This week’s activity is making and playing with playdough. We have not been able to use playdough at nursery all year due to COVID cross-infection but, as you will only be doing this in your own small home bubble, it will be completely safe!
The learning with playdough is fantastic –
- Developing small motor skills – using fingers and hands.
- Science – noticing change in materials when making/cooking.
- Imagination and Role play – making food/animals/people/stories.
- Maths – using cutters to make shapes or sticks (collected from a walk or your garden or use match sticks) for counting and number.
Above all – have fun and be safe with the boiling water when making!
- 2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- Up to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
- food colouring (optional)
- few drops glycerine (optional- adds more shine!)
- Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl
- Add the boiling water
- Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough
- Add the food colouring and glycerine (both optional)
- Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the stickiness has gone. * This is the most important part of the process, so keep at it until it’s the perfect consistency!*
- (If it remains a little sticky then add a touch more flour until just right)
You can store this play dough in an air tight container for at least 6 months. If you live in a humid climate you might need to store it in the fridge and out of sunlight.
Here are some links with further ideas to enhance your learning –