beat RAINY DAY blues with homemade playdough

Around here, we have playdough ready at all times.  I keep it in a plastic bin in my art cabinet.  Today, I really wanted to do something different with it, though.  So, I made two batches of PlayDough in different colors.  Then I brought out the animals.

What you need: Playdough (Try out the best no-cook playdough recipe you can make with (or without!) a stand mixer), Animals

Once you have the playdough made you can use it for other creative ideas too! Try Picasso playdough mats, PlayDough Bakery, and PlayDough Play! 

I rushed to prep the table while M and M were occupied.  I made eight ovals and then pressed a different animal into each one.

I mixed the animals up on the table and called the kids over.  I told them to find which animal made each imprint.

We had an even better time than I had expected.  The kids worked hard to find a match, and then they wanted me to walk away so they could set the stage for me.  Big M even changed it up a bit and made footprints.

M and M played with the animals for a while and then requested their usual playdough toys.  Big M worked on a construction site. And Little M baked her heart out.

This activity ended up lasting 3 hours!  Wow, was I a happy lesson-planning Mom!

Questions(to ask your kids):  “How can you tell which animal is a match?” “Are the legs the same on every animal?”  “Look at the texture; which animal would make these marks?”

Tips(to maximize learning):  1. Let your little ones help make the play dough.  2. Have them guess what will happen when the water is added to the dry ingredients.  3.  Give your kids a chance to knead while the dough is still warm. . but make sure you finish up otherwise, it will be sticky.

More Rainy Day Fun

Rainy Day Fun with Science
Umbrella Craft
Rain Walk: Rain Experiment with Kids

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