Learn with Play Dough

Give your child some play dough and talk about adjectives with which they can describe what they feel, such as “soft”, “cold”, “mushy”, “texture”.  The process of making the dough at home with your child is in itself very educational.  You can develop vocabulary such as the adjectives above; introduce measurement, and the notion that a recipe is a set of instructions with an order.  This dough lasts a very long time.  Using food coloring to make different colors and using tools around the house are part of the fun, i.e., the process ( rolling, mashing, shaping it into a rope, forming letters, using cookie cutters or caps.

Here are directions for making play dough at home:

Repeat for each color dough you want, or split mixture up before you add food coloring.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• food coloring

Mix all ingredients (add food coloring last). Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan, let cool slightly, and knead until blended and smooth.

Store in a plastic bag or airtight container when cooled.