Teachers and parents of young children need to know this!!!!
Your student’s motor skills are still developing. Whether they seem right on track or have motor skill delays, your child will gain from continuing to develop motor skills. And let’s be honest…even US big kids love to play with playdough!
Do-The-Dough
I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW MUCH PLAYDOUGH (homemade or store bought) WILL HELP DEVELOP YOUR CHILD’S FINE MOTOR SKILLS.
This playdough extruder is great for fine motor development click here to purchase a set of extruders for your own fine motor tool collection.
That’s right! Do-The-Dough EVERYDAY!!!! Kids love it! I know, I KNOW, it can be a bit messy, but listen, there are tricks that will help your daily dough play easier! I feel your pain! I hate cleaning up the little tiny bits that are left on the floor. But it’s soooooo worth it!
Working dough with your hands will build so many muscles in the arms, wrists, hands, and fingers. But, believe it or not as much as kids love it, they still need to be taught some simple tricks of the trade.
What to teach your kids about playing with play dough:
How to roll a snake– There are two ways to roll a snake of play dough. First with both hands, holding the dough between your hands. The second way is to roll the dough on the table. Roll the snake and use them to form letters, numbers, shapes, sight words, etc. You can also have your student use scissors to cut the snakes into little piece to work those scissor skills!
How to put it away– Tap, tap, tap is step one! Tap all the little crumbs on the table to get them all up. Next, roll it into the shape of an egg and drop it in the container. DO NOT PUSH IT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM. This will make it easier to get it out the next time you use it. Last, teach them how to use a little hand held broom to sweep up the pieces on the floor.
DON’T EAT IT!!! – LOL!!! I know right, you laugh! You laugh, because YOU KNOW THEY WILL! In fact, chances are you’ve tried it! You know there are many edible dough recipes out there to use for your kids who like to put things in their mouths.
Teachers…make playdough a staple in your class! You can use it in any content area! Get creative and work those fine motor muscles, while they learn!
Check out this sweet girl!!! She was done early and decided to get creative with her playdough!
Grab your own playdough mat packet here!
This Playdough Mat Pack get used all year long. I use the numbers and letters mat in the student’s morning fine motor bins. Then I use the shape mats in their math centers when we study flat shapes. Grab yours by clicking on the picture or by clicking here.
Whether at home or at school your children will love being given the gift of playing with playdough! Play with them and now your giving them quality time! IT’S A WIN/WIN!!!
Enjoy Being Their Difference,
I still love to play with Palydough with my kids! You are never too old.
Me too! And I love the smell of it! It’s even something Todd likes to do with them!