Looking for a simple, screen-free activity that keeps little hands busy?
Bring out the playdough!
Playdough can become almost anything — a garden, a bakery, an ocean, a colourful character or an entire imaginary world.
With the Everything Playdough Collection, you can choose different colours and creative experiences and turn everyday playtime into something new.
Here are 10 fun playdough activities to try at home.
1. Make a Rainbow
Use six colourful shades from Rainbow Playdough to create your own rainbow.
Roll each colour into a long strip and arrange them next to one another.
Then add clouds, a sun or even a rainbow garden.
You can also ask your child to name each colour while they play.
2. Create a Mini Garden
Turn your play area into a tiny garden.
Make:
-
Flowers
-
Leaves
-
Mushrooms
-
Butterflies
-
Bugs
-
Vegetables
Ask your child what lives in their garden.
Maybe it is an ordinary garden. Maybe it is a magical garden where the flowers can talk!
3. Open a Pretend Ice-Cream Shop
Create different ice-cream flavours using different colours of playdough.
Make cones, scoops and toppings.
Then turn the activity into pretend play.
Your child can become the shopkeeper while you become the customer.
"Can I have one strawberry ice cream, please?"
Let them invent the menu and decide the prices.
4. Make Funny Faces
Use different colours to create faces showing different emotions.
Try making:
-
Happy
-
Surprised
-
Sleepy
-
Silly
-
Excited
Talk about each expression while you create.
It's a simple way to combine creative play with conversations about feelings.
5. Build a Dinosaur World
Use playdough to create a prehistoric landscape.
Make dinosaurs, trees, rocks, eggs and mountains.
Then invent a story around them.
Where do the dinosaurs live?
What happens when they meet?
Where are they going?
Let your child create the answers.
6. Make Pretend Food
Playdough makes a brilliant pretend kitchen ingredient.
Create pizzas, cupcakes, sandwiches, fruits and vegetables.
You can even set up a pretend restaurant.
Your child can become the chef, create a menu and serve imaginary customers.
For children who enjoy hands-on activities with more structure, the Clay Play Activity Kit can provide another creative way to explore making and shaping.
7. Create an Underwater World
Use blue and other colourful shades to create an underwater scene.
Make fish, shells, coral and seaweed.
Then invent an underwater adventure.
Who lives there?
Where are they going?
What will they discover?
The story can change every time you play.
8. Make Colour Patterns
Patterns are easy to introduce through playdough.
Try:
Red – Blue – Red – Blue
Then ask:
"What comes next?"
Once your child understands the idea, let them create a pattern for you.
The All Colour Playdough set offers a wide range of shades for more detailed patterns and colourful creations.
9. Create a Pastel World
For something different, bring out Pastel Playdough.
Challenge your child to create an entire world using only soft pastel shades.
They could make:
-
A fairy garden
-
Ice-cream shop
-
Cloud kingdom
-
Flower garden
-
Cute little characters
There are no limits to what their imagination can create.
10. Invent Something Completely New
For the final activity, give your child no theme at all.
Simply say:
"Make anything you want!"
They might create an animal, vehicle, character or something that doesn't exist anywhere else.
Ask them:
What's its name?
Where does it live?
What does it do?
This lets children completely lead the activity.
Make Every Playdough Session Different
You don't need a new toy for every activity.
The same playdough can become something completely different every time you use it.
One afternoon it can be a bakery.
The next day it can become a jungle.
Later, it can become an entire planet.
That's the beauty of open-ended play.
Discover More Playdough Fun
Explore the Everything Playdough Collection from The Children's Lab and find colourful and sensory options for your little creator.
For children who love sensory experiences, explore the Sensory Scented Dough Collection and add another dimension to creative play.
