Knead to Know
Recent research shows that using your fingers and hands actually stimulates your brain and increases the number of neural connections it makes. So when your child digs into play dough, he’s not only building little figures and shapes, he’s building his brain! For some mind-molding fun, start by making your own homemade play dough. Then, try a few activities.
- Talk About It
While making the dough, have your child be a play-dough scientist by asking him questions like, “What will happen to the ingredients when they’re mixed together? What will happen when you add the water? What will the dough look like when it’s cooked?”
- Make An Impression
With a rolling pin, help your child roll out a handful of play dough. When the dough is smooth and flat, she can press small objects with different shapes and textures (fork, buttons, dried pasta, seashells) into the dough to make imprints and create an interesting pattern. Poke a hole in the dough near the edge, then allow it to dry and paint it. Tie a ribbon through the hole and hang it up.
- Shape It
Roll out the dough to about a quarter-inch thick. Then have your child pick her favorite cookie cutters and show her how to lean on them with both hands to cut out her shapes. Next, help her use a spatula to lift the cut-outs onto a piece of cardboard or a tray to dry. When the cut-outs are fully hardened, glue blank magnets to the backs and decorate the refrigerator.
- Snip and Cut
Learning to use scissors can be a challenge for many kids because it’s difficult for them to hold and cut floppy paper. Try cutting play dough! Roll out half-inch thick sheets, pass out the child-safe scissors, and watch your child become a super snipper. Play dough is a good learning material because its rigidity provides resistance so your child can feel what he’s doing with the scissors.
Source: Booth Church, E. (2008, February/March). Knead to know. Scholastic Parent & Child, 15(5), 44.