Playdough is one of our go-to activities for everyday creative play. We keep a kitchen drawer stocked with playdough, playdough tools, and playdough "decorations" (toothpicks, beads, googly eyes, feathers). It's easily accessible and frequently brought out, either by the kids when they want to make playdough cakes to sell in their living room store or by me when I see that they might need a diversion or easy activity.
In fact, I'd say playdough is one of the top three regular creative outlets in our home (the other two being the big chalkboard and simple paper and markers/crayons/scissors). Sure, we paint quite a bit and we're always trying some new art or craft idea. But for everyday, endlessly enjoyable and changeable creative fun, playdough is hard to beat.
Here Are Photos Showing Two Days of Playdough Play in Our Home
We made a brand new batch of playdough the other day when Maia had a friend over. We used the no-cook recipe this time so the kids could be more involved in making the playdough. They each mixed up their own bowl full of ingredients, chose their colors (red, blue, and indigo), and kneaded their dough.
Once the playdough was ready, they eyed each others colors and decided to share.
Daphne made her usual chocolate chip cookies, adding little playdough chocolate chips to cookie after cookie after cookie.
Taytum spelled her name in the playdough.
And Maia and Taytum took turns inspiring each other with playdough volcanoes and playdough snowmen people (they each made both).
The next day, Maia and Daphne made birthday cakes...
...and bear cakes decorated with dyed pasta beads.
And you'll notice that those three colors we started out with have now been thoroughly mixed together in the space of a day. This is why I usually make a big batch of a single color. At least this time the colors were predominantly blue.
I've been known to make three colors at a time (red, yellow, and blue) and even six colors at a time. Every time (despite moderate efforts to keep the colors separate) the whole thing becomes a muddy mess after a few days. The kids don't seem to notice or mind, though, and just keep on creating with the playdough. Which of course reinforces the notion that we're better off sticking to one color at a time.
How about you? What are your family's top go-to creative activities that you do and enjoy time after time? Activities that are easy, handy, engaging and regularly done or requested by the kids?
Oh, and just curious... Are you able to keep playdough colors separate? Or do you bother?
