creativity and skills flourish.
Good luck and have fun creating your playdough masterpieces! Why not share them with us on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #gspvcreativity
Love what we do at Curiosity ELC?
If you’re interested in enrolling your child at Curiosity, first book a Principal’s Tour then submit an application for enrolment.