Playdough is one of the most enduring toys and that’s because it’s versatile, affordable, and a fantastic learning activity!

Playing with playdough enhances your child’s imagination and creativity. It exposes them to textures, helps develop fine motor skills, encourages experimentation, and can also facilitate learning of colours, numbers, and textures.

Here are our top ten picks for activities your child can do with play dough.

Shapes, numbers, textures, and colours

1.  2D play dough shapes – learn shapes, colours and have some mathematical fun making two dimensional shapes

2. 3d  shapes – switch it up from the flat two dimensional shapes and learn what they look like in three dimensions

3. Rainbows –  make a rainbow and learn about colours at the same time

4. Make new colours – indulge your child’s urge to mush colours together to make new colours

5. Leaf print – learn about textures and shapes with this fun leaf activity

6. Jewellery– enhance the fun by adding glitter and other items to the dough and mix up the shapes to make a treasured keepsake

Games

8. Playdough Pictionary – playdough is the ideal way to engage children who otherwise don’t like sitting still: it is hands-on and it bends to their will giving instant gratification. This playdough Pictionary game is great for older children or children who like to be challenged.

9. Shapes memory game – make pairs of shapes (or blobs of the same colour) and hide them under plastic cups for a fun DIY memory game

10. Wacky sack – big and little kids will love this playdough and balloon wacky sack game

What is your child’s favourite thing to make with play dough?

See more:

• How to encourage your child’s development through play
• What to Expect From a Play Date
• The Treasure Hunt That Rocks